UNBeknownst – Details, episodes & analysis

Dr. Paul Mazerolle, UNB's 19th president and vice chancellor, grew up in Fredericton and is a proud UNB graduate. He earned his bachelor's degree in sociology in 1989, before completing a master's in criminal justice at Northeastern University and a PhD in criminology at the University of Maryland. 

Paul returned home to New Brunswick to lead UNB in 2019 after a distinguished academic career abroad, including senior leadership roles at Griffith University in Australia and work with major research and policy organizations. 

During his presidency, he has guided our community through growth and change, championed UNB's strategic vision, Toward 2030, helped lead the university through the pandemic, and expanded UNB's impact locally, nationally, and around the world. 

Paul will be stepping down in March 2026 to pursue a new opportunity abroad. 

Host Kathy Wilson (BN'87, PhD'08) UNB's vice provost of learning and student experience, chats with Paul about leading UNB through challenging years, the value of higher education and his hopes for UNB in the future.

Highlights from the episode

• What it meant to return to Fredericton to lead the university that helped shape his own post-secondary years.
• The challenges of leading a university through COVID-19, and how they were able to close the physical doors of the university and open the doors online.
• The personal reasons for deciding to step away from UNB and pursue new opportunities in Australia.
• Why UNB is well positioned to tackle world challenges in AI, science, climate change, and more.
• How our community of over 100,000 alumni play an important role in advancing UNB and why connecting with alumni has been a highlight of his presidency.
• The three words of advice Paul gives to the next president of UNB and his hopes for UNB in the future.

Links and resources:

• UNB Toward 2030
• Growing One UNB

Thanks to:

• Our alumni host Kathy Wilson (BN'87, PhD'08), UNB's vice provost of learning and student experience
• Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden  
• Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife

To listen to past episodes of UNBeknownst, and for more info on the podcast, the hosts and how to subscribe to new episode alerts, visit our website. 

Serial entrepreneur Matt Symes (BA'04/BEd'04) is an expert on helping leaders confront change and develop sound strategies to navigate through uncertain times. As founding partner and CEO of Symplicity Designs, based in Atlantic Canada, he and his team have helped over 500 organizations and institutions both scale and recover from some of their darkest moments.  

In addition to Symplicity Designs, Matt also manages a portfolio of companies of which he holds a majority or minority stake, in a range of industries. He was named Business Leader of the Year in 2020 from the Halifax Chamber of Commerce and one of Atlantic Canada's Top 50 CEOs in 2022 and 2023 by Atlantic Business Magazine. Matt goes out of his way to embrace leading-edge environmentally sustainable practices at his companies, no matter how much effort and resources are required. He believes in stoicism – that we all have 100 percent control over our mindset. With that frame of mind, it's possible to do almost anything, and he enjoys solving complex problems. 

Hosts Kayla Ossachuk (BA'15) and Andrew Martel (BCS'15) chat with Matt about embracing change, planning for the future, and, in particular, how to adopt AI for efficiency and growth. 

Highlights from the episode:   

• The issues that leaders are currently grappling with and what they are looking to in the future 

• How disruptions – in particular AI - are massively uprooting how we create value 

• How fast the world is now changing for business and lives 

• The areas that business leaders need to lean into AI, and how to integrate and benefit from it 

• Looking at the challenge of AI from impact and looking back through to the people who use it and benefit from it – and how leaders can do this with their people, not to them. 

• How we can personally look forward and navigate learning and building a career around AI and other changes 

Links and resources:   

• Matt's LinkedIn 

• Symplicity Designs 

• Nexus, by Yuval Noah Harari 

Thanks to:   

• Our alumni hosts Kayla Ossachuk (BA'15) and Andrew Martel (BCS'15) 

• Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden  

• Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife 

  
To listen to past episodes of UNBeknownst and for more info on the podcast, the hosts and how to subscribe to new episode alerts, visit our website. 

