What happens when you blend Indigenous values, entrepreneurial grit, and a mission to do business differently? You get Cheekbone Beauty, one of Canada’s most purpose-driven beauty brands—and the brainchild of Jenn Harper.
In this live episode of Mission Critical recorded in Toronto at Waterworks Food Hall, Lance sits down with Jenn to unpack her incredible journey—from overcoming addiction and selling fish (quite literally) to discovering her purpose in a dream and pioneering what she calls Indigenous Beauty, a category rooted in authentic sustainability.
Jenn gets candid about the highs and lows of building a brand from scratch, how close she came to shutting down, and why community—especially her customers—has always been the foundation of her success.
This episode is presented by Mastercard Canada as part of a special series spotlighting small business owners who are shaping the future of Canadian entrepreneurship.
Listen now to hear how Jenn is rewriting the narrative—and what she wants the world to know about Indigenous excellence, sustainability, and the future of beauty.
What does it take to thrive as both a designer and an entrepreneur? In this episode of Mission Critical, Lance sits down with Lesley Hampton—Indigenous artist, acclaimed fashion designer, and founder of her namesake brand—for a conversation about creativity, community, and self-preservation.
From dressing icons like Lizzo, Lily Gladstone, and Sandra Oh, to challenging colonial norms in fashion, Lesley has carved out a space that’s inclusive and deeply intentional. But behind the red carpet moments is a commitment to mental health and setting boundaries. As Lesley puts it, “My business isn’t thriving unless I’m thriving.”
Presented by Mastercard Canada, this episode is part of a series celebrating Canadian small business owners and the stories behind the brands. We talk about the power of mentorship, what it means to lead with your values, and why asking for help (even through a DM) can change the trajectory of your career.
Listen now to learn how Lesley built her brand from scratch, why fashion can be a form of activism, and how she’s creating space for the next generation of Indigenous talent.
This episode is presented in partnership with Mastercard Canada. Listen now and join the Mastercard Small Business Community—a network built to help entrepreneurs learn, grow, and connect. Sign up at mastercard.ca/smallbusiness.
What if a beverage could change how we gather, how we connect, and how we feel seen?
In this episode of Mission Critical, Lance sits down with Andrea Grand, co-founder of Barbet, the stylish and intentional Canadian non-alcoholic beverage brand that's become a mainstay on menus and in fridges across the country. But beyond the buzz and the branding is a story rooted in personal experience, cultural disruption, and purpose-driven entrepreneurship.
Andrea shares how her sister’s health journey was the catalyst behind Barbet’s creation, and how they set out to challenge the norms of an alcohol-centric beverage industry. From battling the assumption that non-alcoholic drinks are “less than” to creating a beverage that fits into social moments without compromising experience, Andrea built Barbet to be, yes, a great drink. But also, a brand with a point of view. A design-forward invitation to inclusivity and a challenger to industry conventions.
In this episode, Andrea reflects on:
Throughout the conversation, Andrea underscores that Barbet isn’t a sobriety brand, but rather an inclusive lifestyle brand for anyone looking to drink differently, without compromising taste, aesthetic, or ritual.
This episode is presented in partnership with Mastercard Canada. Listen now and join the Mastercard Small Business Community—a network built to help entrepreneurs learn, grow, and connect. Sign up at mastercard.ca/smallbusiness.
What if networking wasn’t transactional, intimidating, or exclusive—but reimagined as a safe, empowering, and welcoming experience for ambitious women? That’s the mission behind Monday Girl, a community-driven platform co-founded by Rachel Wong that’s reshaping how the next generation of women professionals connect, grow, and succeed.
In this episode of Mission Critical, Lance sits down with Rachel to explore the personal story and social experiment that launched Monday Girl, the challenges of unlearning outdated rules in entrepreneurship, and the powerful role of community in business. From bootstrapping the business as a side hustle to scaling a membership of over 350,000 across North America, Rachel offers candid reflections on vulnerability, imposter syndrome, and what real support for women founders looks like in today’s ecosystem.
