Leader Talks with Sartaj Sarkaria powered by CCDI

Sartaj Sarkaria
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Non-Profit
  • Updated Monthly

Each month, Sartaj Sarkaria, President and CEO of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion interviews a leader who is a making a difference in Canada in the field of diversity, inclusion, and equity. Over the course of a year, you will hear from an eclectic group of people who inspire change. 

Episodes

  1. 6d ago

    Season 5, Episode 5 | Inclusion, Belonging, and the Future of Sport with Keph Senett and Kurt Weaver

    Sport can foster connection and community, but for many 2SLGBTQIA+ people, it has also been a source of exclusion. In this episode of Leader Talks, we are excited to welcome  guest host Pangus Kung, Director, Initiatives and Engagement at CCDI. Pangus is joined by Keph Senett, writer and trustee for Pride House International, and Kurt Weaver, Executive Director of You Can Play, for a timely conversation about inclusion, participation, and the future of sport.   Together, they explore the role of sport  in culture and community, the origins and impact of Pride House initiatives, and how organizations are working to create more welcoming environments at every level of participation. The conversation delves into the growing politicization of trans participation in sport, the realities behind exclusionary policies, and why grassroots participation and everyday inclusion are just as important as representation at the professional level. Keph and Kurt also reflect on their personal experiences in sport, the importance of community, and the ways coaches, leagues, and  participants can help build safer, more inclusive spaces.    Tune in for an honest conversation about sport, leadership, and the future of inclusion!  Key Points From This Episode:  Introducing today’s guests, Keph Senett and Kurt Weaver. The origins of You Can Play and its mission to build inclusive sport spaces. How Pride House International supports 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion at major sporting events. Why 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion in sport remains a pressing issue today. How anti-trans rhetoric is being used as a broader political wedge issue. Why trans inclusion in sport is not a one-size-fits-all conversation. The importance of separating grassroots participation from elite sport debates. How exclusion and bullying push many queer athletes out of sport. The value of queer recreational leagues and intentionally inclusive spaces. Why sport organizations need more creative and inclusive participation models. How small actions from coaches, leaders, and communities can create change. Answering the previous guests’ questions on personal sustainability and everyday DEIA work. What questions today’s guests want to leave for the next guests of Leader Talks. Keph and Kurt answer the question: What is one leadership habit you are carrying with you right now? Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:   Keph Senett Keph Senett on Instagram Pride House International Kurt Weaver on LinkedIn You Can Play Pangus Kung Pangus Kung on LinkedIn Pride House Toronto 2026 Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) Sartaj Sarkaria Leader Talks with Sartaj Sarkaria

    51 min

  2. May 20

    Season 5, Episode 4 | Guests: Julia Santana Parrilla, Heather McCain

    Many organizations and researchers have the best of intentions when it comes to DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility). But creating truly inclusive systems requires going further and embracing accountability.  In this episode of Leader Talks with Sartaj Sarkaria, Julia Santana Parrilla of Beyond the Binary and Heather McCain of Live Educate Transform Society (LETS) discuss how research, policy, and workplace systems can unintentionally exclude the people they are meant to support. Julia and Heather reflect on the personal experiences that shaped their commitment to DEIA work and explain how the Beyond the Binary Canada Guide examines cisnormative and heteronormative assumptions embedded in women’s health research. They explore the real-world impact of biased systems and research, from barriers to diagnosis and accommodation to inequitable workplace practices and inaccessible services.  The conversation also examines why inclusion must go beyond representation and language to include accountability, community collaboration, and structural change. Along the way, Julia and Heather share practical insights on helping organizations move beyond feeling “stuck” in DEIA work, how small changes can create more accessible spaces, and the importance of self-compassion and ongoing learning. Listen in for a thoughtful conversation on how inclusive research can help create more equitable systems that respond to people’s actual needs. Key Points From This Episode: Introducing today’s guests, Julia Santana Parrilla and Heather McCain.How their personal experiences shaped their commitment to DEIA work.The origins of Beyond the Binary and its focus on inclusive health research.Harms caused by gaps in research and biased research design.How biased systems affect diagnosis, accommodations, and access to services.The importance of community collaboration in building equitable research practices.Why intersectionality, accountability, and structural change are crucial in DEIA work.Practical ways organizations can move beyond feeling “stuck” in DEIA work.How small accessibility changes can create wider community impact.Why curiosity, self-compassion, and ongoing learning are essential to DEIA work.Understanding DEIA as ever-evolving, not as something with a particular endpoint.The critical role of community support in sustaining DEIA work.Reflections on what hope, progress, and accessibility look like for future generations.Answering the previous guests’ questions about progress, privilege, and responsibility.What questions today’s guests want to leave for the next guest of Leader Talks. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Julia Santana Parrilla on LinkedInWomen’s Health Research Institute (WHRI)Beyond the Binary in Canada | GuidePartnership for Women’s Health Research Canada (PWHR)Heather McCainHeather McCain on LinkedInLive Educate Transform Society (LETS)Canadian Centre for Diversity and InclusionSartaj SarkariaLeader Talks with Sartaj Sarkaria

