David is an author, speaker and consultant.
He is the founder of SoChange, a social enterprise that works alongside the corporate and NGO community in leadership development, innovation and entrepreneurship. He has provided consulting services for leadership, development and literacy projects around the world. David was named a Global Hero by Verge magazine in 2009. In 2008 he created the Mosquitoes Suck Tour – a global youth initiative that entertains, educates and advocates and is the co-creator of the award-winning television show Spellz.
He holds a Master’s Degree in Philosophy, has completed postgraduate work in International Development, and teaches in the business school at Humber College. He is the co-editor of Irreconcilable Differences, and author of Real Change Is Incremental that received a Word Guild culture award for social change in 2015.
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Featuring interviews with…
Stephen Mallory – Episode 94
Steve discusses his passion for clean water, prioritization, volunteerism and mentorship. He reminds us that even Ghandi used the media well to further his cause and speaks about the power of one.
Wendy Gritter – Episode 93
Wendy talks about shame, guilt, principled pluralism and the walking wounded. She considers how many of us have been socialized to feel disgust for the other and touch on how secrets breed toxicity and ultimately cover up truth and justice.
Atom Egoyan – Episode 92
Atom Egoyan speaks about his approach to understanding the human condition, remorse and reconciliation, national self-determination and the stories he tells.
Dr. Abram Bicksler – Episode 91
Abram today talks about the moral and wise application of knowledge, learning to be quiet, why technology is only going to take us so far, “crops of merit” and how humility is essential to good development.
Jigme Thinley – Episode 90
Former Prime Minister of Bhutan Jigme Thinley talks about Gross National Happiness, “enlightened selfishness”, creating living conditions that matter, how to control our greed and about universal aspirations and the ultimate good.
Smita Singh – Episode 89
Listen in today as I chat to one of my new heroes from India. Smita tells us why she works in the world of human trafficking, how young women are so resilient, why the issue is not always related to poverty and how she thinks things are getting better.
Jean Saindon – Episode 88
Listen in today to a friend and one of my former professors talk about some interesting things. We talk sex, gender, and pornography. Jean has plenty to say about how we use labels and often don’t understand them, respect for other people, and what we need to do with hypocrisy.
Gwyneth James – Episode 87
Gwyneth talks about giving back, being hooked on volunteerism, why her right and left-brains are intimately linked, and why numbers are the key to the universe.
Mark Vander Vennen – Episode 86
Mark talks to day about shame versus guilt, mental health issues and how we are all wired for relationships. Listen in to hear his thoughts on desperate and difficult issues of our time. Mark tells us why we need to listen more, how we should reflect on despair and why we all need to look beyond ourselves.
Justin Rahim – Episode 85
Justin will change the way you think about design. He’s a Lego advocate and always appreciated the simple building block like nature of the toy. He has a relational edge when it comes to design and believes that spacecan inspire. Listen in to why he thinks that design is an exercise in compromise, how good design transcends and why we all need to feel like we’re a little more at home in the world.
Bill Sparks – Episode 84
Listen today to the interview with one of my favourite people in the field of social justice, innovation and change. Hear what he has to say about perseverance, measuring the little things and structural violence and why he believes money can be dangerous.
Bradley Pierik – Episode 83
Bradley tells us about his passion for clean water, the market place, and why he believes that more equality is fundamentally a good thing
Kalyanee Mam – Episode 82
Join Kalyanee and I today as she talks about her love for Cambodia and the environment, about “us” as the centre of the ripple, the universal nature to stories and why as a film director she feels that we need to “touch and feel” to get a better understanding of the world we live in.
Robert Shirkey – Episode 81
Today’s conversation is about thinking local, acting municipally and global change. Robert talks about a “space for alternatives”, his own approach to the environment and a “transportation solution” and why altering the chemistry of our planet is essential to our future.
Peter Singer – Episode 80
Listen in to this weeks interview with Peter Singer about this new book The Most Good You Can Do and see what he has to say about giving, philanthropy and utilitarian ethics.
James Alan and Michael Close – Episode 79
This week’s podcast was a fun one to record. Taped in front of a live enthusiastic and thoughtful audience this past December in downtown Toronto. I chatted with two magicians, on stage and post show, James Alan and Mike Close. The food was good, the magic terrific and the conversation engaging. Listen is as we talk about magic, wonder and reason in the 21st century.
Patrick Franklin – Episode 78
Patrick is a theologian, author and professor who has plenty to say about religion-less Christianity, truth and the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. If the idea of religion-less Christianity or ethics or pacifism interests you then there is plenty here for further reflection.
