In May, The Discovery Pod featured powerful conversations with four dynamic leaders from across Canada’s social profit landscape: Jen Angel (Evergreen), Jess Tomlin (Equality Fund), Deb Lester (Covenant House Vancouver), and Wen-Chih O’Connell (PayPal Giving Fund Canada).
Whether addressing youth homelessness, gender justice, accessible public spaces, or philanthropic innovation, each leader offers unique but interconnected insights on how communities thrive when inclusion, courage, and systems thinking drive the mission.
Creating Belonging in Public Spaces with Jen Angel, Evergreen
Jen Angel paints a compelling picture of how public spaces can act as “multi-solving” arenas—places that address loneliness, climate action, and civic engagement simultaneously. Her work at Evergreen emphasizes co-creation with communities to design inclusive, nature-connected spaces like Toronto’s Brick Works, which spark connection and belonging. Her leadership style encourages handling disagreement productively and reframing public engagement as a convening exercise, not just consensus-building.
Fueling Feminist Movements with Jess Tomlin, Equality Fund
Jess Tomlin leads the Equality Fund with an unwavering focus on feminist principles: trust, longevity, and systemic change. She explains how impact investing and unrestricted grants support grassroots leaders addressing gender justice around the world.
In a time of democratic backsliding and rising authoritarianism, Jess frames backlash not as failure, but as a sign of successful agitation for change. Her reflections on managing long-term goals amid immediate crises offer a model for sustainable leadership.
Ending Youth Homelessness with Deb Lester, Covenant House Vancouver
Deb Lester shares how Covenant House supports vulnerable youth with a continuum of care, from street outreach to mental health support. Her background in public health helps frame homelessness as not just a housing issue, but a public health and justice issue intertwined with trauma, addiction, and systemic inequality.
Deb highlights the importance of philanthropy in allowing flexibility and innovation in service delivery—and the importance of listening to youth in every policy decision.
Redefining Philanthropy in a Digital World with Wen-Chih O’Connell, PayPal Giving Fund Canada
Wen-Chih O’Connell explores how technology can remove barriers to giving and help charities build financial resilience. By embedding donation tools into platforms people already use, PayPal Giving Fund increases visibility for nonprofits while making it easier for donors to give.
Wen-Chih reflects on how digital infrastructure can shift the way philanthropy operates—focusing on access, trust, and transparency—making this episode a must listen for anyone in nonprofit leadership, fundraising, or tech looking to innovate how we support social impact organizations.
These conversations all point to the capacity for meaningful change to happen when we invest in people and systems with intention. Whether it’s redesigning public spaces to foster connection, funding grassroots feminist movements, empowering youth through integrated care, or making generosity seamless through digital tools, these leaders are building infrastructure—social, physical, and financial—that supports a more just and connected world.
Each episode offers inspiration and practical insight for anyone working to lead with purpose and scale their footprint.
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