Today's Leaders for Tomorrow's Future Amanda Calzolaio

In this episode, Dr. Hsien Seow discusses the power of collective action and social change to drive ripple effects in the palliative care system. He shares his experiences with palliative care from an early age, defines what it is, why and how he remains committed to the field today. Dr. Seow speaks about the role of hope during the palliative process, as well as power and knowledge dynamics intertwined within healthcare system drivers which, unfortunately, is often experienced as the lack of continuity of care by many.  We discuss what can lead to change within the complex health system, the use of a patient's "CV", and honing in on and developing leadership skills have during these times, reinforcing the patient and the family are not invisible players in the process.

Dr. Seow is the Canada Research Chair in Palliative Care and Health System Innovation and a professor in the Department of Oncology at McMaster University. He publishes health care research focused on improving the patient and family experience for those facing serious illness. He is the coauthor of Hope for the best, Plan for the rest: 7 keys for navigating a life-changing diagnosis and the cohost of the podcast, The Waiting Room Revolution.

In this episode, Co-Founders Anika Chabra & Jennifer Siripong Mandel discuss their company Root & Seed and its mission to end the loss of tradition. As a social enterprise advancing intergenerational and culturally sensitive work, both Jennifer and Anika share what digging deep means to them and how the richness of their histories and its stories, along with those of the families they engage with, led them to where they are now both personally and professionally. While honouring the past and nurturing the future, the Co-Founders remind the audience to never stop exploring the past, to evolve, listen and lead without a solution in mind. Anika and Jennifer offer insight into the ongoing development of their start-up, noting there is value in purpose, feedback, perseverance, being grounded, and celebrating successes.

Anika Chabra & Jennifer Siripong Mandel are founders of Root & Seed, a startup disrupting the culture and preservation space.  After working in advertising for two decades and together for five years, they were motivated by very different reasons to rediscover their cultural roots and came together to harness the age-old power of storytelling with intuitive technology to help people claim, honour, and document their unique family stories and traditions. Two years into their entrepreneurial journey, Root & Seed has expanded to include The Root & Seed Podcast, a mobile web app, and physical products. In addition, Root & Seed is entering the B2B consulting space, and Anika & Jennifer are advocates for inclusivity in the workplace, having often been the only women of colour in boardrooms and workspaces.

In this episode, Sana Askari unveils the many struggles she was faced with as an Afghan women, which makes  Afghan women beautifully resilient. She speaks to her journey and the risks she took and continues to take to resist the societal and gender norms to not give up and disappear. Sana discusses how education is the key to not lose a generation to darkness and how important it is to continue to amplify the voices of Afghan women so the world does not forget them. It is worth it to Sana to stand for her rights, and that for other Afghan women, and face the consequences. Sana shares how drawing became a form of self care in time when she needed - like many leaders do - to take a break from the fight and push through on your own. 

Sana Askari  was born in Ghazni Province of Afghanistan, but grew up as a refugee in Quetta, Pakistan.  She founded Esheel Stitching Circle – a social enterprise that primary employs home-restricted and vulnerable women thereby helping these women to continue sending their children to school both in Afghanistan and in refugee-settling areas in Quetta. She represented Afghanistan at the 2022 Global Summit organized by Fora: Network for Change in Canada in November 2022. Sana is one of the founders of UNESCO Youth and AI Ethics Steering Committee, and now a first year student and Dorsey Scholar recipient at McDaniel College. She is pursuing a dual major in Political Science and Business Administration. 

In this episode, Andrew Leroy Rudder takes a deep dive into what and who motivates him to practice catastrophic impairment law along with the approaches he takes to help his clients, inclusive of recognizing that the persons behind the case are worth the fight.  Rudder earns the trust of his clients, often Indigenous and living on reserves, through intimacy, openness and challenging the notions he holds. Andrew discusses how important, yet intimating, it was to start his own firm that enabled him to go above and beyond the call of duty for his clients and now look to serve those most in need. He speaks to the barriers his clients face as well as a specific case whereby provincial legislation was amended in favor of his young Indigenous client. Rudder wants to continue to influence and leverage change within catastrophic impairment law while making himself available for the next generation of black lawyers in Canada.