Shilo Boucher (BBA'00), is President and CEO of the YMCA of Southwest New Brunswick, one of the largest employers and community service organizations in the province. Shilo attended UNB on the Saint John campus, graduating from business administration in 1999, then worked at two large public accounting firms while obtaining her CPA before landing at the Saint John YMCA in 2006. She held roles as the chief financial officer and chief operating officer before taking on the role of president and CEO in 2011.  

Shilo has been tremendously involved in helping to grow the community of Saint John and region, having served on the Saint John Airport board of directors, president of The Resource Centre for Youth, director of FusionSJ and River Valley Recreational Center, chair of the board for Credit Counselling Services of Atlantic Canada, and the treasurer for the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Saint John. She was also recently named to the board of directors for Port Saint John.  

Host Katie Davey (BA'17) chats with her about being an active member of the community through building good governance and providing a helping hand. 

In this episode:   

• A backgrounder on the wide range of activities of the YMCA in southern New Brunswick and Saint John. 

• How community programs are supporting employment and the economy. 

• How to do community health better 

• Growing as a leader and working with a board of directors 

• How to keep planning for the future and learning how to think strategically about future needs 

• The importance of good governance for both non-profits and corporate 

Links and resources:   

• Shilo's LinkedIn 

• YMCA of Southwest NB 

Thanks to:   

• Our alumni host, Katie Davey 

• Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden  

• Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife 

  
To listen to past episodes of UNBeknownst and for more info on the podcast, the hosts and how to subscribe to new episode alerts, visit our website. 

In this special episode as the finale to Season 3, we turn the tables on UNBeknownst host Katie Davey (BA'17). In her day job, Katie is a public policy expert and social innovator, currently serving as the Pond-Deshpande Centre's (PDC) Executive Director at the University of New Brunswick. Previously, she was the Director of Policy & Media at the Public Policy Forum, and also served as senior advisor in the Office of the Premier of New Brunswick. Armed with a degree in political science from UNB and master's in applied politics from Wilfrid Laurier University, Katie has the perfect mix of academic and real-world savvy to tackle socio-economic challenges through social innovation, entrepreneurship, and public policy. Selected as a top innovator by Atlantic Business Magazine in 2023, Katie is a go-to voice in political commentary and opinion writing, making waves in major publications and as a regular on CBC New Brunswick and Atlantic. She is the Founder and Principal of Femme Wonk and serves on the Board of Directors for the Human Development Council, Action Canada, and other community groups. 

In this episode:   

• Katie's origin story and how she got her start into politics, public policy and advocacy. 

• The impact of UNB's Pond-Deshponde Centre and what exactly social innovation and social entrepreneurship means on the ground. 

• The social innovation lab – and how that's shifting things in New Brunswick. 

• Problem-solving through the lens of social good. 

• The growth of ventures working on social innovation and social good in New Brunswick. 

• The information/communications challenges of our current environment. 

• How New Brunswick is stacking up against other jurisdictions around the world for social innovation and growth. 

Links and resources: 

Katie's LinkedIN 

Pond Deshpande Centre 

Thanks to:   

• Our alumni host, Katie Davey 

• Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden  

• Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife 

  
To listen to UNBeknownst and for more info on the podcast, the hosts and how to subscribe to new episode alerts, visit our website. 

Nicole LeBlanc (BBA'00) is a partner with Woven Capital in Tokyo, focusing on investments in mobility, energy, and sustainability that support and accelerate Toyota's mission to build the safest mobility in the world. Prior to that she was a partner in Denmark with 2150, an urban tech & sustainability fund focused on supporting the growth of sustainable cities. She's held previous positions as director of investments for Alphabet's Sidewalk Labs in Toronto, and as director at BDC Capital and at the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation.  

Nicole is also a founder and investor in Sandpiper.vc, a women-led venture fund based in Atlantic Canada aiming to support women as both founders and investors. She's a huge proponent of encouraging and supporting women in the venture capital sector, and I'm very excited to talk with her about why that's so important, as well as why she feels so strongly in investing in technology for our collective future. 

In this episode:   

• How Nicole first started in venture capital and the opportunities around the world that led her to becoming an expert in the field 

• Her position in Toronto at Sidewalk Labs that hooked her on green cities and urban tech. 