Whether you’re building your own business or searching for your people, Rachel’s insights on building with heart, purpose, and momentum will leave you inspired to take your next bold step.
Key Takeaways:
What does it mean to reclaim space in a world that was never built with you in mind? And how do you transform platforms designed for performance into spaces for healing, community, and cultural resurgence?
In this episode of Mission Critical, Lance sits down with Shayla Stonechild, a powerful voice in the movement to uplift Indigenous stories, wisdom, and wellness. As the founder of the Matriarch Movement and host of its podcast, Shayla is redefining what it means to be an Indigenous influencer in today’s digital world. Her work lives at the intersection of spirituality, activism, and storytelling—and she’s using platforms like Instagram and podcasting not for virality, but for impact.
The two talk about the responsibility that comes with sharing stories online, how Indigenous storytelling is rooted in relationship and land, and why healing (especially for Indigenous women and Two-Spirit people) is a radical act of resistance. Shayla also shares her hopes for the future, including two newly announced book deals and her vision for Indigenous voices to be centered in the global wellness industry.
Key Takeaways:
Pride is more than a celebration—it’s a call to action. And in a world where LGBTQ+ lives are still under threat, that call has never been more urgent.
In this powerful episode, Lance sits down with Latoya Nugent, Head of Engagement at Rainbow Railroad, an international organization helping LGBTQI+ individuals escape state-sponsored violence and persecution. Latoya speaks not only as a leader, but as a survivor—she was forced to flee Jamaica after being targeted for her identity, and found safety in Canada through Rainbow Railroad’s life-saving work.
Now, she’s building programs that center refugee leadership, amplify queer voices, and push for global systems change. We discuss how displacement shaped her path, why Pride must remain political, and what it means to fight for your rights when the system is not built to protect you.
Happy Pride Month, everyone.
Pride is many things—celebration, visibility, love—but it’s also resistance. It began as a protest, led by queer and trans people who demanded to be seen, safe, and free. And while we celebrate today, that original spirit feels more urgent than ever. Across the world, queer and trans communities are facing renewed backlash—their rights questioned, their bodies debated, their joy politicized.
And yet, joy persists.
In today’s episode, Lance is joined by someone who embodies that very dynamic—and that resilience. Joining him, and making a return to the Mission Critical podcast, is Jonathan Van Ness—a voice many know for their humour, beauty, and boldness. Over the past year, Jonathan has navigated intense public attention, scrutiny, and personal transformation. But what’s equally true is that it was also a year of tremendous support and success: their podcast Getting Better grew, their book became a New York Times bestseller, and Queer Eye continues to thrive. Despite the challenges that 2024 brought, they chose to reawaken, to return to joy—not as escape, but as power.
This conversation is about what it means to lead with joy—especially when the world insists on something else. It's about resistance, intention, recalibration and building something lasting from the most authentic parts of who you are.
This is Mission Critical. Let's get into it.
Key Takeaways & Highlights:
In this episode of Mission Critical, Lance catches up with David and Kavi Moltz, the husband-and-wife duo behind the cult fragrance brand D.S. & DURGA. You might recognize their minimalist, design-forward bottles on the shelves of your favorite department store—clean fonts, matte black caps, and labels that evoke poetry, punk, and place in equal measure.
But what you won’t see on the shelf is the wild, unconventional journey behind the brand: starting from scratch in a Brooklyn apartment, hand-labeling bottles, learning perfumery without formal training, and scaling their business with zero investors for the first decade.
David and Kavi share how they built one of the most distinctive indie fragrance brands in the world—not by chasing trends, but by trusting their instincts, telling great stories, and growing slowly and intentionally.
Key Takeaways:
Today’s guest knows what it means to disrupt the status quo. Carinne Chambers-Saini is the co-founder and CEO of Diva, the Canadian company that put menstrual cups on the map long before the fem-care space was even a thing—they created an entire business category.