Andrew Leroy Rudder is a civil litigation and personal injury lawyer specializing in catastrophic impairment law. Andrew is a published author of the LexisNexis Inc. book entitled, “Catastrophic Impairment Law in Canada,” a director at Head Injury Rehabilitation Ontario, and the founder of Rudder Law Group Professional Corporation (Rudder Law Group). He blogs and vlogs regularly on the vlog entitled, “Personal Injury Lawyer Tips".
His practice is devoted to severe and catastrophic plaintiffs’ personal injury tort cases, including motor vehicle collisions, slip and falls, and assaults, as well as accident benefits and disability benefits claims. His clients include people who sustained catastrophic impairments, such as a catastrophic traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and fracture(s), paraplegia, tetraplegia, severe impairment of ambulatory mobility or the use of an arm, amputation of a leg or an arm, loss of vision, and/or a mental and behavioural disorder.
He is a recent award winner of the 2022 Reisman Award for the best new law firm recognizing his work to press for change in the legal system. He also won an Advocacy Award from the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers in November 2022.
 
Rudder received an Honours Bachelors of Arts degree from York University, majoring in Philosophy. Rudder earned his law degree from the University of Windsor.

In this episode, Lisa Evans brings to the forefront the reason she is an entrepreneur drives her ability to pivot and make decisions when faced with  challenges. With a focus on the early years, she aligns her values with her actions while making the business work for her family life. Lisa shares her ups and downs over the past couple of years while holding the mindset that you cannot stay in a panic state. Constantly problem solving, taking calculated risks, and being scrappy to do what you got to do to get it done are methods that do not shut off the mind. Lisa leaves the audience with the message that there is always a solution and always a way to narrow down the problem to move forward. 

Lisa Evans is the Owner of Chickadee Kids Company, a Toy Store for the Early Years located in Burlington Ontario Canada & she is the Editor in Chief of ParentsCanada. Once a freelance writer, Lisa believes that storytelling is the most effective and influential form of communicating your company’s message. She brings a positive, can-do attitude and a mind that “thinks big” to all she does.
 
Lisa’s is experienced in article writing, blogging, brand building, content management, corporate storytelling, corporate communications, corporate partnerships, customer service, and much more. She is a mom of 2, she is a coffee “snob”, and a magazine hoarder. 

In this episode, Dr. Nicole Crimi discusses how her art is an expression of the unapologetic self,  a symbol of courage, and a representation of a complex story. Through both art and science, Nicole illustrates how she moved out of her typical character to move past perceived creative limits and out of her comfort zones to develop works such as "Two elephants" donated to Stop Poaching Now as well as Patty and the Pandemic. Through the synergies of her artistic and medical experiences, Nicole shares the importance of owning who you are, becoming the 'different' leader you are meant to be, and building stronger relationships with an ability to combine and communicate what you are good at. Nicole leaves the audience with a wish to push boundaries and think outside the box, while continuously looking for beauty in every day, to overcome the bumps in the road.

Dr. Nicole Crimi is a head and neck surgery resident at the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario. She received her Honours Bachelor of Science degree from McMaster in 2018, and spent a year away from school to focus more on her passions for art, hiking, and philanthropy. Nicole’s artistic career began as an actress at the young age of 4. She is most well known for playing Kylie George, in "Mean Girls" when she was 8 years old. 
After leaving the film industry, Nicole founded "Nicole Crimi Art" and began selling her art on an international platform in 2013. While in University, she realized that her art meant more to her when she was creating it with the goal to share a message or help others. She believes that art allows people to connect with each other in a way deeper than words could ever allow, and as a result, she has gone on to use her artwork for advocacy and education. She has donated meaningful custom paintings to fundraisers, and has presented it at events such as McMaster's United Nations conference titled "Art for Change" where she was the keynote speaker. As a physician and medical learner, Nicole is constantly seeking out ways to combine her passions for health and art together – co-founding her McMaster HeART (Health and Art) interest group, teaching art workshops centred around wellness to students and patients, and, creating creative works such as “Patty and the Pandemic” a children’s book for 3-8 year olds which use art for medical education with all profits made from book sales being donated to Face the Future Foundation, a charitable organization that provides life saving/changing surgeries for children in developing countries.