The Discovery Pod

On today’s show, we are joined by Mark Korthuis , President and CEO of the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation in Edmonton, Alberta. Glenrose is Canada's largest freestanding rehabilitation facility. Its mission is “enabling patients with impairments or disabilities to reach and achieve their optimal physical, sensory, psychological, spiritual, and social functional levels.” Mark takes us...

Dr. Anson Wong is the Campaign Director at The Discovery Group. He joins this episode to discuss exceptional Asian fundraising strategies influenced by his lifetime of experience. Joining Douglas Nelson, Dr. Wong shares insights guided by positive impact and social change on building an effective Asian fundraising program in your organization. He also delicately dives into the art and science of e...

Our food distribution system is broken. It is time that we take action and fix it. In this episode, David Long , the CEO of Greater Vancouver Food Bank , and Stuart Lilley , Founder of ReFeed, share their insights on how to fix food systems through the Zero-Loss Model to feed future generations. The partnership of Greater Vancouver Food Bank and ReFeed has created a positive impact on mitigating f...

In this episode,  Neelam Sahota , CEO of DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society joins Douglas Nelson to discuss the value of immigration to all Canadians. Neelam touches on the Canadian immigration system, the services desperately needed, and the importance of alignment and strong governance in any social profit organization. Tune in now to learn how DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society h...

Join Christoph Clodius , Vice President at The Discovery Group , and Dee Dee Sung , Executive Director, Development at UBC , as they discuss UBC’s campaign FORWARD and the important role the Assistant Dean, Faculty of Education, will play in this project. Discover if this role is right for you!   The Faculty of Education at UBC was established more than 60 years ago. It is celebrated today as...

It is widely acknowledged that philanthropy has played a critical role in both developed and developing societies. However, today philanthropic acts or so-called “do-gooders” are being criticized, mocked, and even attacked by journalists and academics. Where are all these criticisms coming from? And what is the truth about philanthropy’s intentions? Together with Dr. Beth Breeze , this episode exa...

Over 30% of food is lost or wasted each year, which is striking, given the large number of hungry people worldwide. This wasted resource is a social justice issue that we should mitigate. In this episode, Tristan Jagger of Food Runners and Victoria Della Rocca of Food Rescue Hero share their insights on how these organizations help control the issue of food waste. The technology behind Food Runner...

Institute of Corporate Directors is a not-for-profit organization that inspires directors to make meaningful contributions in the boardroom. The conversations that take place in the board rooms are very important for any organization. As the CEO, it's your job to make sure that every chair is aligned with each other. Join Douglas Nelson as he talks to the CEO of the Institute of Corporate Director...

The year of adjusting to the new normal and organizational shifts is almost over. 2022 is just about over and it's time to start thinking about the future that is 2023. Join your host Douglas Nelson and his special guest Alex Wilson as they reflect back on some of The Discovery Group's 2022 achievements. Also, get a snippet of what's in store in philanthropy for 2023. 

Women in the workforce have been experiencing challenges in the social leaders’ profit sector- even up to this day! Women are still seen as unworthy of leadership opportunities and incapable of being instruments for social impacts, even when they have repeatedly proven the exact opposite. That’s why companies like Minerva are crucial to empower women in breaking the cycle of re-offending and ultim...

The Surrey Board of Trade attracts and supports businesses in Surrey. They believe that transportation and education are the two economic foundations of building our city. In today's episode, social profit leader Anita Huberman , the President of  Surrey Board Of Trade , shares her tips for working with boards, her idea about leadership, and how to get things done. She also shares some advice...

To earn the award AFP Outstanding Corporation, one must demonstrate an outstanding commitment to supporting the community financially and through encouragement and motivation of others to take leadership roles toward philanthropy and community involvement. In today’s episode, Lawrence Eade , the President of Purdy’s Chocolatier , shares many of his insights about the connection between community a...

