The Intersection Hub

S03E09 - Reinventing Yourself

Today we pull back the curtain on the personal life of Sam Laprade. Sam’s resilience, grit, strength and the beautiful green eyes of her daughter, have helped her overcome many hurdles to build what is now resonant and abundant life.

As a radio broadcaster and professional fundraiser Sam works closely with her community to give a voice to new ideas, tough topics and philanthropy.

Sam has a massive portfolio of work that spans over three decades, in fundraising, media and municipal politics.

Over a 32-year period Sam has raised money for important charities in her community such as: The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, the Ottawa Humane Society and the Ottawa Mission Foundation.

As a fundraising consultant, Sam helps non-profit and charity organizations engage with donors to maximize the impact of the important work they are doing every day. Through donor data analytics, fundraising and stewardship reports, board training and fundraising audits, Sam helps local, national, and international organizations with their fundraising strategy. Sam also helps small and medium sized organizations recruit for important roles such as development director and fundraising manager.

Sam is the creator and host of “An Hour to Give” on CityNews 101.1, Ottawa and CityNews 95.7, Halifax.  This radio show highlights non-profit organizations and philanthropy.

On July 5, 2021, The Sam Laprade Show was launched on CityNews 101.1 Ottawa. This daily radio show, which airs 12-2PM, is an opportunity to feature the stories that matter to the residents of Ottawa and the Valley. Sam also covers breaking news to ensure listeners are kept up to date with local, national, and global issues.

Sam is living a joyous and abundant life. But it wasn’t always this way. In this episode Sam gets deeply personal about her setbacks and the break-up of her marriage.

If you are caught up in or recovering from a dysfunctional relationship this episode will help inspire you to know that you are not alone AND that you can get through challenging times and become wildly successful. Just like Sam is. 

As Sam said – everybody has their story. Sam thank you for sharing yours.

Thank you for spending time here. Please remember to share this podcast to invite others in. Let’s keep building community and connection through candid conversation. See you next time.

S03E08 - Untraditional Philanthropy

A colleague once described our Chandler as “kindest person to ever challenge you”. I have to say I also think he is my new best friend. If you can put up with the first few minutes of banter we then dive right into a super-rich conversation about how Chandler is working to transform the philanthropic space.

Chandler is the Founder and CEO of Untraditional Philanthropy, a bespoke donor advisory reimagining philanthropic decision making by partnering with 40+ social impact leaders worldwide who serve as one-on-one advisors to donors and clients. More than 80% of these experts identify as people of color, women and/or members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Chandler honed his skills in the impact sector over 25 years as a successful Founder, Executive Director, COO, CEO, and Board Member of a range of local, national and global social enterprises. As the COO of First Book, for example, Chandler led day-to-day operations and fundraising efforts for a global education equity organization which distributed 160 million new books—valued at $1 billion USD—to children in need during his tenure.

Chandler has also developed social impact efforts with some of the country's wealthiest families and leading brands; including Disney, Ford, KPMG, Pizza Hut, Ralph Lauren, Target and others. Chandler's private sector experience also includes working as a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group and in strategy and marketing with The Coca-Cola Company.

Chandler is a proud social innovation geek. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard with a concentration on social change in American History and Literature and earned his MBA at Stanford. A frequent speaker about innovation and social change, Chander has given guest lectures on social innovation at Yale, Columbia and Georgetown.

Chandler, his husband, and their two young children live in Washington, D.C.

Hopefully like me you are super excited about the collective impact that Chandler’s social enterprise Untraditional Philanthropy can have on our sector. You can get in touch with Chandler and learn more about Untraditional Philanthropy here: https://www.untraditionalphilanthropy.com/

Please remember to like subscribe and share this podcast so that more people can join us in conversation. Let’s keep building community through connection and candid conversation. See you next time.

Brene Brown and her interview with Jake Wesley Rogers here: https://brenebrown.com/podcast/songwriting-storytelling-and-dropping-keys/

 

 

S03E07 - The Colonial Project

This conversation might make you feel a little uncomfortable and it might be the most important podcast you listen to.

I first came to know of Martha Awojobi during an online conference when she got up on a soapbox and blew my mind! One of the first things Martha will tell you is that she does not work in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion space. Martha has their feet firmly planted in the anti-racism space.

 Martha Awojobi, is Founder, Director and fearless leader of JMB Consulting. After spending ten years working in the charity and philanthropic sector, she was disappointed to find that the space that she believed could be truly transformational in bringing about the liberation of oppressed groups also perpetuated horrific racism.

Leaders were slow to innovate, resistant to name structural racism and reluctant to meaningfully include Black and Brown people in decision making. Instead, they were preoccupied with being seen as ‘good people doing good work’ at the expense of confronting and dismantling the very real racism that their organisations perpetuate.

 

Martha works in coalition with organisations who share her goal of liberation from oppression through her work at JMB and through #BAMEOnline series which supports fundraisers and founders of colour to navigate the philanthropic sector and generate sustainable income.

In this episode talk about the importance of really understanding the harm that systemic racism continues to cause and our respective roles in supporting that system. We talk about how most Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work is performative and that we need to back up the train and really take time to understand what racism is and our respective roles in perpetuating systemic racism in the charitable sector.