While most brands steered clear of the stigma around menstruation, Carinne leaned in, using her platform to advocate for body autonomy, women’s health, and sustainable solutions—way before it was fashionable to do so. Now, more than two decades later, Carinne is still challenging the status quo. With Diva’s latest product line expanding into vulvar health, she’s bringing the same relentless focus on science, accessibility, and cultural change to a category that remains under-discussed, underfunded, and censored. And she’s doing it in a time when women’s bodies have become political battlegrounds—where words like “vulva” and “menopause” are still treated as provocative, even as access to basic healthcare is being rolled back.
Today, Lance and Carinne dive into what it takes to lead in a category you had to invent from scratch, the exhausting work of advocating for research and respect in women’s health, and what happens when business collides with a culture that still thinks your body is a political statement.
What does it mean to be a ‘modern Inuk woman’—and who gets to define that? That’s one of the many bold questions North of North poses. It’s the first large-scale TV series shot in Nunavut, co-produced by CBC and Netflix, and presented by APTN, with over 500 locals cast as background actors and a $23 million impact on the Canadian economy. But beyond the numbers, it’s a groundbreaking show that shatters stereotypes about the North, showcasing Inuit life as vibrant, joyful, and deeply layered.
At the center of it all is Anna Lambe—an actor, advocate, and rising star who’s just getting started. From challenging the white saviour narrative to celebrating the complexities of being a young Inuk woman, Anna brings humour, heart, and unapologetic authenticity to the screen. And with a new project alongside Brad Pitt on the horizon, her influence is only growing.
Today, Anna joins Lance to talk about the power of storytelling, the radical act of centering joy in Indigenous narratives, and why North of North is more than just a TV show—it’s a cultural moment. This is Mission Critical. Let’s get into it.
The Met Gala is fashion’s grandest stage — a place where style, celebrity, and cultural commentary collide in a single, glittering red carpet. But even amid the extravagance and fantasy, some things remain untouched. Why do so many men still cling to the sartorial safety net of conservative suiting and restraint? And what does it reveal about the ways we continue to police masculinity, even in spaces supposedly built for self-expression?
In this episode of Mission Critical, host Lance Chung sits down with Dr. Ben Barry, Dean of Fashion at Parsons School of Design and a leading advocate for inclusive, equity-driven fashion education. Together, they unpack how fashion operates as both a performance of power and a vehicle for cultural critique — whether it’s on the Met Gala steps, in political arenas, or in everyday life.
From his groundbreaking work at Parsons to his research on how men navigate masculinity through clothing, Barry brings fresh insights into the complex intersection of style, identity, and power. In a world where what we wear can both liberate and confine, Barry challenges us to rethink what masculinity looks like — and who gets to define it.
Key Takeaways and Highlights:
As the co-owner of Paris Jewellers Canada, a family-run business started by her Vietnamese immigrant parents in 1987, Chau Lui has turned heritage into a mission. With over 23 stores across the country, the brand is known not just for its sparkle, but for its story—a story that began with her mother, who didn’t speak English, relying on a Vietnamese-to-English dictionary to serve her first customers. Today, that same dictionary—a symbol of perseverance, identity, and the quiet strength behind every success story—is on display in the flagship showroom of her latest brand, CELI.
CELI is a modern fine jewelry brand that marks the next chapter in her journey—rooted in heritage, elevated in design, and deeply personal. Where Paris Jewellers reflects her family’s immigrant beginnings, CELI represents a bold step forward: a brand built from the ground up by two sisters who have turned lived experience into lasting impact. It’s a reflection of Chau’s growth as a founder, her desire to create something lasting on her own terms, and her vision to shape the future of luxury through storytelling, cultural pride, and craftsmanship.
In this episode, Lance and Chau talk about building a legacy from scratch, the emotional power of jewelry to connect generations, and her game-changing new partnership as the official ring designer for the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s first-ever championship rings.
