Welcome to episode 45 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode I chat with Tracey Mollins from AlphaPlus, an organization that provides digital support and solutions from peers in Ontario’s literacy community. Tracey is a Professional Learning Specialist – Education and Technology at Alphaplus. She has worked in adult education at community programs, school boards, colleges, universities, unions and network organizations. Her work is informed by her...

Welcome to episode 44 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode I chat with Lucia Harrison, CEO of the Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre about her experiences transitioning to hybrid services and a hybrid workplace that includes a 4-day work week. The effort, and it took a great effort, resulted in a 95% satisfaction rate from staff, particularly when it came to improved work-life balance. All organizations are going through this change, trying to figure it out,...

Welcome to Episode 43 of the technology and human services podcast. In this episode, I’m speaking with Sampada Kukade from Skills for Change, a Toronto based settlement and employment organization that is no stranger to technology innovation. However, what you’ll find in this conversation, and what I find infinitely useful is that even organizations who are large and growing such as Skills for Change still need support in their digital transformation. And as part of their...

Welcome to episode 42 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode, I chat with Lisa DeGara, Manager, Small Centres at Action for Healthy Communities in Alberta. I came across Lisa’s work in rural Alberta in a conference presentation and wanted to chat with her about the challenges and opportunities of digital in and between rural small centres, with a focus on how to provide services in that challenge/opportunity context. She’s able to effectively put a face to...

Welcome to episode 41 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode, I speak about Knowledge Mobilization with David Phipps, Assistant Vice President of Research Strategy & Impact at York University and director of Research Impact Canada (RIC). David has been a Knowledge Mobilization pioneer in Canada and I was excited to chat with him about how KM has evolved and continues to evolve in Canada and beyond. As a past alum of MobilizeU, a course designed by York...

Welcome to episode 40 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode, I speak with Agnes Thomas, Executive Director of Catholic Crosscultural Services. Agnes has led Catholic Crosscultural through a digital transformation that started before, but certainly accelerated during the pandemic.  That isn’t a new story. But her democratic approach as a leader and insights about how the Immigrant and Refugee-serving sector can and should be working collaboratively to serve...

Welcome to episode 39 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode I speak with Ross McCulloch, Director of the Third Sector Lab in the UK, about Open Working. Ross and his colleagues have created the Open Working Toolkit to help charities, funders and other organizations share their work openly. As their toolkit states “Great things can happen when something is made open… more people can reuse it, often cheaply. People can learn from it, even if they don’t use...

Welcome to Episode 38 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode I speak with Bo Ning about his role as a Digital Navigator at Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia, or ISANS. Bo and other Digital Navigators play an essential role to support both Newcomer language learners and his ESL instructor colleagues. One of the important nuances that is clear in our conversation is how effectively Digital Navigators bridge technology and subject matter expertise....

Welcome to episode 37 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode I speak with Charles Buchanan. The discussion about technology and non-profits is not a new one. But throughout the pandemic and now, even with lessons learned during that time, we’re struggling. Service providers are struggling to make the right decisions when it comes to infrastructure, skills & training, and where to invest. Funders are struggling to figure out how to fund technology in...

Welcome to episode 36 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode I speak with Alexander Lapa. You’ve heard about CRMs (Customer or Constituent Management Systems). You may even have one at your organization. But few of us use them to their full potential. In this conversation Alexander provides useful information about CRMs, with a focus on Salesforce. We talk about why, even if you use outside consultants to develop your CRM, building internal skills, staff...

Welcome to episode 35 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode I speak with Meenakshi (Meena) Das. Meena is working on a number of interesting areas around nonprofit technology, but what I wanted to focus on in this conversation is her work around Human-Centric AI. As you’ll hear her discuss, she’s written that “Human-Centric AI is a new learning area (seriously, you can Google it and find how little comes up), and our industry is undoubtedly still getting...

Welcome to episode 34 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode I speak with Tim Lockie. Tim describes himself as an accidental techie. Like many accidential techies, while he entered the nonprofit and human service sector to help make the world a better place, he found he had some natural tech skills. But, perhaps more importantly, he realized pretty quickly that too often technology is used and implemented for technology’s sake, without truly factoring...

