The cusp.: Recent Episodes
Thom, Tony, & Ankur.
Feel too old for TikTok, but too young to own a home? We can relate. Join Tony, Thom, and Ankur - three young millennials/old zoomers, as they explore trends in contemporary culture for their generation. On each episode, the trio dissect topics with a combination of critical insight, nuanced conversation, and banter.
On this week's episode, the trio interviews Keenan Pascal: the Founder and CEO of Token Naturals, an Edmonton-based cannabis manufacturing company, and Token Bitters, their food and beverage sister company. The boys discuss Keenan's journey from working in banking to pursuing a career in cannabis and talk about risk-taking, entrepreneurship, and BIPOC representation in the cannabis industry.
This episode was recorded as part of the 2021 La Explorational Live Summit put on by La Connexional - a social enterprise that strives to showcase the talents and contributions of the African, Black, Caribbean, and Latinx (ABCL) communities in Canada.
This week, the trio discuss navigating friendships in their twenties. They open the episode sharing how they met each other and then transition into a variety of topics including nuclear friend groups, how friendships have changed over time, and how to cut friendships that are draining.
... and some of it goes well. Join the trio this week as they explore dating apps, double dates, dealbreakers vs dealmakers, and so much more.
After a brief hiatus, the boys are back for season two! On this week’s episode, the trio discuss navigating careers, relationships, and mental health in their twenties with a special guest: Dr. Meg Jay, the author of The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties matter— and How to Make the Most of Them Now.
The Defining Decade has changed the way millions of twenty-somethings think about their twenties—and themselves. In March 2021, the book was updated and re-issued to speak to the specific issues this generation of twenty-somethings is dealing with.
Dr. Meg Jay, PhD, is a Clinical Psychologist and an Associate Professor of Human Development at the University of Virginia who specializes in twenty-somethings. She earned a doctorate in clinical psychology and in gender studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Her books, THE DEFINING DECADE and SUPERNORMAL, have been translated into more than a dozen languages and her work has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review and on NPR and BBC. Her TED talk “Why 30 Is Not the New 20” is among the most watched to date.
On this week's episode, the boys discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic will shape living trends among young millennials & old Gen Z's in the cusp generation. To shed further light on these issues, they invited two special guests to the pod: Stephen Raitz and Jason Ribeiro.
Stephen Raitz completed his Bachelor of Arts in Urban Planning at the University of Alberta in 2019. He is currently working as a Municipal Planning Intern with the City of Beaumont. Before this, Stephen worked as a Student Urban Planner with the City of Edmonton and a Junior Planner with Municipal Planning Services Ltd. In addition to Urban Planning, Stephen is also passionate about active transportation advocacy, long-distance running, and theatrical improv.
Jason Ribeiro is a corporate leader, community advocate, and one of Canada’s most awarded social science graduate students. As Director of Strategy at Calgary Economic Development, Jason is responsible for setting and implementing corporate and community vision through the city’s new economic strategy, “Calgary in the New Economy.” Jason is simultaneously completing his Ph.D. research at the University of Calgary, which is funded by the prestigious SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship and aims to assist organizational leaders in shaping, leading, and sustaining innovation efforts in cross-sector partnerships. He is an active member of the international academic community, and has taught over 600 university students, written 13 scholarly works, delivered over 20 national/international conference presentations, and received over $180,000 in competitive funding. He also holds a Master’s degree from Brock University and undergraduate degrees from both McMaster University and York University.
On this week's episode, the boys discuss how the results of the impending American election will impact Canada. To shed further light on the issue, they invited a guest to the pod: Dr. Paul Fairie.
Paul Fairie is a Senior Research Associate at the University of Calgary's Department of Community Health Sciences. He is also a Political Science instructor at the university where he covers a wide variety of topics including municipal politics, provincial politics, and American politics.
On this week's episode, the boys dive into the topic of music trends. They discuss their relationships with music growing up, their stance on the albums vs playlists debate, and how trends like streaming and social media have changed the music industry.
On this week's episode, the boys discuss why men struggle with opening up to their guy friends and how this can end up burdening the women in their lives. The boys also introduce a new segment to the podcast called "Back & Forth".
This week, we have some bonus content for you all! As promised, here is the full interview with Dr. Nam Lee, our guest from our episode on foreign films.
Nam Lee is an Associate Professor at the Lawrence and Kristina Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University. Her expertise is in Film Studies, Korean Cinema, Asian Cinema, Women's Filmmaking, and Transitional Cinema.
As a teacher of film studies, Lee exposes students to the works of filmmakers from around the world. Her goal is to share her passion for exploring new possibilities in cinematic art, something she feels is possible for those who are "open to differences."
If you enjoyed our conversation with Nam, we would recommend checking out her book entitled "The Films of Bong Joon-ho" that is coming out in September.
On this week's episode, the boys dive into the world of foreign films. The trio share their experiences growing up in households that watched Bollywood and Nollywood content. They also welcome the podcast's first-ever guest: Dr. Nam Lee, to discuss the rising popularity and cultural impact of Korean cinema.
Nam Lee is an Associate Professor at the Lawrence and Kristina Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University. Her expertise is in Film Studies, Korean Cinema, Asian Cinema, Women's Filmmaking, and Transitional Cinema.
As a teacher of film studies, Lee exposes students to the works of filmmakers from around the world. Her goal is to share her passion for exploring new possibilities in cinematic art, something she feels is possible for those who are "open to differences."
If you enjoyed our conversation with Nam, we would recommend checking out her book entitled "The Films of Bong Joon-ho" that is coming out in September.
This week, the boys cover the fast-growing phenomenon of e-sports. From conversations about the stigma professional gamers face to the viability of esports as an Olympic sport, the trio have a far-reaching discussion.
Later, they talk about the viability of VR worlds in our lifetime: both in gaming and as a form of social escape.
With Canada Day coming up, the boys took this week's episode to discuss what Canada means to the three of them. From debates around Tim Hortons’ status as a Canadian icon to Canada’s international PR, the boys have a wide-ranging conversation on the Great White North.
They also cover Jagmeet Singh's ejection from Parliament, the debate over the removal of statues, and the role of shisha lounges in bolstering Canadian culture.
The boys discuss what attracts people to participate in the lottery and debate whether winning the lottery would actually make someone happy.
The boys discuss what determines someone's success in life: is it factors within their control like perseverance and preparation, or is it an external factor like privilege? Later, they transition into a conversation about racial privilege and give their thoughts on the Central Park incident, George Floyd, and systemic racism.
From baggy suits to BlackBerries, the boys get nostalgic and talk about trends from their youth. Later, they discuss the potential for new emerging technologies like Amazon Alexa and Google Home to shape trends and culture in the future.
The boys discuss whether being the youngest, oldest, or middle child affects your personality. After, they dive into the bombshell revelation from the pentagon that UFOs are real.
The boys discuss what they wanted to be when they were growing up and how being represented in the media shaped their choices.
The boys try to picture the world post-pandemic. The rise of TikTok and the fall of the economy, what's life going to be like for those on the cusp.