• Why corporate companies have growth/venture capital firms.  

• How companies can implement sustainability implement solutions in their systems – and why Nicole is excited about startups providing those solutions.  

• The role of corporate venture capitalist 

• How smaller municipalities can have a great impact on lives and drive change. 

• The Copenhagen urban model. 

• How engaging everyone in communities is key to finding solutions and capital sources.  

• Why there is a low rate of women in venture capital and how more women can break into it. 

• How Atlantic Canadian communities can be successful in building smart, sustainable places to live and work, even with fewer resources.  

Links and resources:   

• Nicole's LinkedIN 

• Woven Capital 

• Sandpiper Ventures 

Thanks to:   

• Our alumni host, Katie Davey 

• Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden  

• Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife 

  
To listen to UNBeknownst and for more info on the podcast, the hosts and how to subscribe to new episode alerts, visit our website. 

Dr. Jennifer Woodland (MA'09, PhD'15) is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at UNB's Saint John campus and an Integrated Health Initiative researcher who teaches within the Bachelor of Health program at UNB. She has a PhD in experimental psychology from UNB, with a focus in multisensory perception. Jen has over 10 years of experience in health research – as a research methodologist for Horizon Health Network and Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick. Before her academic appointment, she spent 5 years working in the private health sector as the director of Human Health Factors at Canadian Health Solutions where she led a development team toward multidisciplinary medical innovation products. Her research interests are in multidisciplinary health research on medication adherence and combining the use of evidence-based psychological principles to inform the development and improvement of health product usability. 

In this episode:   

• An explanation of experimental psychology in multisensory perception 

• How research, clinical and technology areas can work together and are critical for healthcare solutions 

• A detailed look at what integrated health and integrated health research really means 

• The Integrated Health Initiative (IHI) at UNB's Saint John campus, and the benefits of an intentional health cluster 

• How to translate research into meaningful health policy 

• Health literacy for health adherence  

Links and resources: 

UNB Integrated Health Initiative 

Thanks to:   

• Our alumni host, Katie Davey 

• Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden  

• Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife 

  
To listen to UNBeknownst and for more info on the podcast, the hosts and how to subscribe to new episode alerts, visit our website. 

Mi'gmaq entrepreneur Victoria LaBillois (BA'91, MBA'04) is the owner of Wejipeg Excavation Inc. and co-owner of Wejuseg Construction Inc, and oversaw the completion of a major wind park in Gaspesie, Quebec, where the companies trained and engaged over 100 Mi'gmaq tradespeople.  

Victoria has served both the First Nation and federal public service, working at the Band, regional, and national levels.  She is currently serving as Vice-Chair of the National Indigenous Economic Development Board, and represents the National Indigenous Economic Development Board in the development of Canada's first National Indigenous Economic Strategy. In addition to advocating for and facilitating conversations at the highest levels around economic reconciliation, she is all about giving back to her community, serving as a mentor and coach to Indigenous women and helping youth build skills around financial literacy. In 2019 AND 2020, Victoria was honoured by the WXN as one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women. 

In this episode:   

• How Victoria went from Arts graduate to owner of a construction and excavation company 

• Context around why we need to talk about economic reconciliation for Canada's Indigenous peoples 

• What economic reconciliation practically means  

• The process of drafting a National Indigenous Economic Strategy for Canada and creating a strategy to advance economic reconciliation – and highlights from this important document that guides government, academia and corporate Canada 

• The 4 essential ingredients to economic prosperity for Indigenous peoples in Canada  

• How all of us can help further economic reconciliation 

Links and resources: 

• Victoria's LinkedIn 

• National Indigenous Economic Strategy 

• Wejuseg 

• UNB story on Victoria 

Thanks to:   

• Our alumni host, Katie Davey 

• Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden  

• Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife

To listen to UNBeknownst and for more info on the podcast, the hosts and how to subscribe to new episode alerts, visit our website. 

