Episodes

Welcome back to Coffee With Convery. Today’s conversation is for anyone who has ever askedthemselves: Am I on the right path? What if I want to pivot? How do I connect what I’m studying to the real world? Because here’s the truth. Careers today are no longer linear. They are dynamic, evolving, and often unpredictable. I’m excited to welcome Jake Okechukwu Effoduh. Jake is an Assistant Professor at the Lincoln AlexanderSchool of Law, where his work focuses on artificial intelligence, tec...

Welcome back to Coffee With Convery, today’s conversationasks us to slow down, lean in, and really listen. Because sometimes, the most important work happening inthe world isn’t loud, it’s deep. It’s thoughtful. And it’s rooted in truth. In a time where we talk a lot about innovation,disruption, and the future of work… We don’t always talk enough about the human stories thatshape who we are and who we become. Today’s guest lives at that intersection where researchmeets lived experience, wher...

Welcome to Coffee With Convery, the podcast that’s yourlaunchpad for career inspiration. Today’s guest is someone who understands that in today’seconomy, attention is earned — but trust is built. Giulio Becatti is a filmmaker and video strategist basedin Canada, founder of GHMedia, and someone who helps construction brands turncredibility into clients through the power of visual storytelling. But what fascinates me about Giulio isn’t just that heshoots great video. It’s that he understands p...

Most organizations do not fail because they lack technology. They fail because they misunderstand trust. In an AI driven, hyper connected world, the real risk is not speed. It is vulnerability. Today’s conversation is about what leaders miss before something breaks. Rob Chaykoski is a cybersecurity and information technology expert with more than twenty five years of experience. He is a Zero Trust architect, AI researcher, educator, and public sector security leader working across healthcare...

Most institutions do not struggle because of funding. They struggle because creativity and strategy stop talking to each other. And when that happens, innovation stalls before anyone notices. If you are leading a team, building a program, or navigating your own career, today’s conversation is about how to build bridges before silos harden. My guest is Dr. Glen Lowry, senior academic leader, former Associate Vice President at Centennial College, Executive Director of Partnerships and Research...

Coffee With Convery – Special Edition | Live with Northeastern University Toronto Students Today’s Special Edition features four exceptional graduate students from Northeastern University Toronto who are navigating the Canadian job market as innovators, newcomers, and future leaders. Meet the Guests John Justice Abban John is a biotechnology graduate student with experience spanning GMP manufacturing in Canada and regulatory operations in Ghana. From placing 2nd in an AI in Life Sciences Hackat...

Most people are not stuck because they lack talent. They are stuck because they are hiding. Hiding their voice. Hiding their truth. Hiding who they really are. Today’s conversation is about what happens when you stop editing yourself and start owning the stage. My guest is Ava Val. She is a John Candy Award winning comedian, musician, and actress. She has written for This Hour Has 22 Minutes, appeared on Roast Battle Canada, and stunned audiences on Canada's Got Talent with a full sweep o...

Welcome to Coffee With Convery, the podcast that’s your launchpad for career inspiration. Today’s guest is someone who proves that passion isn’t just something you love, it’s something you build with. Vasili Palantzas is a musician, educator, and leader whose career has been shaped not by shortcuts, but by discipline, curiosity, and a deep respect for craft. From early practice rooms to leading ensembles, mentoring young musicians, and shaping the next generation of creative talent, Vasili’s ...

Welcome to Coffee With Convery, the podcast that’s your launchpad for career inspiration. Today’s guest, Barry Moline has spent nearly four decades leading in some of the most complex, high-stakes environments imaginable energy, water, infrastructure, public service, disaster response, and now ethical influence and leadership development. He’s been a CEO for 29 years. He’s led statewide and national associations. He’s worked in government, utilities, nonprofits, global organizations and toda...

Welcome to Coffee With Convery, the podcast that’s yourlaunchpad for career inspiration. Today’s guest is a powerhouse in the world of human resources, a certified coach, and a master at building high-performing leadership benches. Please welcome Tiffany Smye, Founder and Principal Consultant at TCSTalent Consulting and former Senior Director of Talent, Learning & Development at MLSE. Tiffany’s career is a masterclass in evolving within the talent space. She has led massive recruitment and dev...

Welcome to Coffee With Convery, the podcast that’s your launchpad for career inspiration. Today’s guest doesn’t just work inside systems -- he questions them, rewrites them, and asks who they were actually built for in the first place. Colin Belcourt is an author, certified sustainability practitioner, award-winning DEI & belonging leader, business intelligence professional, and a queer systems thinker. Colin’s career didn’t start with a title or a straight line. It started at the front desk...

Welcome to Coffee With Convery, the podcast that’s your launchpad for career inspiration. Today’s guest understands something most people don’t realize until much later: careers aren’t ladders — they’re stories. Ella Weatherilt is the Director of Talent Acquisition at Medcan, with leadership experience at Walmart Canada, Spin Master, and across agency recruiting. But beyond titles, Ella is a storyteller at heart - an English Literature grad who turned narrative thinking into a career helping ...

