The Human Challenge

Vanessa Ferlaino
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The Human Challenge is an award-winning podcast that shares gripping, untold stories of underrepresented voices in society overcoming and even escaping systemic barriers. Each episode showcases a new deeply intimate story, using documentary-like storytelling. Stories touch on incarcerated people, refugees, immigration, Indigenous voices, women’s issues, climate justice, gender diversity, and more. With an aim to increase media representation, The Human Challenge is hosted and produced by award-winning artist, Vanessa Ferlaino, who has Hispanic and Italian-immigrant roots. Over 70% of our guests are diverse. Past guests have included returning citizens, displaced people, astronauts, GRAMMY and JUNO nominees, and more. This is a space for underrepresented stories. This is a space for the stories that are not always told. This is a space to remember our common humanity. This is The Human Challenge, challenging what it means to be human, one story at a time. ** Now Airing on Rogers TV ** ** Subscribe to Vanessa's newsletter at vanessaferlaino.com/subscribe ** Tune In: Youtube Amazon Music Spotify Apple Podcasts iHeart Radio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. FEB 19

    Rebulding The House: Canada's Justice System

    Since childhood, Sara developed maladaptive behaviours growing up in a tiny shack with no electricity and an abusive father who sold her to the sex trade at the age of three. In and out of foster care for much of her life, it was finding herself in prison where Sara finally decided it was time to seek support and services for her mental health. Initially denied, she fought for access to services, and for what she couldn’t receive, she taught herself. Since her release, nothing has stopped her from fighting for justice. In her role at Northpine Foundation, Sara has served over 7500 formerly incarcerated people, reduced homelessness by 86%, lowered recidivism to 4.7%, and saved taxpayers over $1.13 billion of incarceration fees per year, over $68 million per year in hospital stays, and over $43 million in emergency visits. She also raised median income for formerly incarcerated people from $14,000 to $58,000. But her biggest impact has been looking into the eyes of the prison guard who sexually assaulted her and countless women in prison, and saying that she believed in him and forgave him. In this episode, Sara tells her story from the greater thread of social justice — from the effects of colonization on the prison system, the programming of society, and the political system. For Sara, social justice looks like changing the system; specifically, it’s rebuilding the house from the very foundations. The Human Challenge is hosted and produced by Vanessa Ferlaino. Watch the full episode on her Youtube channel here. Don't forget to subscribe! The Human Challenge is an award-winning podcast, recognized by Amazon Music and ACAST as an Indie Podcast Amplifier. Guess what? We're on Rogers TV! Check us out there! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    47 min

  2. FEB 5

    Dear God: Is Anyone There?

    Cheri Chafin Norris was 16 years old when she became addicted to methamphetamine — and her father’s drug dealer. She wrote to God through her journals for 20 years, recently digging through them to put together her new book, ​The Purpose of Abundance​, re-discovering her own connection to God, the miracles that were always in front of her, and religion's reflection in modern society. She sifts through experiences dealing with addiction, recovery, and relationships, dismantling shame along the way. Now, a speaker, entrepreneur, and investor, Cheri helps incarcerated people find jobs, reminding us the wisdom of God is always available, even when it feels like He isn’t there. Get your copy of The Purpose of Abundance on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Purpose-Abundance-40-Day-Guide-Hearing/dp/1964251931 00:00 - Episode Primer 01:22 - The Purpose Of Abundance 03:16 - Becoming Dad's Drug Dealer 06:20 - Miracles 09:04 - Relationship & Addiction 14:06 - God In Modern Society 19:15 - Don't Stay The Shame 28:45 - Changing The Past 30:30 - God's Final Answer 36:09 - End Credits The Human Challenge is hosted and produced by Vanessa Ferlaino. Watch the full episode on her Youtube channel here. Don't forget to subscribe! The Human Challenge is an award-winning podcast, recognized by Amazon Music and ACAST as an Indie Podcast Amplifier. Guess what? We're on Rogers TV! Check us out there! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    37 min