If you would like to get in touch with Martha you can reach her through her website here: https://www.jmb-consulting.co.uk/

Please join the conversation with a like, share and a review of this podcast. Let us know what you think. Let’s keep building community and fostering connection through candid conversation.

S03E06 - Building Lasting Change

I’m totally geeking out in this episode because I love talking about systemic change and how to go all the way upstream to create lasting change and culture shifts. No one knows more about this than my friend Veronica LaFemina.

Veronica Founder and CEO of LaFemina & Co., an advisory firm supporting nonprofits and social impact businesses at the intersection of strategy, culture, communications, and change management.

Veronica partners with organizations and their leaders to go beyond what "looks good on paper" to focus on what works well in real life. She is a leader, strategist, facilitator, trusted advisor, and certified change management professional with nearly two decades of experience as a senior executive at national U.S. nonprofit organizations and a high-impact consultant. Her work has been featured by Inc. Magazine, the Today Show, NPR, CNN, Capterra, and in news outlets nationwide. Veronica blogs regularly about nonprofit leadership, strategy, change management and culture at lafemina.co.

In this episode we dive right into how to work with your team to create change that gets people excited about working with you to shift your culture, advance programs and do more good in the world.

If you love change management you are going to LOVE this conversation. We talk about the humility, grace, vulnerability, compassion and patience required to create lasting system change. Get yourself a cup of tea, sit back and create some space to absorb the wisdom that Veronica shares with us today. Please join me in welcoming Veronica into the hub.

Links & Social

Website: lafemina.co

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vlafemina/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vlafemina

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vlafemina/

You can read Veronica’s article where she dives deeper into the seven steps to building yoru nonprofit’s capacity to manage change here: https://blog.capterra.com/change-management-for-nonprofits/

If you liked this episode please do share it with others who might like to join our community. Let’s come together to create community through candid conversation. See you next time.

S03E05 - Lesson Learned from Hockey Canada

It’s important to start this episode by saying that my guest Heather Nelson and I are not experts in the complicated situation unfolding with respect to Hockey Canada and the allegations that the institution has a slush fund in place to compensate victims of the rampant culture of sexual assault among its players. You can find some great articles below if you are interested in the details of this scandal.

What we can speak to is that when this situation at Hockey Canada was reported by sports reporter Rick Westhead the organization was asked to make some changes. They to didn’t do it. Consequently, their corporate partners started abandoning ship, falling like cards and as Heather said by their action, they elevated the voices of their customers by withdrawing financial support to the organization.

Every time another fleeing sponsor hit the news cycle, I thought to myself “What would Heather say?”

Founder and President at boutique fundraising consultancy, BridgeRaise, Heather and her team help nonprofits raise more money from companies by prioritizing aligned values. Heather is a 20+ year fundraiser, corporate partnership expert, mentor, teacher, tree person, and a dog and hockey mom! Heather is also a dear friend of mine and trusted advisor to The Intersection.

There is so much that organizations can learn about the Hockey Canada Scandal and that is why I’m very pleased to have someone who is an expert in the sponsorship arena into conversation.

To learn more about the Hockey Canada Scandal:

Hockey Canada Scandal Abuse and Sexual Assault Slush Fund

 https://thehockeywriters.com/hockey-canada-scandal-abuse-sexual-assault-slush-fund/

Corporate Partners discuss permanently ending relationship with Hockey Canada

https://www.tsn.ca/corporate-partners-discuss-permanently-ending-relationship-with-hockey-canada-1.1858288

Hockey Canada Unravelled Before our Eyes

https://thehockeywriters.com/hockey-canada-scandal-abuse-sexual-assault-slush-fund/

If you have questions about your corporate fundraising please don’t hesitate Heather and her team a call. You can learn more about Bridgeraise here: https://www.bridgeraise.com/

Please remember to like subscribe, review and share this podcast so that we can invite more people into conversation. Let’s keep building community and connection through conversation.

S03E04 - Gratitude ROCKS!!

Dan Hanley is one of the nicest most authentic people I know and I’m so grateful to him for joining us in conversation today.

It you don’t know Dan you are in for a real treat – if you do know Dan you will know that this episode, as Dan would say “ROCKS”.

Dan spreads kindness everywhere he goes and is ecstatic to work with nonprofits to support their growth in relationship building and fundraising, especially those serving populations that include the unheard, forgotten and invisible. For Dan being of service is key. He loves the thrill of helping his clients to build true relationships with donors that exceed fundraising goals.

Dan’s family includes his husband and three rescued dogs. He is a Veteran of US Navy is Bilingual. He is fluent in English and Spanish and he loves his work diving into all things fundraising and leadership with some of the most marginalized communities in the United States

In this episode Dan opens up about the impact his sobriety has had on his life and inspires us with his kindness and gratitude and the value of impeccable, honourable leadership.

Learn about Dan’s work here: https://altrui.org/

Dan likes to get emails so drop him a note here: dan@altrui.org

Please remember to like, share and subscribe to this podcast so that we can keep fostering community and connection through conversation. And if you would like to talk to me about this podcast, my coaching practice or heck even my puppies I would love to hear from you. See you next time.

