UNBeknownst
A podcast for UNB alumni, by UNB alumni. Sharing interesting and surprising stories of people you may not have known attended the University of New Brunswick. Discussions on lessons learned, insights gained and hot takes on current topics.
- Update frequency
- every 22 days
- Average duration
- 40 minutes
- Episodes
- 50
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
#30: Teresa Fowler on the need for a reckoning in Canadian hockey culture
Dr. Teresa Fowler (MEd’11) is a researcher who is diving into the sexism, misogyny and hypermasculinity of hockey in Canada and who is now working directly with Hockey Canada to try to correct the en…
#29: Lea Nicholas MacKenzie on championing Indigenous human rights
Lea Nicholas-MacKenzie (BA’91) is a trailblazer for Indigenous rights: she’s the former Special Advisor for Indigenous Issues to the UN, former Chief of Staff to then Minister of Justice and Attorney…
#28: Mark Leger on the future of local journalism and its importance in building communities
Mark Leger (MA’11) was editor of Huddle, the popular Maritime online business news publication, from 2017 to early 2023, and was also director of news content for parent company Acadia Broadcasting, …
#27: Balarama Holness on education, politics and confronting systemic racism
Balarama Holness (MEd’16) is a former CFL athlete turned social entrepreneur, community organizer and anti-racism activist. A native of Montreal, he played professional football for the Montreal Alou…
#26: Deborah Lyons on being Ambassador and UN representative in Afghanistan – and why education for women is critical for global stability
Ambassador Deborah Lyons (BA’71, DLitt'15) is a diplomat with 21 years of professional experience in political affairs, international cooperation and economic development. Her most recent assignment …
#25: John Leroux on what it means to love a place and why architecture and art are so important in attracting and inspiring people
John Leroux (PhD’20) is an architect, art historian and currently Manager of Collections and Exhibitions at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton, New Brunswick. John has a wealth of knowledge a…
#24: Krista Jones on the future of work, the intersection of people with digital transformation, and how Canada can be competitive globally
Krista Jones (BScEE'88) has been a passionate innovator and builder of technology-based businesses for over 30 years. She leverages her deep entrepreneurial and leadership experience to advise founde…
#23: Donald Savoie on the centralization of power in Western governments, lack of public trust in our leaders, and what government IS good at
Donald Savoie (MA’72) holds the Canada Research Chair in Public Administration and Governance at the Université de Moncton, as well as the Clément-Cormier Research Chair in Economic Development. Over…
#22: Emilie Chiasson on creating human-centered designs and solving big challenges through collective action and gender equality
Emilie Chiasson (BPHIL’15) is a design and innovation expert who’s worked with government and NGO organizations to co-create meaningful solutions to persistent problems in developing countries and re…
#21: Josh O’Kane on Sidewalk Labs and “the city Google couldn’t buy”
Josh O'Kane (BSc/BA ‘09) is a reporter with The Globe and Mail who has covered the technology sector for much of the past five years. His coverage focuses on the relationships between tech companies …
Episode 20: Mitch Cobb on purpose-driven entrepreneurship and making a positive community impact
Mitch Cobb (BA’02) is co-owner and CEO of Upstreet Craft Brewery, on Prince Edward Island. But Upstreet isn’t just a brewery (even though it's grown to become a major player in the Atlantic Canada br…
Episode 19: Julia Wright on finding your path through trial and error, and journalism in challenging times
Julia Wright (BA’07) is the host of CBC Information Morning on CBC Radio 1 in Saint John and is also an award-winning writer and photographer. Born and raised in Saint John, New Brunswick, Julia was …
Episode 18: Brandon Mitchell on creating comic books and teaching youth through visually telling Mi’kmaq stories
Brandon Mitchell (BIS’16, MEd’18) is a Mi'kmaq graphic artist, published writer and entrepreneur from Listuguj, Quebec, now residing in Fredericton. Brandon is a two-time graduate of UNB, with a Bach…
Episode 17: Tom Liston on Bay Street and how the Canadian tech sector can help us overcome big global challenges
Tom Liston (BBA’96) is one of the most sought-after minds in Canada’s tech investment sector. Tom currently serves on several Board of Directors for public and private technology companies, and he ha…
Episode 16: Mike Harrison on emergency medicine during a pandemic, flight surgery and the long way to get to what you love
Mike Harrison (BScKin’02, MScExSS’05) is a flight surgeon as well as an emergency medicine and critical care physician at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. He was recently one of the flight s…
Episode 15: Alexandra Pope on Canadian Geographic, life balance and the polarization of media
Alexandra Pope (BPhil’06) graduated from UNB’s Renaissance College Bachelor of Philosophy in Leadership program and went straight to work in social media and journalism for local newspapers. She jump…
Episode 14: From Artsy to Shopify, Ash Furrow on compassionate software development and separating yourself from your work
Ash Furrow (BCS’09) is a compassionate software developer who launched his career while still a computer science student at UNB. After graduating, Ash and his partner moved to Toronto, then Amsterdam…
Episode 13: James Gitau on the dangers and rewards of leading humanitarian work with UNICEF around the globe
James Gitau (BBA'87, MA'89) came from Kenya to Canada in the 1980s to study at UNB and later returned to Africa to cultivate an esteemed career with UNICEF across the globe. He’s part of UNICEF’s sen…
Episode 12: Olive Ozoemena on promoting diversity and inclusion through employment initiatives and economic development
Olive Ozoemena is Director of Programs and Operations for the New Brunswick Multicultural Council. Olive is from Nigeria and came to New Brunswick in 2015 to study in the MBA program at UNB Saint Joh…
Episode 11: Asif Hasan on the entrepreneurship ecosystem and the role of businesses and individuals in building a diverse, flourishing community
Asif Hasan is an alum from UNB’s Electrical and Computer Engineering and TME programs, and the CEO and co-founder of SimpTek Technologies, a Fredericton startup company that helps residential homeown…