Welcome to Coffee With Convery, the podcast that’s your launchpad for career inspiration. Today’s guest is someone who didn’t just notice a broken system, she chose to stand between families and it. Christine Lai is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Special Education Legal Fund. Since 2018, her work has helped provide over $1.3million in grants and thousands of hours of legal support to families navigating special education, families who too often feel unheard, overwhelmed, or alon...

Welcome to Coffee With Convery, the podcast that’syour launchpad for career inspiration. I’m your host, Brien Convery, and around here we believe success isn’t just about climbing the corporate ladder - it’s about building your own jungle gym. Each episode, we share real stories from all kinds of careers and all levels, to help you design a careerportfolio of sorts that fits you and your passions. Let’s dive into today’s conversation. Today’s guest is someone who reminds us that careers don’...

Welcome back to Coffee with Convery, where we caffeinate your curiosity with bold stories, real conversations, and fresh perspectives on how you define success - in work and in life. Today’s guest represents something I love spotlighting on this show: drive without entitlement, ambition with humility, and discipline with heart. Kofi Boateng is a second-year Commerce student-athlete atMcMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business, a Defensive Lineman for the McMaster Marauders, a former Com...

Welcome back to Coffee with Convery, where we caffeinate your curiosity with bold stories, actionable insights, andreal conversations about building meaningful careers. Today’s guest is someone who embodies purpose-driven leadership in higher education and in talent development. Kelly Hart is a strategic higher education leader, a driver of successful outcomes, an advocate for equity and inclusion, and a connector who has spent nearly two decadesshaping how employers engage talent and how stud...

Welcome back to Coffee with Convery, where we caffeinate your curiosity with bold stories, real conversations, and fresh perspectives on what it means to build a career —and a life — with purpose. Today’s guest is someone who embodies reinvention, creativity, and the power of community: Jon Levesque - global community builder, AI and automation evangelist, keynote speaker, YouTube creator, and founder of Seeq, the world’s first Experience Network. Jon has built massive global communities at M...

Welcome back to Coffee with Convery, where we caffeinate your curiosity with bold stories, actionable insights, and fresh takes on how you can define and design your own success. Today’s guest is a career professional turned coach who is helping high-performing men reset, rewire, and reclaim control of their lives. Please welcome Gareth Hellen — Certified Life & Accountability Coach, founder of EvolvedMen Coaching, and experienced financial services professional. Gareth’s career spans over a ...

Welcome back to Coffee with Convery, where wecaffeinate your curiosity with bold stories, actionable insights, and fresh takes on how we define and design success. Today’s episode is all about breaking the mold —deconstructing the old ways of hiring and reimagining what recruitment can look like in an age of ethical AI, human connection, and smart technology. My guest is Nick Mastromattei, Co-Founder and ChiefTechnology Officer at Picsume — the Windsor-based tech company transforming how emplo...

Welcome back to Coffee with Convery, where we caffeinate your curiosity with bold stories, actionable insights, and fresh takes on how we define and design success. Today’s episode is extra special — we’re shining a spotlight on one incredible student from the University of Windsor, winner of the 2025 Rising Star Award. This award celebrates students who have excelled during their co-op placements and demonstrated the qualities that make them true leaders of tomorrow. Cameron Anderson, a thir...

Welcome back to Coffee with Convery, where we caffeinateyour curiosity with bold stories, actionable insights, and fresh takes on how we define and design success. Today’s guest is a leader in AI innovation, a keynotespeaker, and an advocate for mental health and resilience. Please welcome TJ Walia — creator of the PWR-AI Framework, former Microsoft leader, and passionate mentor helping professionals and entrepreneurs thrive withoutburning out. TJ’s journey is one many can relate to — after 15...

Welcome back to Coffee with Convery, where we caffeinateyour curiosity with bold stories, actionable insights, and fresh takes on how we define and design success. Today’s guest is the definition of homegrown innovation. From small-town beginnings in Blenheim, Ontario to leadingone of Canada’s most exciting tech startups — Picsume, Jordan Goure’s journey proves that big ideas can be built anywhere. Jordan is a serial entrepreneur, ethical AI advocate, andco-founder and CEO of Picsume — the Wi...

Welcome back to Coffee with Convery, where wecaffeinate your curiosity with bold stories, actionable insights, and fresh takes on how we define and design success. Today’s guest Steve Jaffe is a seasoned advertisingand marketing executive, author, and resilience advocate. Steve’s book The Layoff Journey: From Dismissal to Discovery is reshaping how we think about job loss, recovery, and renewal. Steve’s professional career spans decades in advertising,media, and marketing leadership. But behi...

Welcome back to Coffee with Convery, where wecaffeinate your curiosity with bold stories, actionable insights, and fresh takes on how we define and design success. Today’s guest, Vijay Rajendran, is a venture builder, founder, UC Berkeley Certified Executive Coach, and author of TheFunding Framework: Secure Startup Funding with Confidence. Vijay helps leaders scale not only their startups but also themselves. Vijay has spent over 20 years at the intersection ofentrepreneurship, venture capital...