The Brand is Female

This week’s episode features a conversation with Eva Barboni, Founder and CEO of Atalanta, a consultancy that helps women candidates and candidates with a platform built around the advancement of women’s rights get elected around the world. Atalanta aims to help shape public opinion, raise awareness of global issues, and mobilise communities and funding for initiatives that help make the world a b...

This week’s episode features a conversation with Janice Engel and Carlisle Vandervoort, director and producer of the award-winning documentary ‘Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins” being released in the UK just in time for the upcoming US elections. Molly Ivins, a columnist, was dubbed “six feet of Texas trouble”. She took on the ‘Good Old Boy’ corruption wherever she found it—most not...

Vanessa Barboni Hallik left a successful career in finance to launch her own brand of sustainable luxury garments, Another Tomorrow , with every decision guided by a value system based on three pillars: human, animal, and environmental welfare. Launching just before Covid hit with a direct-to-consumer model and one wholesale partner already secured— none other than Moda Operandi—Vanessa kept her s...

Myriam Maguire is the Co-founder and Creative Director of Maguire , a design-led footwear brand that got its start in Montreal. In this conversation, Myriam shares her advice around challenging the boy’s club, risk-taking and going after your entrepreneurial dreams. After graduating from Cordwainers College in London, UK and interning for established names such as Jonathan Saunders, then later wor...

Our guest this week is Sage Paul, Founding Member and Creative Director of Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto . An urban Denesuliné tskwe and a member of English River First Nation, she is an award-winning artist and designer as well as a recognized leader of Indigenous fashion, craft and textiles. Her work centres around family, sovereignty and resistance for balance. Sage is getting ready for the n...

Laura Nezri was focused on raising her family until she founded Maison Tess , based on an idea that came to her after she searched high and low for the perfect stylish bedding for her own home and realized there was a gap in the market. Cue in her new venture, focused on beautiful sheets made of oeko-certified natural fibres including cotton and linen, sourced in Europe from ethical agriculture an...

Jo Notkin has turned a passion for food into a career, although she used to have a completely different job, working in the jewelry industry and later in textile design. Leveraging her creativity and knack for business, Jo runs one of Montreal’s most successful catering companies, Zoe Ford. She was also selected as a contestant on the last season of TopChef Canada, where she made it through 6 epis...

Melanie Ellezam created Olmsted Outerwear with the desire to do things differently. By committing to a sustainable supply chain and manufacturing process, Melanie established a brand anchored in “slow fashion” where products are conceived with the good of the planet in mind, as well as the good of the humans making them, and of the humans wearing them. Melanie found inspiration in the work of Fred...

This week, we’re taking a deep dive into sustainability — all aspects of it — and the changes that need to take place in our world, both from a consumers’ standpoint, as well as from the brands that are manufacturing the products we consume. Our guest, Carrie Ellen Phillips, is absolutely passionate about sustainability, the circular economy and most of all, about helping companies carve out a new...

Rachel Lambo founded body skincare brand Sade Baron with her mom after some convincing. While the brand has been a side hustle, it took off organically, pun intended — all Sade Baron products are all high-quality and vegan, packed with nutrient-rich superfoods that are good for both our skin and our planet. Today, retailers such as The Detox Market carry the brand and it’s become a favourite among...

Chantal Carter has revolutionized the underwear industry by introducing nude undergarments that actually match everyone’s skin tone, including BIWOC’s. In an industry that is known for being traditional and having few disruptors, Chantal and her brand, Love & Nudes , are true trailblazers. In this episode, we speak with Chantal about the inspiration behind Love & Nudes, how the fashion ind...

As women, we often have a complicated relationship with food. From the society we live in where diet culture and pressures around body image and “health” are pervasive to our own struggles with figuring out what is right for our body. We know nutrition is a key element when it comes to our health, affecting everything from our immune and reproductive systems to our energy levels— even our hair and...

