What is a “Chief People Officer”? That is Caroline Schein’s role at Odlum Brown – basically the most senior person in human resources. So why the change in title? And what does it mean? This is a conscious move away from the traditional ways of thinking of HR, from onboarding to employee experience, even after they leave the company.

Supporting families during the worst part of their lives is what drives Richard Pass in his role as CEO of Ronald McDonald House in British Columbia. This includes not only building a place for families to stay during medical appointments, but also supporting the families themselves and fundraising enough to sustain the services and support that they need.

What does a vice-president of research do? This is Steven Zicherman’s role with Odlum Brown – he studies businesses by looking at their financial filings and trying to understand how a company “ticks.” This could be from internal factors within the company but can be affected by its ecosystem and competitors, which need to be taken into account; this requires skills geared towards recognizing patterns and seeing everything with a fresh set of eyes.

How does the Kettle Society, a mental health and housing nonprofit, get its funding? That is the challenge that Michelle Vanderzon tackles, in her role as the director of philanthropy. This is often in the form of grant writing and applications, which relies on a variety of strategies, such as storytelling and building relationships with companies, family foundations, and those who care about the mission.