It’s a story of grit, grace, and generational impact—told through gold, gemstones, and an unwavering belief in the beauty of where you come from.
What happens when science itself becomes a battleground?
In this Mission Critical live episode—recorded at Toronto’s Annex Hotel and presented in partnership with Veuve Clicquot—Lance sits down with Jennifer Flanagan, President and CEO of Actua, to unpack a critical question: What does it take to protect the future of science—and who gets to participate in building it?
In an era marked by rising pseudoscience, political polarization, and the defunding of education, science is no longer seen as neutral ground. From misinformation about vaccines to the growing divide in who gets access to STEM education, the conversation around science has become urgent, complicated, and deeply human. Enter Jennifer Flanagan—a trailblazer who’s spent over 25 years on the front lines of youth engagement, tech equity, and national policy. As the most recent recipient of Veuve Clicquot’s Bold Woman Award, she’s part activist, part architect, and entirely devoted to changing who gets a seat at the lab bench.
Links:
Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Awards Nomination: https://www.boldopendatabase.com/en/bold-woman-award
What happens when influence isn’t just about followers—but about power, ownership, and rewriting the rules of an entire industry?
In this episode of Mission Critical, Lance chats with Susan Yara—content creator turned beauty entrepreneur, and the co-founder of Naturium, one of the fastest-growing skincare brands in the business.
She started in front of the camera. Built trust. Built community. And then she flipped the script, turning her influence into infrastructure. Naturium scaled fast, stood out in a crowded market, and was acquired by e.l.f. Beauty for a reported $355 million. But behind the success story is a woman who’s navigated every tension: between personal brand and product brand, between representation and responsibility, between being taken seriously and staying true to where she came from.
In this conversation, Lance and Susan talk about what it really means to have influence that lasts—not just in beauty, but in business.
Episode highlights and takeaways:
What does it mean to create something grounded in community, but built to reach the world? In this episode of Mission Critical, Lance sits down with Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril—the visionary creators and showrunners behind North of North, the first-ever Inuit-led scripted drama produced by CBC and APTN and getting ready for its global Netflix debut.
Set against the vast and icy landscape of the Arctic, North of North radiates warmth through its humor, its characters, and its unapologetic point of view—it’s a cultural response to a much bigger conversation. As governments and industries set their sights on Arctic development, North of North reminds us that the people who have always called the North home must have a seat at the table—and a voice in the narrative.
In a world where media often gets Indigenous stories wrong, Stacey and Alethea are leading a new wave of filmmaking: deeply rooted in Inuit identity, brimming with universal themes, and ready to be embraced on the world stage. This is a conversation about storytelling as resistance, the power of laughter in the face of hardship, and why the future of cinema might just be found in the farthest corners of the North.
Department stores are disappearing—Nordstrom pulled out of Canada, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman were swallowed up into Saks Global, Hudson's Bay is liquidating, and direct-to-consumer brands are reshaping the retail landscape. But Holt Renfrew (you know them, that Canadian luxury destination with the iconic magenta shopping bags) continues to stand strong. It's an impressive feat considering the brand's almost 200-year history. So, what does it take to not just survive, but thrive in today’s evolving luxury market?
In this episode of Mission Critical, Lance sits down with Sebastian Picardo, President and CEO of Holt Renfrew, to explore the evolving definition of luxury and the future of multi-brand retail. From his first brush with luxury in Argentina to navigating Holt Renfrew through a rapidly changing landscape, Sebastian shares personal insights, leadership philosophies, and the strategic vision that keeps Holt Renfrew at the forefront of the industry.
They discuss:
Key Takeaways:
If you’re curious about the future of fashion, retail, and what it takes to lead a legacy brand in a rapidly changing industry, this is the episode for you. Let's get into it.
