What does real leadership look like when the goal is not just delivering services, but building a community where people feel seen and supported?

In the debut season of Leader Talks Podcast with Sartaj Sarkaria, we sit down with Marina Boulos-Winton to discuss nonprofit leadership and the systems that shape opportunities. Marina shares how early experiences with social injustice influenced her career path, what she learned through crisis-line and youth support work and how those lessons inform her leadership today.

Marina explains what it means to design services with dignity and why representation and strong community partnerships matter when working with youth and families. Marina also explores the barriers nonprofits face, the value of relationship-building and the kind of leadership mindset that helps teams deliver meaningful outcomes.

Tune in to hear how community-centred leadership can move beyond intent and create meaningful change with Marina Boulos-Winton. Download the Unity toolkit here https://new-api.ccdi.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Unity_Workplace-Toolkit_EN.pdf, and take your first step toward a safer, more supportive workplace.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Marina’s path into nonprofit leadership and how social injustice shaped her direction.
• Learn how her career journey and experience inform her work in her current role.
• Her vision for connecting complementary organisations around shared goals.
• Common misconceptions around poverty relief and what it actually involves.
• The progress of equity and inclusion initiatives, and where the gaps still exist.
• Examples of how Sun Youth provides meaningful support to people in need.
• Why culturally grounded mentorship builds resilience for youth who lack support.
• Explore the funding hurdles that limit support for nonprofits and the issues they cause.
• Advice for emerging nonprofit leaders and what it takes to be successful.
• Tips on overcoming resistance to equity and inclusion, and Marina’s leadership habit for 2026.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Marina Boulos-Winton on LinkedIn
• Sun Youth
• Government of Canada
• Government of Canada: Suicide Crisis Helpline
• Covenant House
• Unity
• Unity Toolkit
• Chez Doris
• Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion
• Sartaj Sarkaria
• Leader Talks with Anne-Marie Pham