    1h 17m

  3. Apr 28

    Season 5, Episode 3 | Guests: Barry Alexander and Gavin Barrett

    In this episode of Leader Talks with Sartaj Sarkaria, we sit down with, Barry Alexander and Gavin Barrett, two trailblazers in Canadian marketing, to discuss the power of embracing DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibilities) as a growth strategy. Rather than treating DEIA as a box to check or a defense measure, our guests share how DEIA can become a driving force behind business success.  Tune in for inspiring stories from Barry and Gavin as they reflect on their personal journeys and experiences that shaped their DEIA views. Learn from their insights on the state of diversity in marketing and the importance of moving past representation and into inclusion. They also share actionable strategies marketing leaders can use to foster belonging, drive meaningful change, and create workplaces where everyone thrives.  Tune in to hear how inclusive leadership in marketing can dismantle systemic barriers and build lasting, transformative change.  Key Points From This Episode: Introducing today’s guests, Barry Alexander and Gavin Barrett. Their lives and how those experiences have shaped their views on EDI. Why brands that see EDI as a growth strategy have a competitive advantage. The impact POCAM has had and the need it fulfills. Where the marketing industry stands in terms of embedding diversity within its teams. What marketing leaders can do that’s truly impactful in terms of EDI. How our guests approach the concept of inclusion and belonging in their lives. Why there is no ‘end’ to EDI and why it’s an ongoing investment.  They answer the previous guest’s question about handling incredibly hard times.  What question today’s guests want to leave for the next guest of Leader Talks. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Barry Alexander on LinkedInGavin BarrettGavin Barrett on LinkedIn‘EDI Is a Growth Strategy. Brands That Treat It as Defence Are Already Losing.’POCAMCreativity with a ConscienceCanadian Centre for Diversity and InclusionSartaj SarkariaLeader Talks with Anne-Marie Pham

    52 min

  4. Apr 10

    Season 5, Episode 2 | Guest: Matt Kenny

    Sharing your story has the power to save the lives of iindividuals experiencing similar hardships. In this episode of Leader Talks with Sartaj Sarkaria, we welcome Matt Kenny, the self-described ‘recovering hockey player’, marathon runner, and 2SLGBTQIA+ advocate, to discuss how he navigates life as a disabled, queer immigrant. Hear all about his experience playing hockey, why he decided to leave the sport, and navigating life in the United States. as a gay immigrant with a disability. Matt speaks candidly about the challenges following his multiple sclerosis diagnosis, including a deeply personal and emotional moment of crisis. He sdiscusses the changes that helped him return to running despite his disability, and his journey to the NHL Unites Pride Cup, where he found inspiration to uplift fellow queer athletes. He also reflects on the importance of representation and how embracing both “hockey Matt” and “gay Matt” helped to advance inclusion within the sport. Listener discretion advised: This episode contains a brief discussion of Matt Kenny’s personal story, which touches on sensitive topics including attempted suicide. Listeners who wish to avoid these references may do so at timestamps 06:47 and 29:58. We encourage you to pause, skip these sections, or seek professional support as needed. Thank you for listening, and we hope you find this episode valuable. Key Points From This Episode:  Introducing Matt Kenny to the show.  Why he calls himself a ‘recovering hockey player.’ What Matt is doing today and how his diagnosis has affected his life.   TW: For listeners who wish to avoid Matt’s account of attempted suicide, please skip audio between [00:06:47] and [00:08:28].  The changes Matt made and how he started running again.   His experience attending the NHL Unites Pride Cup and why he was invited.  What Matt wishes he had been told as a young, gay athlete.  How LGBTQ+ representation in media builds confidence within the community.  The impact the You Can Play project is having on young hockey players.  How Matt has improved equity and inclusion in hockey and the resistance he’s faced.  Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:  Matt Kenny Linktree Matt Kenny on Instagram You Can Play Pride Tape Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion Sartaj Sarkaria Leader Talks with Anne-Marie Pham

    35 min

  5. Mar 16

    Season 5, Episode 1 | Guest: Marina Boulos-Winton

    What does real leadership look like when the goal is not just delivering services, but building a community where people feel seen and supported? In the debut season of Leader Talks Podcast with Sartaj Sarkaria, we sit down with Marina Boulos-Winton to discuss nonprofit leadership and the systems that shape opportunities. Marina shares how early experiences with social injustice influenced her career path, what she learned through crisis-line and youth support work and how those lessons inform her leadership today. Marina explains what it means to design services with dignity and why representation and strong community partnerships matter when working with youth and families. Marina also explores the barriers nonprofits face, the value of relationship-building and the kind of leadership mindset that helps teams deliver meaningful outcomes.  Tune in to hear how community-centred leadership can move beyond intent and create meaningful change with Marina Boulos-Winton. Download the Unity toolkit here https://new-api.ccdi.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Unity_Workplace-Toolkit_EN.pdf, and take your first step toward a safer, more supportive workplace. Key Points From This Episode: Marina’s path into nonprofit leadership and how social injustice shaped her direction.  Learn how her career journey and experience inform her work in her current role.Her vision for connecting complementary organisations around shared goals. Common misconceptions around poverty relief and what it actually involves.The progress of equity and inclusion initiatives, and where the gaps still exist.Examples of how Sun Youth provides meaningful support to people in need.Why culturally grounded mentorship builds resilience for youth who lack support.Explore the funding hurdles that limit support for nonprofits and the issues they cause.Advice for emerging nonprofit leaders and what it takes to be successful. Tips on overcoming resistance to equity and inclusion, and Marina’s leadership habit for 2026. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Marina Boulos-Winton on LinkedInSun YouthGovernment of CanadaGovernment of Canada: Suicide Crisis HelplineCovenant HouseUnityUnity ToolkitChez DorisCanadian Centre for Diversity and InclusionSartaj SarkariaLeader Talks with Anne-Marie Pham

    30 min
  • 5 Episodes

About

Each month, Sartaj Sarkaria, President and CEO of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion interviews a leader who is a making a difference in Canada in the field of diversity, inclusion, and equity. Over the course of a year, you will hear from an eclectic group of people who inspire change. 

Information