 

S03E02 - Tania Bhattacharyya

Okay so we may not be hanging out in Clubhouse that much anymore but there is no denying that some very meaningful relationships were forged there. Today, I am so pleased to be welcoming the lovely and generous Tania Bhattacharyya into conversation.

Tania helps purpose driven women stand out while they stand up for their mission. Tania works with social impact entrepreneurs, mental health change-makers, non-profit founders and disruptors in philanthropy and women making a difference who aren’t sure how to share their message without “simply adding to the noise.” Tania helps these busy change-makers clarify their vision, story, and messages so that they can build impactful deep relationship that will position them as thought leaders that yes raise revenue but more importantly drive positive change.

Tania and I have a rich conversation about the importance of helping everyone be successful, building community and how to find your fire and overcome self-limiting stories.

Tania also is the host of a fabulous podcast called The Campfire Circle so when you are finished with this episode be sure to check it out.

You can reach Tania on Linked In here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tania-bhattacharyya/

Check out her website and her podcast here: https://lumosmarketing.co/

Thank you for spending your time here. Remember to like, subscribe and share this podcast so that more people can join the conversation. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at https://www.intersectionhub.ca/ See you next time!

S03E03 - Spilling the Tea

The first time I logged into a Fundraising Everywhere event I immediately could see that something different was happening. Not only is the platform one of the first – pre covid online conference platforms the business model is crushing existing ways of not just delivering conferences but also building a values-based business that serves the charitable sector.

I am thrilled to welcome the co-founder and Director of Fundraising Everywhere Nikki Bell. With over a decade of charity experience, Nikki is passionate about accessible and innovative digital methods that can help charities achieve success without adding more stress. Nikki is also building a company that values it’s people more than profit and is laser focussed on building a culture that puts the well-being of their people first.

In this conversation we really pull back the covers of how Nikki and their business partner Simon are building something completely different than we have seen before.

Remember to check out the Fundraising Everywhere manifesto here:

https://www.fundraisingeverywhere.com/ourmanifesto/

If you are interested in listening to the hub podcast episode with Nikki’s business partner Simon Scriver you can get it here: https://www.intersectionhub.ca/podcast/episode/7271a838/s02e04-connections-belonging-and-learning

Nikki thank you so much for being so open and candid about how you are building a profitable values driven business. I loved being in conversation with you. And thank you dear listener for spending time here today. Remember to like subscribe and share this podcast so more folks can join us in conversation. And if you would like to talk to me about your work, goals, dreams and success you can book time with me at intersection hub.ca.

S03E01 - People are Peculiar

Today we have such a treat. For years I have had a fan girl crush on Tycely Williams and I’m so excited that she has joined us in the first episode of our third season in the hub.

Tycely currently serves as the Chief Development Officer of the Bipartisan Policy centre Washington DC. Tycely is a Certified Fundraising Executive and in her more than 20-year career she has inspired individuals and institutions to invest more than $100 million dollars in charitable causes.

Tycely leads the Association of Fundraising Professionals global Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Committee; chairs the governing boards of Monument Academy Public Charter School, the Nonprofit Alliance Foundation, and Rising Media Stars; and teaches Fundraising and Leadership at The Pennsylvania State University.

A cum laude graduate of Wake Forest University, Tycely holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication with distinguished departmental honors and a minor in Journalism. She also earned an Executive Master’s in Leadership from The McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and is Tycely is proud to be a joyful divorce.

She is absolutely one of the most gracious, smart and kind leaders I have ever met in the charitable sector. I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with her about leading with curiosity, not making assumptions about people, having the right mindset and the importance of showing up rested, healed and with a willingness to be open to other people’s perspectives.

We go deep into the state of our society how our own perspectives and well-being can have an enormous impact on a positive or negative culture in our organizations and the importance of shared values and how doing so can lead to a more joyful life.

You can find Tycely:

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tycely/

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tycelywilliams/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tycely

Tycely thank you one more time for helping to launch Season Three. And thank you listeners for making this podcast part of your day. Please remember to like share and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. There are so many great conversations coming up this season. I can’t wait to share them with you. 

 

 

S02E11 - Parenting Through Gender Transition

Supporting your child to live their truth, stand in their power and be wildly successful can be a tough for every single parent. Navigating parenting through your child’s gender transition can be even more challenging. There is so much to learn and every step can feel like a potential landmine.

In this episode, Nicole McVan and I (Kimberley MacKenzie) welcome Mary Cahalane into an important, and for some, lifesaving conversation about Mary’s experience parenting her two children through a gender transition.

In addition to being a mother of two adult daughters, Mary Cahalane is the principal of Hands-On Fundraising. After more than 35 years in the nonprofit world, Mary still approaches her work hands-on. She’s a consultant, copywriter, and blogger. Mary helps organizations with effective donor communications and smart planning. Learn more and subscribe at mcahalane.com.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and fun Pride Month. Please remember to subscribe, like and share this podcast. 

Thank you for spending time in “The Hub”. We are glad you are here! Let’s keep widening the circle, fostering connection and building community through candid conversation.