This episode features a conversation with Elizabeth Cabral, Founder and Creative Director of Purpose & Perspective , a platform that promotes mindful consumption and sustainable practices for the fashion industry. Fuelled by a global pandemic and a racial justice crisis, consumers are demanding more of the brands and companies they shop from. We are witnessing the rise of global consciousness,...

This episode features an interview with Afiya Francisco, Style Expert for on-air and print media and the Founder of The Style House. Afiya has built an impressive career in fashion and lifestyle in the past decade— she appears as a regular contributor on Canada’s leading TV networks and collaborates with publications and brands on style content. In this convo with The Brand is Female, Afiya talks...

This episode features an interview with Elizabeth Vazquez, CEO and Co-Founder of WEConnect International , and Marie Muldowney, Managing Director at the Canadian Securities Institute and Moody's Analytics. Through the Council on Scaling Women-Owned Businesses, WeConnect, along with their partners Moodys and TD, worked on a report that was just released this week, called HOW TO REBUILD GLOBAL BUSIN...

This episode features an interview with Kassandra Churcher, former Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies and the current Assistant Director for Post-Secondary Education services for the Inuit in Nunavut. Our last podcast featured an interview with Nontombi Naomi Tutu and Mungi Ngomane who spoke about racial injustice and systemic racism in today’s America. While...

This episode was recorded in the midst of a racial crisis in North America. To discuss the issue, we called on two inspiring black women leaders: Nontombi Naomi Tutu, the Canon missioner for Racial and Economic equity at the Cathedral of All Souls in Asheville, North Carolina along with her daughter Mungi Ngomane , author of the book Everyday Ubuntu , and Business Operations Manager for Outvote ....

Four years ago, Karen Marshall and Tina Barkley founded Fleurs de villes — a unique, experiential concept that brings luxury floral installations to cities around the world. Karen’s background in international publishing and Tina’s experience as a lifestyle expert and serial entrepreneur helped propel the brand’s unique vision. Connecting with world class talent in each location they launch in, Fl...

Alison Gordon was known as one of the only women CEOs leading a publicly-traded cannabis company until she left her position at 48North to the surprise of many last March; with the announcement of her departure made through a company press release. In this interview, Alison and The Brand is Female’s host Eva Hartling talked about the reality of the still very prevalent glass ceiling in today’s cor...

In this special series we speak to inspiring women role models from different backgrounds who share their views and advice for dealing with the period of anxiety and uncertainty we currently find ourselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this week’s podcast we’re talking about women and wealth with expert Ingrid Macintosh, who holds an impressive role at TD Bank Group as VP Wealth & Head o...

In this special series we speak to inspiring women role models from different backgrounds who share their views and advice for dealing with the period of anxiety and uncertainty we currently find ourselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This episode features an interview with Megan Tregunno, Vice President, Philanthropy at CAMH , Canada's largest mental health teaching hospital. Megan Tregunno h...

In this special series we speak to inspiring women role models from different backgrounds who share their views and advice for dealing with the period of anxiety and uncertainty we currently find ourselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chantal Pitre is at the helm of the Women Entrepreneurs program at TD Bank. Earlier this year and under Chantal’s leadership, TD launched a new platform that aim...

In this special series we speak to inspiring women role models from different backgrounds who share their views and advice for dealing with the period of anxiety and uncertainty we currently find ourselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Minister Ng was elected as MP for the riding of Markham-Thornhill in April 2017. She was named Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and Internationa...

In this special series we speak to inspiring women role models from different backgrounds who share their views and advice for dealing with the period of anxiety and uncertainty we currently find ourselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This episode features an interview with Jakki Leonardini , celebrated Energy Healer, Certified Life Coach and Co-Founder of WellSoul Workshops. Jakki’s spiritual...

In this special series we speak to inspiring women role models from different backgrounds who share their views and advice for dealing with the period of anxiety and uncertainty we currently find ourselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Carly Stein discovered bee propolis, a natural substance bees make that contains compounds which support immunity while on a trip to Italy in 2012. She realized...