With a snap election just called for April, the pressure is on to get young Canadians to the polls. But will they show up? Youth voter turnout has historically lagged behind older demographics, and trust in political institutions is at an all-time low. In an era of misinformation, democratic backsliding, and global instability, is democracy failing young people—or have young people lost faith in democracy?
To help unpack these questions, Lance chats with Samantha Reusch, Executive Director of Apathy is Boring—a national, non-partisan organization that has spent 20 years working to increase youth engagement in Canadian democracy. A leading voice on democratic reform and voter participation, Samantha has dedicated her career to ensuring young people feel heard in the political process. Under her leadership, Apathy is Boring has helped mobilize thousands of first-time voters.
In this episode, we explore:
✅ Why youth voter turnout remains low—and what’s keeping young Canadians from the polls.
✅ How global politics is shaping youth perceptions of democracy.
✅ The role of misinformation, social media, and tech algorithms in political disengagement.
✅ What needs to change in Canada’s electoral system to better serve young voters.
✅ Apathy is Boring’s innovative strategies to mobilize youth, including Count Us In and Table Topics.
✅ Samantha’s call to action for young Canadians ahead of the 2024 Canadian federal election.
This election could define a generation. But what will it take to get young Canadians to the polls? Let's get into it.
🔗 Resources & Links:
📌 Apathy is Boring: apathyisboring.com
📌 Take the vote pledge: https://www.apathyisboring.com/votepledge
📌 The Feed newsletter: https://www.apathyisboring.com/feed
DEI has become one of the most polarizing conversations in the corporate world, especially in the 2025 Trump era. Is it a critical business strategy, or just corporate virtue signaling? On this episode of Mission Critical with Lance Chung, Lance sits down with Laura McGee, CEO of Diversio, to cut through the noise and uncover what’s really happening behind the headlines.
McGee shares how Diversio is using AI and data analytics to make workplaces more productive—and why the backlash against DEI is based more on perception than reality. She breaks down the myths surrounding diversity efforts, reveals the surprising truth about which companies are actually pulling back, and explains why leaders should embrace uncomfortable conversations instead of avoiding them.
Key Takeaways:
It’s time to separate fact from fiction. Listen now.
Building an incredible brand is one thing—leading it through an industry shift is another. Joanna Griffiths created Knix to disrupt the intimates industry, making inclusivity and body positivity the foundation of a global movement.
In this episode, Lance chats with Joanna about what it really takes to build a brand that lasts—and why simply selling a product isn’t enough anymore. Joanna opens up about navigating the challenges of scaling a business, staying independent in an era of multi-million-dollar acquisitions, and why she believes the body positivity movement is at risk of disappearing. Plus, we dive into the impact of the current Canada-U.S. trade tensions on entrepreneurs and what it means for the future of consumer brands.
Key Takeaways:
🔹 Disruption vs. Innovation: Why the most successful brands aren’t just filling a market gap—they’re changing consumer behavior.
🔹 The Truth About Body Positivity: Has the fashion industry quietly abandoned the movement in favour of Ozempic-fueled ideals?
🔹 The Reality of Leading Through Uncertainty: How global trade wars and shifting economic policies are making it harder than ever for Canadian entrepreneurs.
🔹 Fundraising With Integrity: Joanna’s unapologetic approach to weeding out bad investors—and why she refused to compromise on her vision.
🔹 The Future of Brand Loyalty: What today’s consumers really care about, and how businesses can stay relevant in a rapidly changing landscape.
This is a conversation about power, influence, and the new rules of leadership in an era of disruption.
🎧 Listen now!
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In this episode of Mission Critical, we sit down with Lily Li—investment counsellor, socialite, and philanthropist—who shares her remarkable journey from immigrating to Canada to making a name for herself in the male-dominated world of finance. Lily opens up about the challenges she faced breaking into the industry, how she built a powerful network, and why giving back is at the heart of her success. Tune in for an inspiring conversation on resilience, reinvention, and redefining what it means to be a leader.
