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…
Lawrence Hass – Episode 194
Lawrence talks in our second interview about his love for magic, dogmatism, pleasure, making mistakes, about the notion of “tools and not rules”, why we’re all storytelling animals and how Aristotle was a friend to artists everywhere.
Greg Paul – Episode 193
Greg and I talk about identity, justice and the possibility of hope, poverty, love and why we’re short on happiness around here.
Brian McKenna – Episode 192
Brian McKenna and I talk about his new film “Newfoundland at Armageddon”, unnecessary war and how an incident with bullies changed his life.
Alex Hinton – Episode 191
Alex and I talk about peace and reconciliation, trust, genocide, Hannah Arendt and our understanding of the other and what all this means about “us”.
Jay Whitelaw – Episode 190
Jay and I talk about his new approach to giving and an amazing new app he’s designed called Givesome. We touch on philanthropy, why’s he’s passionate about the giver and how a meeting at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas changed his life.
Mac King – Episode 189
Mac and I talk about comedy and magic, show business and working in Las Vegas and why he’s a good listener and how that makes him a better performer and why nice guys don’t always finish last.
Jeff McBride – Episode 188
Jeff talks about magic mystery and deception and magic as “effect without a cause.” He has plenty of wisdom and insight to share on the art of practice, discipline, and “expert simplicity” and about the power of possibility.
Marcie Hume – Episode 187
Marcie and I talk about empathy and others, magic, a shift in perspective, the power of film for social change and a “real sense of belonging.”
Michael Coren – Episode 186
Michael talks about his new book Epiphany, dogmatism, the religious right, why he’s still so optimistic and his desire for change. Biography For four years Michael was the host of The Arena, a nightly television show on Sun News. For more than twelve...
Mitch Abrams – Episode 185
Mitch and I talk today about patient centered care, meditation, why the “system” is broken, dehumanization, music and the arts and how it’s all connected to our understating of mind/body health.
Nicholas Greco – Episode 184
Listen in as Nicholas talks about vapid pop songs, Bono and U2, activism and idealism, why music matters more than we know and how one can transcend the here and now at a rock concert.
Susanne Regina Meures – Episode 183
Susanne and I talk about her new film Raving Iran, freedom, the politics of fear, oppression and the power of friendship.
Peter Stockland – Episode 182
Listen in as Peter talks about what it means to be human, why he believes in something beyond himself, how we shape our understanding in pubic life and why he thinks we should all be eating lunch at home a little more often.
Christal Earle – Episode 181
Christal talks about finding bravery when you need it most, looking for new stories to tell, how we need to change the questions we so often ask and why there is something beautiful about the inquisitive mind
Alethea Arnaquq – Episode 180
Alethea and I talk about her new film Angry Inuk, the “People of the Seal”, cultural prejudice, setting the Inuit record straight, song battles and a new model for animal activism.
Todd & Jedd Wider – Episode 179
Todd, Jedd, and Lori talk about their new film God Knows Where I Am. We touch on mental health issues, the “other”, the poetic edge to filmmaking and the “ever porous cracks” in our social safety nets.
Anjali Nayar – Episode 178
Anjali and I talk about the power of storytelling to change lives, her new film Gun Runners, friendship, the mediations of the marathon runner, the Global South and why we need to spend more time listening to others.
Viveka Melki – Episode 177
Viveka and I talked about her new film After Circus and about memory and recollection, about what defines us as we approach the dubious notion of retirement and how she loves performing and the circus.
“Best and Most Beautiful Things” – Episode 176
Michelle Smith and I talk about authenticity, truth and transparency and the new film she stars in called Best and Most Beautiful Things. We’re also joined by some of the film team, Jeff Consiglio, Ariana Garfinkel and Jordan Salvatoriello and we chat about notions of the other, playing with you senses and that there are not just two types of people in the world.
Eden Rahim (pt2) – Episode 175
In part 2 Eden and I talk about the Genomic revolution, the double helix and Watson and Crick and where insights and innovation germinate. We chat about efficacious data, the move towards precision medicine and why biotech is not involved in “nice to haves.”
Eden Rahim – Episode 174
Eden and I talk about the Bio Tech industry and amazing innovations in the field of bio-logic pharmaceuticals. It’s remarkable what’s going on in the sector and Eden has plenty of insight to share. We talk about idiosyncratic risk, disease modifying drugs and why he believes this is a virtuous industry.
Alon Kol – Episode 173
Alon talks about his new film Transfixed, activism and action, walking in the shoes of others and how it can help us to understand the world in a new and more inclusive way.
Drolkar McCallum – Episode 172
Drolkar and I talk about finding happiness in all the wrong places, discipline, meditation, Buddhism and how it’s possible to bike from Toronto to Thailand.
Sean Campbell – Episode 171
Sean and I talk about our role in serving others, why he’s more interested in what unites than what separates us and his definition of love and compassion.