Sports undeniably bring people together. Ryan Tattle knows this, and it inspired him to start a fundraising campaign through hockey games – which surprisingly did well than he expected. He joins Douglas Nelson to share the story behind Score for Cancer, a project that raises money on behalf of the Canadian Cancer Society. He looks back on how they amassed more than a hundred thousand dollars throu...

Welcoming a baby into the world is a blessing. However, raising them can pose some challenges if you're struggling to fulfill their needs. That is why having a foundation in a community that supports parents in raising their babies in different ways is very valuable today. In this episode, Sam Drier, the Director of Finance at BabyGoRound, makes a difference by assisting mothers and families with...

Does your institution set a strategic plan to build a healthier place to work and study for you? In this episode, Richard Horbachewski from Vancouver Island University shares how the university is set to help prepare students for success in every aspect of life. Richard is a fundraising professional and the Chief Advancement Officer and AVP of External Relations at the university. He talks about t...

Do you love skiing and look forward to competing in this sport? Then immerse yourself in an organization with a culture of excellence.  Freestyle BC  offers freestyle skiing programs in British Columbia, focusing on delivering ski programs that enable the athlete to succeed at the highest level of competition. In today’s episode,  Josh Dueck , an aspiring professional skier and coac...

It takes great effort and dedication to take a cause forward and more than a strategy to earn a donor’s trust. In this episode, the CEO of the  KPU Foundation  and Vice President of External Affairs at  Kwantlen Polytechnic University ,  Randall Heidt , joins Douglas Nelson as he shares the impact of donors on their institution and any organization. Their insightful conversatio...

Public health covers many different areas that are crucial to address. Equally crucial are the partners involved. In this episode, Kristy Kerr , the Executive Director of BCCDC Foundation for Public Health shares how the foundation, BCCDC, upholds to serve the community through disease surveillance, detection, treatment, prevention, and consultation. Strengthening the hallmarks of a strong and inc...

Taking the philanthropic road can be challenging, especially when finding the resources to support your mission. One of those is the power imbalance between a funder and the charitable sector. Our guest in this episode found a way around it through trust-based philanthropy.  Susan Byrom , the Executive Director of  First West Foundation , joins Douglas Nelson to share how they are embrac...

In this world full of trials, shining light and supporting others who are facing huge ordeals is a great thing we could do. After all, the world is much bigger than us, so we must contribute and give back to the world. In this episode,  Chantelle Krish , a passionate and experienced community leader, talks about her work in bringing people together to reach out and serve the community. Chante...

The demand for workers in British Columbia is much higher than the supply of workers. Migrants and those who leave the school system to enter the labor market for the first time are critical components of the new labor supply. In this episode,  Patrick MacKenzie , the CEO of the  Immigrant Employment Council of BC , shares the story of the Immigrant Employment Council of BC and the outst...

As soon as women have children, they're already at a disadvantage in their careers. This is what you call "The Motherhood Penalty," and  Maturn  is on a mission to solve that. Most organizations never really even thought about maternity leaves. Most of them just expected their employees to come back and pick up from where they left off. That is not how it works. Women need time to get ba...

There are communities that don’t have safe drinking water, which leads to adverse health outcomes, and these challenges have been associated with colonialism and health outcomes associated with poverty. The Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba is dedicated to ensuring that every child treated at HSC Winnipeg Children’s Hospital has the best care and experience possible. The CEO of Children’s...

September 30th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, known as Orange Shirt Day, in Canada. It is the day to recognize the effects of the Canadian Indian residential system and honor survivors, their families, and those who never made it home. In this special episode, Douglas Nelson speaks with none other than the founder of Orange Shirt Day and the Orange Shirt Society,  Phyllis W...

The Discovery Pod is now on Season 7! Douglas Nelson shares what the show has in store with the new Director of Communications at The Discovery Group, Alex Wilson. They give us a sneak peek at episodes featuring leaders in the social profit sector, prominent authors and professors, and tech founders who brought tremendous value to society. They also look back on the lessons from past seasons, emph...