The Brand is Female

This week's guest on The Brand is Female podcast is Dr. Juveria Zaheer, a Clinician Scientist whose research focuses on suicide, gender, and culture. Her path to mental health was rooted in her interest in hearing people’s stories -- she even tells her two young daughters that she is a 'doctor for feelings'. She is a passionate champion for her patients and for her female colleagues in medicine and science. She is currently leading the first-ever study in the retention of women scientists in the mental health space, where she believes that representation and role models that ‘look like us’ are the key to inspiring more young women to choose a career in science. Dr. Zaheer works with the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research in the Emergency Department at CAMH. She is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto.This episode, along with several more this month, is presented in partnership with CAMH and womenmind™, a community of philanthropists and thought leaders tackling the unique gender issues that underrepresented people face when it comes to their mental health. Women’s mental health is a challenge on two main fronts: first, we experience depression, anxiety, and trauma to a greater extent than men, and next, women in science face biases as they work to advance their careers. An initiative like womenmind™ is critical to address the gender inequities we face in this area. Find out more about CAMH and womenmind™.If you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, they can call 1-833-456-4566. If they require immediate care, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing, and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!————Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com //TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business //Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

Sandi is a dedicated philanthropist, supporter of Canadian arts and culture, and a champion for the advancement of women in sport. These passions, skills, and beliefs are matched with a wealth of knowledge and expertise gained from her successful career in banking. Like many Canadians, Sandi has been directly impacted by mental illness, which inspired her to dedicate her time and resources to various mental health initiatives. Since joining the board at CAMH Foundation, Sandi has headed various initiatives to help raise significant funds for the organization’s important mission. Sandi and her family’s support have been instrumental in setting up the womenmind initiative. With a $5-million gift from Sandi and Jim Treliving and family, CAMH is one giant leap closer to delivering on their goal of closing the gender gap in mental health.This episode, along with several more this month, is presented in partnership with CAMH and womenmind™, a community of philanthropists and thought leaders tackling the unique gender issues that underrepresented people face when it comes to their mental health. Women’s mental health is a challenge on two main fronts: first, we experience depression, anxiety, and trauma to a greater extent than men, and next, women in science face biases as they work to advance their careers. An initiative like womenmind™ is critical to address the gender inequities we face in this area. Find out more about CAMH and womenmind™. If you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, they can call 1-833-456-4566. If they require immediate care, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing, and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!————Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com //TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business //Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

“I’ve had some very rough times in life. When tragedy or anything gets, you go in and you want to blame everybody else. You don’t look at it for what it is: it’s a teacher. If you sit back, relax and get rid of the fear, and let the universe help you, you’ll be amazed at what happens.” This week's guest on The Brand is Female is Nancy Smithers, founder of Nova Scotia Organics, a line of USDA certified organic vitamins, supplements, snacks, and smoothies located on the Eastern shore of Nova Scotia, where Nancy grew up. As a seventh-generation Nova Scotian, Nancy's love affair with herbs started early in life. When she couldn’t find high-quality organic products on the market, she took matters into her own hands and pursued natural health courses from Alberta’s Wild Rose College. With the help of an herbalist friend, she began combing through the natural terrain around her home, eventually crafting herbs into tinctures in her own kitchen. Nancy grew a flourishing company that now looks like a 30,000 square foot manufacturing facility, certified to produce the highest quality, and purest organic supplements possible. Her products are distributed around the world, even amassing a cult following in Japan. As President, Nancy uses her 25 years of business, herbal and organic expertise to promote her products and the causes related to organic production effectively. 'Organic' is no marketing buzzword to her; it’s her way of life and her company’s reason for success. Listen to this episode to see why Nancy has been nationally celebrated as a role model for entrepreneurs, an advocate of academic research, and a dedicated champion of organic agriculture and production.This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing, and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!————Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com //TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business //Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

As a recognized thought leader on gender equality, diversity, and inclusion, Deborah has dedicated her career to driving social change. Prior to joining CAMH, Deborah was President & CEO of Catalyst, a global non-profit that helps build workplaces that work for women. Deborah began her career in the public sector, where her early work focused on employment equity, anti-racism, and LGBTQ2+ rights. She went on to become a consultant and practice leader with global professional service firms. There, she championed initiatives to mentor women. Additionally, Deborah worked in the Nova Scotia government and stood as a candidate for elected office. Listen to this episode to hear about Deborah expertly mixes her passion, strategic vision, and entrepreneurial spirit to lead the CAMH Foundation and transform how Canadians understand and address mental illness, in the workplace and in society. This episode, along with several more this month, is presented in partnership with CAMH and womenmind™, a community of philanthropists and thought leaders tackling the unique gender issues that underrepresented people face when it comes to their mental health. Women’s mental health is a challenge on two main fronts: first, we experience depression, anxiety, and trauma to a greater extent than men, and next, women in science face biases as they work to advance their careers. An initiative like womenmind™ is critical to address the gender inequities we face in this area. Find out more about CAMH and womenmind™. If you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, they can call 1-833-456-4566. If they require immediate care, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing, and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!————Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com //TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business //Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