Dr. Ryan Snider – Episode 77
Ryan is a passionate guy who has a PhD in geography and eco-tourism. Listen in as he talks a great deal about poverty and selfless and altruistic people and why the fact that there were over a billion people travelling the globe last year is important. He tells us why he thinks that sustainability is a three-legged stool, about creative ways to change the world and about how his successful social enterprise is changing the way people think.
Rob Rainer – Episode 76
Rob has temporarily moved on as ED of Basic Income Canada Network to work as interim ED with the Green Party. Listen in today as he gets a little more political, talks about social justice, why people on welfare are so not lazy and why dealing with poverty matters.
Zehra Abbas – Episode 75
Zehra is a passionate about what she does. Listen in as she talks about how she didn’t go to school to learn about her take on local and global change, how she launched her entrepreneurial and socially innovativeStudio 89, and what she’s doing to bring together the for profit and not for profit business models.
Kelly Ernst – Episode 74
Kelly has plenty to say about Basic Income in Canada and why we can afford it, Viktor Frankl and Mans Search for Meaning, and why education is so important. Read a recent article by him and Rob Rainer (next weeks guest) here in the Star.
Peter Blakely – Episode 73
Peter recently spent some time in Nepal, climbing, hiking and camping around Mount Everest. He’ll tell us more about his experience and in this interview talk about stewardship, money and donor loyalty. He’ll challenge your ideas about generous Canadians and talk about why people give to people, why he thinks we have many acquaintances, but only very few friends.
Jason Hamilton – Episode 72
Jason works for Advocate Printing founded in 1891. They understand the triple bottom line. He’s a passionate and committed member of an organization with over 500 employees who matter. Listen in as he talks about building community, giving back, generosity and why he thinks print isn’t dead.
Ella Cooper – Episode 71
Ella is a change maker who is making it happen in a variety of ways. Listen is as she talks about her new filmBlack Men Loving, internalized racism, how she tries to build community through the arts and why she wants to raise the voice of the marginalized in Toronto.
David Toycen – Episode 70
This week’s conversation is a real treat and with a good friend of mine. My advice is to listen closely. Pay attention as Dave talks about his deep passion for the two-thirds world, why he does what he does and why he thinks that we’re all able to give. He’ll tell you why he’s preoccupied with hope, about opportunities for peace and why gender justice is essential to building a better world.
Rick Campanelli (part 2 of 2)- Episode 69
This is part two of a terrific and fun interview. You really do need to listen in on this as Rick talks about Cambodia, his philanthropic work and his passion for global change, music and making a difference. He is without a doubt one of the nicest and friendliest people I know.
Rick Campanelli (part 1 of 2)- Episode 68
You really do need to listen in on this as Rick talks about Cambodia, his philanthropic work and his passion for global change, music and making a difference. He is without a doubt one of the nicest and friendliest people I know.
Promod Sharma – Episode 67
Promod is the king of understatement. Listen in as he tells us about trust and why we no longer have to rely on the “experts”, why in sports “doublethink” is essential to winning and why he believes that we measure what’s simple not necessarily what’s important.
Nigel Fisher – Episode 66
Listen in to this amazing interview with Nigel Fisher who has spent his life working in the Global South and on a variety of humanitarian interventions. He just received the Order of Canada and has plenty to say about hope and helping others, about how he’s a strong believer in stories and how we must enable children to think critically. He even talks briefly about his cameo in Sean Penn’s upcoming film called: The Last Face.
Scott Presse – Episode 65
Scott has plenty to say when it comes to leadership and what makes a company grow. Listen in as he tells us why he’s passionate about motivating leaders and high performers to perform better, what some of the traits essential to good leadership are and why we shouldn’t do anything we’re not excellent at.
Russ Ford – Episode 64
Listen is today as Russ talks about why he’s running for councilor in Ward 6 in Toronto. He talks about his own conviction and passion for what will make the city a better place to live and how he lives somewhere in a place between anger and hope. Biography Russ...
Tamara Erde – Episode 63
Tamara talks about her new film that premiered at TIFF this year called This is My Land. In it she examines the ideological structures within the Israeli and Palestinian school systems. She talks about structures, violence, fear and why we all need to ask better questions.
Ossama Mohammed and Wiam Simav Bedirxan- Episode 62
Listen in as these two ground breaking film makers talk about their experience making this touching, compelling, poetic and deeply tragic film. It’s a story about Syria made by 1001 images says Ossama. Check out the trailer.
Dr. Sandra Tai – Episode 61
Listen in to this weeks interview as a British, Malaysian, American and Canadian Doctor tells her story. It’s encouraging, affirming and challenging for us all. Dr. Tai talks about how she believes that education for girls is essential for development of all kinds, how she has become an expert in the latest evolution in braces and how she’s transforming the smile.