Social and technology entrepreneur Tosin Ajibola (MEng'20) moved from Nigeria to Canada to earn a Master of Engineering degree in Technology Management and Entrepreneurship from UNB. Out of that hands-on program, he and other newcomer classmates co-developed Welkom-U, an innovative online platform that puts newcomers, immigrants, and international students in touch with the things they need to survive and thrive. As CEO of Welkom-U, Tosin is focused on solving problems through technology AND making a social impact.  

He is a member of the Atlantic Growth Solutions team, and he serves on the board of Venn Innovation, on the board of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce and on the advisory board at Social Enterprise World Forum. He also leads the Atlantic Canada Chapter of BlackBoysCode, a non-profit organization that aims to improve the future of young black boys through Computer Science and Technology. And he's been getting noticed: he was named a Top 30 under 30 Innovator in Atlantic Canada in 2021, a Top 25 Canadian Immigrant in 2022 & Top Youth Immigrant in Canada 2022. 

In this episode:   

• Tosin's personal experience starting a new life in Canada and how that helped inform his startup idea 

• The challenges that newcomers to Canada face, and how Tosin and Welkom-U are working to reduce or eliminate those.  

• Why retention of immigrants is important to Canada and the Maritime region and what we can do to increase that retention. 

• How leveraging technology and entrepreneurship can be used for a larger social purpose – and how that makes all the difference in Canada.  

Links and resources:   

• Tosin's LinkedIn 

• Welkom-U 

• Canada's Top 25 Immigrants  

Thanks to:   

• Our alumni host, Katie Davey 

• Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden  

• Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife 

  
To listen to UNBeknownst and for more info on the podcast, the hosts and how to subscribe to new episode alerts, visit our website. 

H. Wade MacLauchlan (LLB'81) is a well-known Canadian legal expert, academic, university administrator, politician and community leader. As premier of Prince Edward Island from 2015-19, he led an expansion and diversification of PEI's economy and the growth and rejuvenation of the province's population, while contributing to historic, regional initiatives in immigration, infrastructure and economic growth. Prior to politics, MacLauchlan was the longest-serving president of the University of Prince Edward Island from 1999-2011, and dean of law at the University of New Brunswick from 1991-1996.

In this episode:   

• How MacLauchlan got into academia and then politics 

• Insights into Atlantic Canadian policy on immigration and growth 

• The housing crisis and the solutions needed now 

• How higher education and university can do the most they can in a time of growth 

• The role of universities with respect to growth and immigration 

Links and resources:   

• Wade MacLauchlan 

• Announcement of MacLauchlan as UNB Chancellor 

Thanks to:   

• Our alumni host, Katie Davey 

• Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden  

• Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife 

  
To listen to UNBeknownst and for more info on the podcast, the hosts and how to subscribe to new episode alerts, visit our website. 

Mohamed Bagha (BAMHT'05, MIDST'13) is the managing director of the Saint John Newcomers Centre and chair of the Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce. Originally from Kenya, he arrived in Saint John in the early 2000s to complete his post-secondary education at UNB and has been part of the newcomer support scene in the Port City for over a decade.  

Mohamed is interested in helping grow and strengthen the community and is passionate about helping newcomers be part of that growth. He's worked on initiatives to help newcomers settle more easily in their new home, and to help everyone see the value of community-building work to grow the services available to newcomers. Join us for a conversation about community-building and the role that both newcomers and long-time community members have in working together.   

In this episode:   

• What experiential learning programs do to help students, especially newcomers, build a network and become engaged in their community. 

• Why building a network is so important for engagement and success. 

• The important work of the Saint John Newcomers Centre – to both newcomers and the community. 

• Why Mohamed believes Atlantic Canadian cities are the best places to live. 

• His optimism for growth for the future, and why newcomers are central to that growth. 

• How to employ DEI to help overcome challenges for employers recruiting a talented workforce.  

• How we can create opportunities to make the city the best place to do business. 

Links and resources:   

• Saint John Newcomers Centre 

• Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce 

• Mohamed's LinkedIn profile 

Thanks to:   

• Our alumni host, Katie Davey 

• Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden  

• Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife 

  
To listen to UNBeknownst and for more info on the podcast, the hosts and how to subscribe to new episode alerts, visit our website.