"Power has been so successful at denigrating women. It’s a specific pattern of patriarchy in terms of taking us away from one another. So what happens to you is something incredibly shameful that you must carry alone; an NDA may be put in front of you, and the threats are always personal. They threaten your economic security. The fact that you’re violated and you’re met with threats indicates what they’re afraid of." This week's guest on The Brand is Female is Koa Beck, acclaimed author of the best-selling book ‘White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to influencers and Who They Leave Behind,' published in January. Koa is the former editor-in-chief of Jezebel, previously the executive director of Vogue.com, and senior features editor at MarieClaire.com. To add to her impressive resumé, in 2019, Koa was was awarded the Joan Shorenstein Fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy School, and she published an academic paper entitled “Self-Optimization in the Face of Patriarchy: How Mainstream Women’s Media Facilitates White Feminism.” This became her jumping-off point and inspiration in writing White Feminist. In this eye-opening episode, Koa and Eva Hartling, discuss her book, and how our society has commodified feminism and continues to systemically shut out women of colour.This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing, and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!————Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com //TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business //Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

Would you be brave enough to share your own struggles with mental health, if it meant helping just one other person? Meet Carole Dagher, VP of Legal at Loblaw Group of Companies in Toronto, as well as mental health patient at CAMH. Through her own journey, Carole has become a mental health advocate for the organization. Born and raised in Lebanon, she came to Canada at the age of 13. She started her law career practicing in the Capital Markets group at a top-tier New York law firm, then spending over a decade in progressively senior legal roles in the financial services industry. Carole’s mental health journey started when she was diagnosed with post-partum after the birth of her daughter, and you will hear her tell the rest of her story in this interview. Trigger warning: please be advised this episode includes discussions of mental distress and trauma. This episode, along with several more this month, is presented in partnership with CAMH and womenmind™, a community of philanthropists and thought leaders tackling the unique gender issues that underrepresented people face when it comes to their mental health. Women’s mental health is a challenge on two main fronts: first, we experience depression, anxiety, and trauma to a greater extent than men, and next, women in science face biases as they work to advance their careers. An initiative like womenmind™ is critical to address the gender inequities we face in this area. Find out more about CAMH and womenmind™. If you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, they can call 1-833-456-4566. If they require immediate care, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!————Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com //TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business //Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

Hajer Nakua is a mental health researcher and advocate for Muslim women in STEM. She uses her online platforms to share the latest research about mental health and neuroscience with her North American and Middle Eastern followers, in both English and Arabic. Currently a Ph.D. candidate studying neuroscience, her research uses brain imaging technology to get a better understanding of mental health and psychiatric conditions in patients. Through her research, Hajer hopes to uncover biological markers specific to different mental illnesses to help with treatment and diagnosis. Hajer is especially interested in the special attributes that make each of us unique, including as it relates to our brain and mental illness. You can feel the passion that Hajer has for her work in this fascinating conversation with host Eva Hartling. This episode, along with several more this month, is presented in partnership with CAMH and womenmind™, a community of philanthropists and thought leaders tackling the unique gender issues that underrepresented people face when it comes to their mental health. Women’s mental health is a challenge on two main fronts: first, we experience depression, anxiety, and trauma to a greater extent than men, and next, women in science face biases as they work to advance their careers. An initiative like womenmind™ is critical to address the gender inequities we face in this area. Find out more about CAMH and womenmind™. If you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, they can call 1-833-456-4566. If they require immediate care, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!————Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com //TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business //Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

Soraya Chemaly is an award-winning journalist and author whose writing appears regularly in media around the world. Her work centres around defining what it means to be a woman in a world built by men. Her narrative skill, careful research, and humorous tone have been described by the New Yorker as "relentless and revelatory." In her book, Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger, Soraya uses these skills to offer a critical look at the social construction of anger and its effects on women's lives. Soraya and host Eva Hartling share an invigorating conversation about why women should be angry, the 'steps backward' we have taken when it comes to gender equity, which has now been further amplified by the impact of the pandemic, and the many other nuances of living in the 'boxes' that society has created for women.This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!————Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com //TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business //Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

Have you met the woman behind the vegan shoe? Meet Tina Bhojwani, co-founder and CEO of fashion brand AERA. A high-powered fashion executive for over 2 decades, her resume includes leadership roles at global fashion brands like Donna Karan, Theory and Dolce & Gabbana. Over the course of her tenure in the industry, she came to recognize the need for change as both a business imperative and a human one. That's why she created sustainable footwear brand AERA. The company's mission is to address environmental and social challenges, with a goal to redefine what we know as the status-quo. In this episode, you'll hear Tina and host Eva Hartling discuss challenges she faces as a pioneer for eco-friendly materials, how her human approach is shaking up the luxury space and what this strategy can mean in terms of impact on the planet.This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!————Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com //TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business //Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale

Dr. Britt Wray, PhD and post-doctoral fellow, is a globally-renowned expert on Climate Crisis Dread, studying the link between mental health and the eco-crisis. Between her newsletter, aptly named Gen Dread, her broadcasting gigs, and her books (both published and soon to be published), Dr. Wray is an authority on staying sane while facing the climate crisis. In this episode, Britt and host Eva Hartling cover the intersection of feminism and climate issues, how the pandemic has effectively reprogrammed the DNA of our global consciousness, and how racial and health inequities have been amplified by the pandemic; revealing how broken our system truly is. Want to hear more from Britt? Tune into BBC podcast's Tomorrow's World, where she co-hosts alongside Ellie Cosgrave. No stranger to science broadcasting, her resume also includes hosting CBC Radio’s national science show: Quirks and Quarks. Her production credits include the likes of numerous other programs for CBC, NPR, and celebrated podcasts such as Love and Radio. Britt is an Associate Partner at Dare Disrupt and is currently directing an interactive documentary series with the National Film Board of Canada. She has also hosted with CBC The Nature of Things on a feature TV documentary, The Nature of Invention. This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!————Visit: TBIF: thebrandisfemale.com //TD Women Entrepreneurs: td.com/ca/en/business-banking/small-business/women-in-business //Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/thebrandisfemale