Shae Invidiata – Episode 60
Listen in to Shae as she gives us her take on Slavery, Bill C-36, “Evil at its best” and why Canada is at a cross roads when it comes to the slave trade. She also talks about the legacy she wants to leave, why we should always give back and how life is really all about people.
Joshua Oppenheimer – Episode 59
Please do catch this rare opportunity as I interview the man behind the Oscar nominated The Act of Killing and the soon to be released The Look of Silence.
Nina Spencer – Episode 58
Nina has been a guest on Face2Face before.Today she talks about her lessons learned for work and life from climbing Kilimanjaro.
Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish – Episode 57
This interview was a real honour and treat for me. You can’t miss this podcast! Join in as Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr. Abuelaish talks about a “freedom for all”, how violence crosses all borders, why life is in our hands, why we shouldn’t treat symptoms and why there is no such thing as a stupid student.
Frank Soriano – Episode 56
In this weeks podcast we talk to a leadership expert and consultant who has plenty to say. Frank talks about the dark side of management, why there is no silver bullet, “other” awareness, how what we believe is indeed connected to what and how we think.
Kevin Flatt – Episode 55
On today’s podcast we talk with a historian and theologian who has written a recent book on what’s happening in the Canadian United church, why he thinks evangelicals have been misrepresented in the media and why he thinks that young people today have a hunger to understand the way the world works.
Jennifer Lentfer – Episode 54
Jennifer is very busy working on a whole lot of different projects. Listen in today as she tells us why she is looking for something a little more genuine and authentic, why we have to keep people at the center, why we need more stories about “overcoming” and not just success and how people are coming together globally to demand change.
Ieva Lace – Episode 53
Listen in as Ieva pronounced (Yeva) talks about her passion for the environment, social justice and empowering women. She tells us more about what she believes to be the best ways to empower families around the world, the danger of dependency syndrome and why is it that men still run the world.
Glen Foster – Episode 52
“That Canadian Guy” has plenty to say – funny, relevant, likable and always engaging. Check out this podcast as Glen talks about our police state, the legalization of pot, and the difference within politics of leaders of leaders who are incompetent versus being evil.
Bryan Webber – Episode 51
Today’s interview is with the VP of development for the YMCA in Hamilton. Bryan talks about volunteerism, the joy of giving and why practicing generosity is important and how giving is really about us. He reminds us to think about our roles in the great disparity of the world and why we have to take the time to listen to our hearts.
Ben Peterson – Episode 50
Listen in and capture a little of Ben’s passion as he talks about social change, Newsana and how Ghana’s first free election changed his worldview and why journalism is a stepping stone to something greater.
Brian McLaren – Episode 49
In this podcast author, theologian and activist Brian McLaren talks about his new book We Make The Road By Walking, the danger of weapons and economic systems that dehumanize
Gabe Fajuri – Episode 48
Gabe is one of the most interesting people I know. He’s a magician, auctioneer, writer, editor and publisher of books. Listen in as he talks about the history of magic and gambling, about cheating devices and how sometimes the gold is mixed in with the garbage. He’ll tell us why he does what he does, how he has peeked into the lives of famous magicians like Houdini, Jay Marshall, Harry Kellar, Howard Thurston, andCardini and why if you’re going to cheat make sure you develop and refine your skill set. He believes there are several types of people out there. The hoarders, the organized and those who like to operate within an ordered kind of chaos.
Ola Mohajer – Episode 47
Ola is committed to serving communities in so many ways. From her days within university and beyond, she has worked and volunteered in peace, mediation and human rights groups, student government and Canadian non-profits. Currently, Ola works for the United Nations in Zimbabwe is the Founder of The Art of Islam. For her volunteerism and work Ola has recently been awarded The Alberta Council for Global Cooperation’s Top 30 Under 30 Award, The University of Calgary Interfaith Award of Excellence as Distinguished Alumna, and the University of Calgary, Women’s Resource Centre, Award of Excellence as Distinguished Student.
Grace Attard – Episode 46
Listen in to this week’s podcast as Grace tells us about giving back and serving others. She talks about recognizing opportunities that we think are not possible, why all CEO’s should be entrepreneurs and how hope is mindset. You will be challenged and you will be encouraged. Grace has a delightful edge to her that is reminiscent of her advice. “Full out compassion. Full out competence. Full out courage.”
Anthony Lindan – Episode 45
Listen in on Anthony as he talks about how he has remade himself over and over again. He’ll provide some insight on busyness versus getting things done, entrepreneurship, lateral career moves, metaphors and communication tools, and why if you’re going to dive into a task you better be willing to “live and breathe it” for awhile.
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