  3. JAN 1

    SPECIAL: The Making Of... Transform The Night

    In this episode, I talk about headlining Transform The Night and how it all came to be with opening act, DJ Seith, and speaker, Karen Bird, Founder of Nakehndan. Transform The Night was a benefit concert held on Sunday, September 28th, 2025. With a contribution from Northern Credit Union, we were able to contribute $3,000 CAD to our community spotlight partner, Nakehndan, supporting Indigenous survivors of abuse across Northern Ontario. Headliner: Vanessa Ferlaino Opening Artist: DJ Seith Community Spotlight: Nakehndan Speaker: Vanessa Ferlaino Speaker: Karen Bird / Nakehndan Venue: The Speakeasy Video: Rogers The Human Challenge is hosted and produced by Vanessa Ferlaino. Watch the full episode on her Youtube channel here. Don't forget to subscribe! The Human Challenge is an award-winning podcast, recognized by Amazon Music and ACAST as an Indie Podcast Amplifier. Guess what? We're on Rogers TV! Check us out there! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    11 min

  4. JAN 1

    SPECIAL: Transform The Night

    On Sunday, September 28th, award-winning artist, Vanessa Ferlaino, headlined Transform The Night. With a contribution from Northern Credit Union, we were able to contribute $3,000 CAD to our community spotlight partner, Nakehndan, supporting Indigenous survivors of abuse across Northern Ontario. 00:00 - Headliner Speaker: Vanessa Ferlaino 26:21 - Community Spotlight Speaker: Karen Bird, Founder of Nakehndan 33:44 - Headliner Performance: Vanessa Ferlaino 1:21:55 - Closing & Credits Headliner: Vanessa Ferlaino Community Spotlight: Nakehndan Speaker: Vanessa Ferlaino Speaker: Karen Bird / Nakehndan Venue: The Speakeasy Video: Echotech and Rogers The Human Challenge is hosted and produced by Vanessa Ferlaino. Watch the full episode on her Youtube channel here. Don't forget to subscribe! The Human Challenge is an award-winning podcast, recognized by Amazon Music and ACAST as an Indie Podcast Amplifier. Guess what? We're on Rogers TV! Check us out there! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 24m

  5. 12/18/2025

    The Road To Liberation

    Injustice comes in many forms in Hebron, the largest city in The West Bank, and the epicentre of The Arab-Israeli Conflict. Jehad has not forgotten the survival mechanisms, the suffocating permits, or the violence that fuel his social justice work in Canada, where he has led some of Ontario’s largest organizations and supported various minoritized communities since his arrival in 1988. But Hebron is home for Jehad, who also has memories of family, culture, bustling city streets, fresh bread, and Enab Dibs. His Palestinian culture is something he has been able to explore deeper in Canada where he is not asked to present permits everywhere he goes, and where his culture is not banned, unlike back home. Jehad visits home with his own children every year, where he is reminded of the grave injustices that still exist. The violence in The West Bank has increased over the last few years, leading to a death toll of over 250 Palestinians in this year alone. Having lived through the occupation himself, he says: “The only consistency in The Arab-Israeli Conflict is the Israeli occupation.” Government complicity, normalized violence, and the weaponization of anti-semitism have led to the silencing of Palestinian voices and justification of genocide and occupation. Tying his social justice work with his experience living under occupation, Jehad shares how Palestinian culture has been deeply embedded in his advocacy work; his experiences living through occupation and genocide; and ultimately, what he believes is the road to liberation for all. The Human Challenge is an award-winning podcast hosted and produced by Vanessa Ferlaino. Watch the full episode on her Youtube channel. Don't forget to subscribe! The Human Challenge was recognized by Amazon Music and ACAST as an "Indie Podcast Amplifier”. Guess what? We're on Rogers TV! Check us out there! Learn more about Laidlaw Foundation’s work with Black and Indigenous youth at https://laidlawfdn.org/ Learn more about The Human Challenge at https://vanessaferlaino.com/thehumanchallenge The Human Challenge is hosted and produced by Vanessa Ferlaino. Watch the full episode on her Youtube channel here. Don't forget to subscribe! The Human Challenge is an award-winning podcast, recognized by Amazon Music and ACAST as an Indie Podcast Amplifier. Guess what? We're on Rogers TV! Check us out there! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    34 min

