Alright, Now What?

Canadian Women's Foundation
  • 5.0 (1)
  • NON-PROFIT
  • UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

Gender equality and justice, where we live, work, learn, and play is the goal, and it makes life better for everyone. Our podcast, Alright, Now What?, remains a space where we ask How do we move from awareness to action?, but this season we’re also Shifting the Story. Through powerful storytelling, expert interviews, and bold conversations, we’ll highlight community-based solutions, uncover systemic barriers, and explore what true equity can look like, especially for those who are too often silenced or overlooked.

  1. 12/17/2025

    Gender Equality and Economic Justice With Meseret Haileyesus

    Today, we’re joined by Mesi, a leader whose national and global advocacy is transforming how we understand and respond to economic abuse in Canada.  Mesi shares how her lived experience, decades of work in global health, finance, digital innovation, and gender equality, and her leadership at the Canadian Centre for Women Empowerment led her to help build the national infrastructure needed to prevent economic abuse, one of the most hidden and often overlooked forms of gender based violence in Canada. We’ll explore why financial safety is fundamental to survivor safety and how coordinated action across banking, government, housing, justice, and community services can move us toward meaningful change.  And finally, Mesi leaves us with practical ways every sector, from finance to technology to community organizations, can help build a future where economic justice is recognized as one of the core pillars of gender equality.  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.   Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation   LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation   Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation   TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn

    31 min

  2. 12/03/2025

    Grounding, alignment and healing With Jolene McDonald

    Today we are joined by host Alyssa Carpenter from the Canadian Women’s Foundation. In this episode, Alyssa sits down with Jolene McDonald, an Indigenous wellness practitioner and the founder of a healing business that weaves together yoga, Reiki, life coaching, and community facilitation in the North. Together, they explore the power of grassroots care and small, practical ways to begin reconnecting with your own self and your community. Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.   Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation   LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation   Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation   TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn

    26 min

  3. 11/19/2025

    Consistency, Care and Connection With Michelle Osbourne

    Michelle Osbourne is an Empowerment Speaker, Self-Image Activist, and founder of Michelle Osbourne & Co. Known for helping women reclaim their confidence and take up space boldly at every stage of life, Michelle brings an unapologetic, intersectional feminist lens to everything she does. A CBC Black Changemaker and shortlisted for the Canadian Women’s Foundation’s Feminist Creator Prize, she’s partnered with top brands like Amazon Prime Video, Dove, and Interac. Her work has been featured on TV, radio, podcasts, and in publications like Today’s Parent, and HELLO!. Whether she’s delivering a keynote or inspiring thousands online with her no-nonsense energy, Michelle’s mission is simple; help women show up loudly, proudly, and without apology. Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.   Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation   LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation   Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation   TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn

    31 min

  4. 11/05/2025

    Shifting the Story on Gender-Based Violence With Jana Pruden

    Today, we’re joined by award-winning journalist Jana Pruden, whose reporting shines a light on gender-based violence and how these cases move through our justice system.  Jana shares how her work in court reporting led her to focus on intimate partner violence, and why telling these stories accurately and ethically matters so much.  We’ll explore the responsibility journalists carry in an age of misinformation, and the power of storytelling to help us understand what is really at stake.  And finally, Jana leaves us with practical ways we can all support facts-based journalism and stay engaged in building change.  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.   Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation   LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation   Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation   TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn

    25 min

  5. 10/22/2025

    Authentic Entrepreneurship with BleSsed Brooks

    Welcome to the first episode of Alright, Now What? Season 8: Shifting the Story.  Today, we’re kicking things off with someone who embodies that spirit of change: BleSsed Brooks, founder of the first official Yoni Spa in Canada. BleSsed will take us through her journey as an entrepreneur: what inspired her and the challenges feminist entrepreneurs face. We’ll also dig into some of the creative solutions she’s found along the way.  And finally, she’ll leave us with a few powerful words on what it means to take action and stay rooted in purpose.  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.   Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation   LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation   Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation   TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn

