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Starting a business is never easy, but what about starting a social enterprise? Gelaine Santiago, founder of Cambio & Co, an ethical fashion company, is focused on creating a sustainable livelihood for artisans in the Philippines (her home country) while celebrating Filipino craftsmanship, culture and history. Tune in to our latest podcast episode to hear more on Gelaine’s journey as a woman entrepreneur of colour, reconnecting to one’s culture and history, and having courage to rise above the discouragements and criticism.

Disrespected, dehumanized, misunderstood — these are the words that Leah den Bok wants you to see the next time you see someone experiencing homelessness. As a traveling photographer, Leah shines a light on their humanity and their struggles through her work. Join Leah as she talks about how she started photographing the homeless, and what she learned in her journey.

What started out as a school project turned into a global initiative for social good for Fahad Tariq, Founder of Shift – a non-profit that turns animal waste into clean energy for communities in need. Join Fahad as he talks about how he conceived the idea for Shift and takes us through his entrepreneurial journey. Tune in to learn from Fahad on how to manage your day job and run a successful side-hustle.

Since the onset of the pandemic, hate crimes and racist attacks targeted at Asians have surged across North America. In our latest episode, Janice Liu, SVP & GM, Magnet, reflects on how the Asian community has been hurting, and the leadership that’s required to dismantle our current systems that breed inequity. Transcript: https://ascendleadership.ca/ep-10-combating-racial-bias-xenophobia-and-discrimination/

New research has shown how the pandemic has disproportionally affected women across the board. In our latest episode, Anilisa Sainani, RBC’s Chief Accountant and Jas Hothi, EY Partner candidly share the challenges of work-life balance in our new remote world, the key to overcoming imposter syndrome and the fine balance of building male allies without alienating them. As Canada’s 2020 Top 40 under 40 honorees, they speak to the power of mentorship and the influence of their immigrant experience on where they are today. Transcript: https://ascendleadership.ca/ep-9-choosing-to-challenge-women-leading-the-way/

Early into his MBA journey, Varun Chandak saw a gap in the inclusion of the disability community in business schools - even when it came to initiatives on diversity and inclusion. This drove him to start Access to Success, a not-for-profit that supports MBA students who identify as having a disability. In honour of International Day of People with Disabilities, Varun, who lives with a partial hearing impairment, speaks to the challenges of communicating in our pandemic-fueled remote world of work and the importance of leadership in disability inclusion. With host Anish Patel, Varun shares his story, thoughts on how organizations can better serve the disability community and takes you behind the scenes on how we recorded this special episode. Transcript: https://bit.ly/2I2f68c

Coming out is a brave process - one that has the ability to change hearts, minds and create more advocates for equality. In honour of National Coming Out Day, Johnnie Vu, Community Manager, RBC shares his personal journey and the added complexities of being gay and Asian in corporate Canada. Tune in to our latest podcast with host Haritha Murthy for more on living authentically, raising LGBTQ+ awareness and being an ally. Transcript: https://ascendleadership.ca/ep-7-coming-out-matters-be-bold-and-show-your-pride/

Ascend Canada is a 4000+ member organization today. But, have you ever wondered why and how it came to life? Tune in to hear Raj Krishnamoorthy, Deloitte Partner and one of the founding fathers of Ascend Canada, recollect how a group of visionary Pan-Asian leaders met over coffee and started sketching on a cocktail napkin what Ascend Canada would look like. Raj also shares his personal journey with ‘covering’ and the ‘aha moments’ that made him embrace his uniqueness and grow as a leader. Transcript: https://ascendleadership.ca/episode-6-raj-krishnamoorthy/

Kelvin Tran, CFO (US) of TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank® and the founding President of Ascend Canada, has seen it all — from global financial crises to global pandemics — in his 20+ years in progressively senior roles. He believes that the recent pandemic distinguishes great leaders from good ones, based on their responses to crisis management. Tune into this episode hosted by Bhavna Duggal to find out what it takes to be an extraordinary leader through crises and computer screens. Transcript: https://ascendleadership.ca/episode-5-kelvin-tran/

During this pandemic, we’re lucky to have many superheroes on the frontlines to help essential services stay afloat. Would you like to find out the driving force behind Loblaw’s recent success in prioritizing their client needs and setting best practices? Tune in as we hear from Angie Kim, Sr. Finance Director at Loblaw Companies Limited, who shares her experience as a frontline volunteer and leader. With host Haritha Murthy, Angie covers the organization’s pivotal strategies, her frontline experience – from random acts of kindness to disturbing xenophobic episodes, and some best practices to succeed in a virtual work environment. In these trying times, Angie’s words are a guiding force in self-reflection, personal well-being and professional development. Transcript: https://ascendleadership.ca/episode-4-angie-kim/

As the world battles Covid-19, stories of blatant racism and violence against the Asian community are surfacing in Canada and United States. In light of this, Health Not Hate (HNH), a campaign that fosters the dispulsion of COVID-induced racism, has gained momentum. In this podcast, you will hear from two advocates who are doing something about it. Serena Fong (VP at Catalyst) and Sonny Wong (President of Hamazaki Wong and lead of HNH) share their experiences and discuss how individuals and organizations can address racism and biases. #HealthNotHate - https://healthnothate.com/ Blog Post - https://www.catalyst.org/2020/04/08/coronavirus-work-racism-microaggression/ Transcript: https://ascendleadership.ca/episode-3-serena-fong-sonny-wong/

A background in computer science typically leads to careers in analytics and IT. But there are a number of new and exciting roles emerging as both workplaces and consumer needs evolve. In this podcast, podcast host Anish Patel speaks with Jeff Chan - Senior Manager of Consumer Trends and Marketing Innovation at TD - who shares his unique career journey. Transcript: https://ascendleadership.ca/episode-2-jeff-chan/

How can a Pan-Asian women (who was taught to listen twice before speaking) thrive in an industry dominated by men with Type A personalities? Shirol Liu - Associate Vice President, Global Data Management CoE, Internal Audit at TD and Ascend Canada Board Member - joins podcast host Anish Patel to share tips on being heard throughout her career in Capital Markets. Transcript: https://ascendleadership.ca/episode-1-transcript-interview-with-shirol-liu/