  6. 11/20/2025

    Mother Of A Survivor

    In 2012, Karen Bird’s life took a turn; her teenage daughter disclosed she had been sexually abused. "Mother Of A Survivor" shows the eleven-year healing journey of a mother and her family, leading to the creation of Nakehndan, a non-profit weaving Indigenous and modern healing modalities for sexual abuse survivors to heal as a family unit. Filmed at the beautiful Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig (SKG), an Indigenous higher learning institute in Baawaating, Vanessa sits down with Karen Bird about how it all came to be — and how landing the CEO role at Batchewana First Nations brought her back home. The Human Challenge is an award-winning podcast hosted and produced by Vanessa Ferlaino. Watch the full episode on her channel vanessaferlaino. Don't forget to subscribe! The Human Challenge was recognized by Amazon Music and ACAST as an "Indie Podcast Amplifier". Guess what? We're on Rogers TV! Check us out there! --- Learn more about Nakehndan: https://www.nakehndan.ca/ Learn more about Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig (SKG): https://shingwauku.org/ Learn more about Vanessa Ferlaino and The Human Challenge: https://vanessaferlaino.com/thehumanchallenge The Human Challenge is hosted and produced by Vanessa Ferlaino. Watch the full episode on her Youtube channel here. Don't forget to subscribe! The Human Challenge is an award-winning podcast, recognized by Amazon Music and ACAST as an Indie Podcast Amplifier. Guess what? We're on Rogers TV! Check us out there! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    37 min

  7. 11/06/2025

    Empathy in Storytelling: Behind the Scenes with Vanessa Ferlaino

    In this episode of The Human Challenge, host  ⁨@vanessaferlaino⁩  reflects on her conversation with Bayan Khatib, co-founder of The Syrian Canadian Foundation. Vanessa shares insights into the art of storytelling, creating safe spaces for discussing traumatic experiences, and the importance of empathy in narrative. In this behind-the-scenes episode, discover how storytelling can build a more cohesive society. -- The Human Challenge is an award-winning podcast hosted and produced by Vanessa Ferlaino. Watch the full episode on her Youtube channel. Don't forget to subscribe! Guess what? We're on Rogers TV! Check us out there! The Human Challenge was recognized by Amazon Music and ACAST as an "Indie Podcast Amplifier". The Human Challenge is hosted and produced by Vanessa Ferlaino. Watch the full episode on her Youtube channel here. Don't forget to subscribe! The Human Challenge is an award-winning podcast, recognized by Amazon Music and ACAST as an Indie Podcast Amplifier. Guess what? We're on Rogers TV! Check us out there! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    8 min

  8. 10/30/2025

    From Silence to Activism: A Journey of Syrian Resilience

    Join Vanessa Ferlaino on "The Human Challenge" as she sits down with Bayan Khatib, co-founder of The Syrian Canadian Foundation. Bayan recounts her journey from Aleppo, Syria to Canada, highlighting her pivotal role in activism and the fight for a free Syria. From translating a powerful memoir of human rights violations to leading community efforts, Bayan's story is one of resilience and hope. Tune in to hear about her experiences, the challenges faced, and her hopes for Syria's future.  The Human Challenge is hosted and produced by Vanessa Ferlaino. Watch the full episode on her channel. Don't forget to subscribe! The Human Challenge is an award-winning podcast, recognized by Amazon Music and ACAST as an "Indie Podcast Amplifier". Guess what? We're on Rogers TV! Check us out there! The Human Challenge is hosted and produced by Vanessa Ferlaino. Watch the full episode on her Youtube channel here. Don't forget to subscribe! The Human Challenge is an award-winning podcast, recognized by Amazon Music and ACAST as an Indie Podcast Amplifier. Guess what? We're on Rogers TV! Check us out there! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    17 min
See All (59)

About

The Human Challenge is an award-winning podcast that shares gripping, untold stories of underrepresented voices in society overcoming and even escaping systemic barriers. Each episode showcases a new deeply intimate story, using documentary-like storytelling. Stories touch on incarcerated people, refugees, immigration, Indigenous voices, women’s issues, climate justice, gender diversity, and more. With an aim to increase media representation, The Human Challenge is hosted and produced by award-winning artist, Vanessa Ferlaino, who has Hispanic and Italian-immigrant roots. Over 70% of our guests are diverse. Past guests have included returning citizens, displaced people, astronauts, GRAMMY and JUNO nominees, and more. This is a space for underrepresented stories. This is a space for the stories that are not always told. This is a space to remember our common humanity. This is The Human Challenge, challenging what it means to be human, one story at a time. ** Now Airing on Rogers TV ** ** Subscribe to Vanessa's newsletter at vanessaferlaino.com/subscribe ** Tune In: Youtube Amazon Music Spotify Apple Podcasts iHeart Radio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Vanessa Ferlaino
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    59
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023
  • Show Website
    The Human Challenge