Season 3, Episode 7 | Guests: Kevin Lawler, Rowan O'Grady

Happy International Youth Day! Today, we celebrate the power and potential of young people to shape a more inclusive and vibrant future. Our latest episode of the Leader Talks with Anne-Marie Pham podcast features Kevin Lawler and Rowan O’Grady from the Whiteboard Collective (WBC), who are passionately working to ensure that young people from all backgrounds have access to meaningful job opportunities. 

In this special episode, Kevin and Rowan share their inspiring vision for a society where youth are not only included but empowered to thrive. WBC is a social impact career accelerator dedicated to breaking down barriers and creating sustainable employment outcomes for marginalized communities across Canada.

Tune in as they discuss innovative career programs and their collaborative efforts with corporate partners to rethink talent acquisition and foster a more equitable society. Whether you're a young professional, an advocate, or an employer, this conversation is packed with practical advice on how to make a real impact.

Join us in amplifying the voices of young changemakers today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Insight into our guests’ professional backgrounds and the important work they do at WBC.
• Unpacking WBC’s vision and their innovative career programs that make it a reality.
• Ways that WBC works with their corporate partners to promote sustainable employment.
• The mindset shift required to view diversity as an asset to your organization, not a liability.
• Challenges that employers face when admitting they have a diversity problem.
• Careers driving social impact: what goes into putting WBC’s tagline into practice.
• Inspiring examples of young candidates who have thrived through their programs.
• What an ideal partnership looks like for WBC, and how you can support their mission.
• How WBC is collaborating with CCDI’s See Different youth education initiative.
• Actionable advice for employers looking to improve their DEI outcomes.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Whiteboard Collective
• Whiteboard Collective on LinkedIn
• Whiteboard Collective on Instagram
• Kevin Lawler on LinkedIn
• Rowan O’Grady on LinkedIn
• Pinball Clemons Foundations
• CCDI ‘See Different’ Youth Education Initiative
• Canadian Certified Inclusion Professional (CCIP) Certification
• Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI)
• Leader Talks with Anne-Marie Pham