Ron Chapman – Episode 170
Ron and I talk about his beautiful new film The Poet of Havana, the magic of music, the generosity of poets like Carlos Varela and why piracy at one time was seen as a blessing in Cuba.
Jacob Moon – Episode 169
Jacob talks today about Rush and music, “live looping”, why the hands are often like jokers to him, the difference between gifting and practice and why he has fostered a heart for social justice.
Terry LeBlanc – Episode 168
Terry talks about “weaponized” religion, compound worldviews, about living in a “both/and” world, and unpacks notions of interdependence, integration and inter-relationship.
Esther Meek – Episode 167
Esther talks about her love for knowledge, philosophy and wisdom, defective approaches to knowing, how “it’s all connected and why she is concerned about others as a philosopher.
Helen Slinger – Episode 166
Helen talks about her new film Hold Your Fire, about police violence, fear, the Sammy Yatim shooting and how 1 in 5 of us will suffer form a mental health crisis at some point in out lives.
Dayne Pratzky – Episode 165
Listen in as Dayne talks about why he’s called The Frackman, coal seam gas mining, why we all matter more than we know and how to be bold, brave and proud when becoming an activist.
Michele Mitchell – Episode 164
Listen in as Michele talks about the new film The Uncondemned, rape as a war crime, why we have a responsibility to others and the “grace of fate.”
Mark Bulgutch – Episode 163
Listen in today as Mark talks about falling in love with journalism, how too often it’s a business and not a calling, what “getting it first” versus “getting it right” is all about and why he’s still hopeful.
Sophia Luvarà – Episode 162
Listen in as Sophia talks about her new film Inside The Chinese Closet, LGBTQ rights here at home and in China, trust, transparency and why she’s still optimistic about the future.
Eileen Thalenberg – Episode 161
Listen in as Eileen talks about her new film A Jihadi In The Family, Islamophobia, brokenness, and the power of real community.
Magali Simard – Episode 160
Listen in as Magali talks about the Human Rights Watch Film Festival, the power of film to work towards social change and why she might be a cynic at heart, but still eternally hopeful.
Peter Davis – Episode 159
Peter talks about the ”dialectics of violence”, why cooperation will be essential to our survival as a human race, why he makes films for himself and how capitalism is a killer system.
Gilad Cohen and Amar Wala – Episode 158
Listen in as Gilad and Amar talk about why they think that human rights needs to be rebranded, their new podcast The Hum and why there is always a reason to hope.
Jamie Dagg and Rossif Sutherland – Episode 157
Listen in on our chat today with Jamie Dagg and Rossif Sutherland talking about their new film River, the Mekong and unintended consequences.
Karen Valley – Episode 156
Karen talks today about what it means to be “disabled”, our limitations, her social entrepreneurial spirit and why it’s so important to push the boundaries in a variety of ways.
Erin Hunt – Episode 155
Erin speaks passionately today about landmines, cluster munitions and why Canadians have played such a significant role in the campaign against these “indiscriminate inhumane weapons”, why she thinks this problem is 100% solvable and a new kind of diplomacy.
Holly Gordon – Episode 154
Listen in as Holly talks about women’s empowerment, the power of storytelling, why education is important, the gap between head and heart and why things change when you create room for conversation.
Doug Magee – Episode 153
Doug talks about how your politics is defined by what you see out your front window, why he’s against the death penalty, political satire in the US and his new book President Blog.
Karen Dougherty – Episode 152
Karen talks about uncertainty, the frozen smile, anxious attachment, trans-generational trauma, good parenting and about learning how to self regulate.
Mina Shum and Selwyn Jacob – Episode 151
Mina and Selwyn talk about inclusion, racism in Canada, the voice of the underdog and about film as propaganda.
Lawrence Hass – Episode 150
Lawrence talks in this interview about mystery, context, the fear of failure, wonder and the ”business” of art making. He speaks about obstacles to good living, how are is life giving and why philosophy matters more now than ever.
Ian Tyson – Episode 149
Ian talks about leadership, why attitude is so important, why misery is a choice, consistency and why he’s an unapologetic nerd.
Baitcloud – Episode 148
Today’s conversation is about great ideas, having good instincts, the entrepreneurial spirit, a passion for creating solutions and what problem solving can lead to.
Maureen Palmer – Episode 147
Maureen talks about her new film Wasted, alcoholism, compassionate evidence based care, why she might have too much empathy and how the world of medicine is changing when it comes to treating addiction. Film Synopsis Filmmaker Maureen Palmer set out to...
Gavin Armstrong – Episode 146
Gavin is a social entrepreneur and talks about opportunities in the global South, the luck iron fish bio medics, the importance of research and the interconnected like nature of it all.
David Ben – Episode 145
David recently launched his “#No Hair Selfie” campaign to raise funds for Cancer research. Today we talk about magic, “perfect editorial judgement”, what if questions, creativity, uncertainty and his fascination with paradox.
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