Welcome to episode 33 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode I speak with Miyuki Fukuma of the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI). Miyuki has worked for over 20 years as a web User Interface (UI)/User Experience (UX) Designer, focused on Human Centred Design, Digital Accessibility, and open source projects. Since 2018 Miyuki has brought her expertise to the Immigrant and Refugee-serving sector at OCASI. In this conversation we...

Welcome to episode 32 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode I chat with Marium Vahed about how service design and innovation thinking can be brought into a nonprofit service setting. When I saw that Marium had started an MSc in Digital Management, I wanted to learn more about how she had been able to incorporate design thinking into her work. I think it’s an approach that more of us in the sector could benefit learning more about, and she agreed to...

Welcome to episode 31 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode I chat with Aletheia Délivré about service and human centred design. She is currently a Design Manager with the Government of Canada and an Organizational Development consultant doing service design at AlphaPlus, an Ontario nonprofit that helps adult literacy education professionals to incorporate digital technology in their work. I came across Aletheia’s work in a converation with AlphaPlus about...

Welcome to episode 31 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode I chat with Aletheia Délivré about service and human centred design. She is currently a Design Manager with the Government of Canada and an Organizational Development consultant doing service design at AlphaPlus, an Ontario nonprofit that helps adult literacy education professionals to incorporate digital technology in their work. I came across Aletheia’s work in a converation with AlphaPlus about...

Welcome to episode 30 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode I chat with Cybersecurity professional Kassia Clifford. LinkedIn has become a great place to learn from others and make new connections. Kassia and I recently connected, after I’d been following her excellent sharing for some time. She shares practical, useful, and urgently important tips about cybersecurity. She calls herself a “Cybersecurity Interpreter,” an important skill set and attitude that she uses to...

Welcome to episode 30 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode I chat with Cybersecurity professional Kassia Clifford. LinkedIn has become a great place to learn from others and make new connections. Kassia and I recently connected, after I’d been following her excellent sharing for some time. She shares practical, useful, and urgently important tips about cybersecurity. She calls herself a “Cybersecurity Interpreter,” an important skill set and attitude that she uses to...

Welcome to episode 29 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode, I talk with David Phu from Nonprofit Video Comms, a nonprofit video and communications consultancy. Years ago I used to tell nonprofit peers that the emergence of YouTube had both raised and lowered people’s expectations of nonprofit video. Raised them because YouTube was so easy and ubiquitous you were expected to create and share videos. Lowered them because people were not expecting hyper produced...

Welcome to episode 29 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode, I talk with David Phu from Nonprofit Video Comms, a nonprofit video and communications consultancy. Years ago I used to tell nonprofit peers that the emergence of YouTube had both raised and lowered people’s expectations of nonprofit video. Raised them because YouTube was so easy and ubiquitous you were expected to create and share videos. Lowered them because people were not expecting hyper produced...

Welcome to episode 28 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode, I’m chatting with Whitney Loewen the manager of E learning and special projects at The Immigrant Education Society (TIES) in Calgary. I reached out to Whitney after discovering their Newcomer Introduction to Classes Online project, or NICO. NICO is an online course designed to help newcomers overcome barriers to online learning. It offers a flexible, self-paced curriculum that can be accessed online at...

Welcome to episode 28 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode, I’m chatting with Whitney Loewen the manager of E learning and special projects at The Immigrant Education Society (TIES) in Calgary. I reached out to Whitney after discovering their Newcomer Introduction to Classes Online project, or NICO. NICO is an online course designed to help newcomers overcome barriers to online learning. It offers a flexible, self-paced curriculum that can be accessed online at...

Welcome to episode 27 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode, I’m chatting with a few folks from the Somerset West Community Health Centre in Ottawa about their experiences with digital equity and virtual care. On the line with me are Sue Merrill, Manager of Quality Improvement, Planning and Evaluation, Lisa Vadeboncoeur, Digital Equity and Virtual Progamming Project Assistant, Magda Osman, Community Health Promoter. I connected with Sue late in the Fall of 2020...

Welcome to episode 27 of the Technology in Human Services podcast. In this episode, I’m chatting with a few folks from the Somerset West Community Health Centre in Ottawa about their experiences with digital equity and virtual care. On the line with me are Sue Merrill, Manager of Quality Improvement, Planning and Evaluation, Lisa Vadeboncoeur, Digital Equity and Virtual Progamming Project Assistant, Magda Osman, Community Health Promoter. I connected with Sue late in the Fall of 2020...