    27 min

  6. 07/02/2025

    Season Finale: Indigenous Entrepreneurship with Jenn Harper

    With Jenn Harper, Founder and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics Jenn Harper is an award-winning social entrepreneur and international speaker. She is the trailblazing founder and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics—a brand that has gracefully painted the ideals of sustainability and inclusion onto a global canvas. From its inception in 2015, Jenn has nurtured Cheekbone Beauty into a B. Corp Certified force, now gracing the shelves of Sephora Canada and 550 JC Penney locations across the USA. Jenn's journey with Cheekbone began as a digitally native, direct-to-consumer brand that took pride in its commitment to reducing environmental impact and supporting Indigenous communities. Her formidable leadership made sure Cheekbone stood out not only for its stunning products but also for its ethical backbone. It became a symphony of transparency, philanthropy, and support for women and youth. To date, over $250,000 have been donated to philanthropic causes, testament to Cheekbone's core values. Cheekbone's prestige has been hard-earned. In 2019, Jenn Harper made a confident appearance on Canada's Dragon's Den, the nation's equivalency of Shark Tank. While she turned down offers, her unwavering resolution steered Cheekbone towards exponential growth. Jenn's tactical negotiations led to expansive contracts with major retailers in North America, shining a beacon of inspiration for Indigenous women by placing an Indigenous CEO-led brand on equal footing with global industry giants. Jenn Harper stands as more than a CEO; she is a voice for entrepreneurship, exerting influence on topics that are reshaping the business landscape: social entrepreneurship, empathy, representation, inclusivity, and sustainability. Regularly sought after for her insights, Jenn weaves her narrative as both a woman and a representative of Indigenous peoples in North America, substantiating the importance of these values in today's business ecosystem. The accolades accruing to Jenn's name bear the weight of her achievements. In 2022, she was listed among the 100 Women of Influence by Entrepreneur Magazine—a list graced by the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian. In 2023, Jenn was conferred an Honorary Doctorate degree from the Goodman School of Business at Brock University. This honorary degree recognized her unwavering dedication to community betterment and adamant endeavors in championing sustainability. In November of 2024, Jenn Harper was also named as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women. Jenn Harper, with Cheekbone Beauty, brings forth a narrative of passion, resilience, and authenticity. Her biography is not just about the ascent of a brand; it's the story of a vision brought to life, of barriers broken, and of a future envisioned where commerce and charity coalesce seamlessly, all painted with the strokes of an eco-friendly brush. Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.   Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation   LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation   Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation   TikTok: a...

    20 min

  7. 06/18/2025

    Disability and Gender Justice

    With Jenna Barnable, disability inclusion advocate and educator Jenna Barnable is an Atlantic Canadian writer, communicator, disability inclusion advocate and educator who lives with multiple disabilities. She is also a storyteller, community builder and lifelong feminist who raises awareness about women’s, gender-diverse, and Disabled rights through my words, art and education. Jenna unapologetically centers women’s, gender diverse, BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ perspectives and issues in her disability inclusion advocacy work, including her social content creation on TikTok and her indie feminist podcast, “Finding Avalon: Amplifying Disabled Voices.”  Jenna's goal is empowering disabled people become stronger self-advocates, and building supportive anti-ableist allies so that together people can create meaningful change for inclusive, accessible communities where everyone belongs, regardless of ability or health.  As a disabled feminist and anti-ableist activist, Jenna tackles the ways disability discrimination is deeply intertwined with sexism, misogyny, gender-based violence, intimate partner violence, digital hate and gender inequity. She also shines a light on gender-based barriers within healthcare, having experienced sexist medical gaslighting and dismissal that caused irreversible damage to her health – unacceptable barriers to equitable care that women and marginalized people constantly face.  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.   Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation   LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation   Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation   TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn

    28 min

  8. 06/04/2025

    Reshaping Maternal Care with Kimberley Okafor

    With Kimberley Okafor, researcher and advocate for maternal health equity Kimberley Okafor is a dedicated researcher and advocate for maternal health equity, currently pursuing a Master of Science in Management (MScM) at Toronto Metropolitan University. As Vice-President External for her MScM cohort and an active member of the Black Researchers Initiative to Empower (BRITE), she is committed to addressing systemic challenges in maternal care globally. Her research explores the intersection of maternal health and social inequities, aiming to transform healthcare systems and promote culturally competent, equitable care. Through her work, she strives to influence policies that drive meaningful change in maternal healthcare. Connect with Kimberley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberley-okafor/ Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.   Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation   LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation   Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation   TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn

    17 min
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About

Gender equality and justice, where we live, work, learn, and play is the goal, and it makes life better for everyone. Our podcast, Alright, Now What?, remains a space where we ask How do we move from awareness to action?, but this season we’re also Shifting the Story. Through powerful storytelling, expert interviews, and bold conversations, we’ll highlight community-based solutions, uncover systemic barriers, and explore what true equity can look like, especially for those who are too often silenced or overlooked.

Information

  • Creator
    Canadian Women's Foundation
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    127
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Canadian Women's Foundation
  • Show Website
    Alright, Now What?