Hearth2Heart

Vulnerability: Is There Such a Thing as Too Much? A Deep Dive with Dr. Roselle Gonsalves In this episode, we delve deep with Dr. Roselle Gonzales as she draws from her impactful work in inclusion and reconciliation, and insights from her poignant book, "The Ordinary Turned Precious." We explore how vulnerability not only allows us to show up as our true selves but also plays a crucial role in crea...

The Magic of Kindness with Elena Esina In this final episode of Season 1, host Gayathri and Elena share some lessons they have learned from working together on the Landed project, and their hopes for the future. Elena Esina is an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary where she manages an initiative called Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence. Elena holds a m...

Distances and Destinations: Healing in Hong Kong, with Jesiebelle Salcedo "I feel a sense of belonging when communities show care and compassion." Children of immigrants often find themselves living in two worlds. In this episode, Landed co-author and second-generation Filipina-Canadian Jesiebelle Salcedo shares how giving voice to her mom's immigration story has helped her heal her relationship w...

A "Better" Version with Swati Dhingra "When I became an independent, single, immigrant woman homeowner in Calgary...that was like a proud, proud moment...a fantastic feeling of belonging in Canada, and calling it a home." In this episode, Landed co-author Dr. Swati Dhingra joins us to share her immigration journey from India to Canada. She offers tips about the hurdles she faced along the way, inc...

The Poetry of the Life of an Immigrant Woman with Kelly Kaur "I feel a sense of belonging when my heart feels at peace no matter where I am, and that is in beautiful Calgary with my family and friends, and I am at peace." Our latest episode on Hearth 2 Heart is with Kelly Kaur who grew up in Singapore and lives in Calgary. Kelly teaches at Mount Royal University and Athabasca University. She has b...

The Seemingly Impossible Quest and Longing for Change with Anusha Kassan "Until true systemic change takes place, and racist, discriminatory and unjust structures are dismantled in our society, I know I will not be able to rest." Born in Montreal to a French-Canadian mother and a South Asian father, Anusha Kassan shares her experience of her writing her story in Landed. Anusha is currently an asso...

Be You...You Can with Benazir Rahman Change is never easy but it is possible when you set your mind to it and add a (not-so-secret) ingredient... "I feel a sense of belonging when people believe in my strengths and skills and opportunity, and the other way when I give back to the community...when I help a new immigrant." After having to move countries during a pandemic with a toddler in tow, Benaz...

Unlocking the Keys to Transformation, with Drew Soleyn Change is never easy but it is possible when you set your mind to it and add a (not-so-secret) ingredient... In this episode, Gayathri chats with her own coach, Drew Soleyn, who supported her transition into entrepreneurship. Drew is a career coach at Queen's University and also the Founder of Connected Dads and Director at Dads Central Ontari...

The Dusky Dawn, with Anam Kazim - Landed Co-Author "I feel a sense of belonging when I feel respected....Respect is something that no matter where you are, who you are, where you are from - it is how you can have a sense of belonging, connect, build a trusting environment for one another, and build a safe environment for everybody.” In this inspiring episode, Anam Kazim - author of the story "The...

Curiosity Starts with a Beer, with Inez Ashworth - Landed co-author "A sense of belonging comes when you can be your true authentic self.” In this episode, we talk about the role of curiosity in creating community with Landed’s co-author, Inez Ashworth. Inez, founder of Inclusive Concepts, is a cultural innovator and a trusted advocate with her own unique style. Her life and career have been dedic...

Two Suitcases, with Anna Zakharova - Landed co-author "No matter what others say who you're supposed to be, who you're not, or who you should be - just remember who you are and stick to the truth. Always have that hope that all together, we can make things better." Anna Zakharova is an internally displaced person from Crimea, Ukraine who fled from Russia’s military invasion in 2014. She is a Fulbr...

Still I Feel, with Landed co-author Charlotte Ong'ang'a "I feel a sense of belonging when I am with a group of people that are looking beyond the differences between us...and just embracing one another as a people of the same nation." We're proud to host conversations with the authors of our latest anthology, Landed, Transformative Stories of Canadian Immigrant Women. To kick off, this episode fea...

"I feel a sense of belonging when I am with a group of people that are looking beyond the differences between us...and just embracing one another as a people of the same nation." We're proud to host conversations with the authors of our latest anthology, Landed, Transformative Stories of Canadian Immigrant Women, set to officially launch in September 2022. To kick off, this episode features a conv...

"I feel a sense of belonging when I am recognized for my unique skills and perspectives, and am valued for them." If you've been thinking about making a career transition, this episode is for you. Courtney Dragani transitioned her career from working at a large energy company, to a start-up called the51, a move she made to follow her passion for women's economic empowerment. Tune into this episode...

In a society that values "producing and performing," it is no wonder that topics like self-care are trivialized. Stats show the effect, with 3 out of 4 people experiencing burnout in the workforce. This mental health week, we are zooming into topic, and talking with Lennis Perez about how to beat burnout. Lennis is a chemical engineer turned wellness engineer. After 16 years of engineering experie...

"I feel a sense of belonging when I have deep conversations." From her career as a wrestling olympian to being the youngest ever woman elected into Calgary City Council, in this episode Jasmine Mian shares her journey of going from athletics and into politics...the wins, losses, and lessons along the way. Her tip? Action is the antidote to anxiety.

"There are so many things we need to evolve in the world, in terms of the climate and ethical environments. If you have a desire to make a shift, the world needs you. We need more people in their passions doing what they love." Jana Boyko is the founder of All of Her Business, where she supports women in building sustainable companies. In this episode, Jana shares her own journey with All of Her B...

"I feel a sense of belonging when I can drop the mask of masculinity and be myself...the consequences of not being our authentic selves is like cutting limbs off." In a society where three out of four suicides, 80% of drug overdoses, and primary perpetrators of violence are men, toxic definitions of masculinity profoundly impact men, boys and the lives of those around them. Jake Stika shares his j...

"Taking a mindful approach to hear about this topic, is opening yourself up to starting the learning process.” We know that positive social relationships form a big part of our wellbeing, however, this has been challenged in recent times of increased division and isolation. It is critical now more than ever to build both individual and organizational resilience for effective talent retention. Andr...

"I feel a sense of belonging when I can share my experiences, knowledge, and give back; so that I can honor all that I have been privileged enough to experience in my life. " In this episode, Colby Delorme speaks to the the value of mentorship for both mentee and mentor. Colby is the President of The Imagination Group of Companies, and the Founding Creator and Board Member of Influence Mentoring S...

"When I show up authentically, and my light truly shows from every inch of myself, when I am allowed to be myself without any barriers to my potential... I feel a sense of belonging." Colby Sharma is a law school graduate and the author of "The Curveball." In this episode, he shares his journey overcoming a learning disability, as well as lessons he gleaned from his dad, Robin Sharma, to lead a li...

Jyotsna Vaidee, product manager with YouTube and the founder of Samudra Dance Creations, shares how she is able to blend her creativity with her work. As an award-winning dancer, Jyotsna specializes in the art form of Bharatanatyam, a traditional dance originating from India. Her latest project is called Storm, premiering on Friday September 24 at the Erasing Borders Dance Festival, Storm. Tune in...

"Being open to new experiences, trying new things…at the end of the day something will click.” Tune into to hear Raman Sawhey, Executive Director and Founder at Apar Initiative, share her story of overcoming barriers as a young, female engineer. Her mission at Apar is to empower youth in discovering their limitless potential by building STEM and leadership capabilities. Acronyms and links mentione...