Change Everything
A podcast from The Leap
Change Everything is a podcast by people who are freaking out about climate, racism, and inequality… and thinking through solutions as big as the crises we face.
Each month, hosts Maya Menezes and Avi Lewis will dig into a theme related to the intersecting crises of climate, racism and inequality, with the help of guests from movements across Canada and around the world. They’ll discuss politics and policy, social movements and social change, and how they fit together. It’s time to change everything. So join us, subscribe to the podcast, and tell us what you think.

August 7 2020
Black Queer Life Across the Diaspora:Rubbing Up Against the Limits of Political Imagination
We’re thrilled that this episode is guest-hosted by Rinaldo Walcott, a professor of Women and Gender Studies at the University of Toronto (and a member of The Leap’s board). Rinaldo speaks with Nairobi-based scholar Keguro Macharia, author of the new book Frottage: Frictions of Intimacy across the Black Diaspora (2019), about diaspora, gender, Black feminism, intimacy, gardening, extreme weather, Afropessimism, and more.
May 8 2020:
Naomi Klein, Coronavirus Capitalism, and a People’s Bailout Now!
For our first podcast episode of the pandemic, we take a step back and examine the big picture — and who better to guide us than The Leap’s co-founder Naomi Klein. In a wide-ranging conversation, we explore the perils and possibilities of this political moment, from the unprecedented ways that Silicon Valley is benefiting from the pandemic, to the radicalizing power of “essential work.”
February 10 2020:
Homes for All and All for Our Home
What could be more fundamental than the right of every person to a safe and healthy home — whether the place where we sleep each night, or our collective home, our planet? In conversation with the brilliant Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor and Daniel Aldana Cohen, we explore how a Green New Deal for Housing could protect us from climate chaos — and guarantee beautiful, affordable, and sustainable homes for all.
October 17 2019:
Election 2019: Racism with a Smile
In a special mini-episode, we discuss the federal election and all the special moments of racism that it surfaced.
September 19 2019:
Do the Greens have a New Deal? Discuss.
We ask federal leader Elizabeth May about the Green Party’s plan to mobilize Canadian society to fight climate change. And we follow up with Alex Tyrrell, the head of Quebec’s provincial (and openly eco-socialist) GP, one of May’s highest-profile internal critics. The Green Party of Canada has seen a sudden surge in popularity — but can they really lead on the Green New Deal?
May 29 2019:
The NDP vs. the GND
We talk to maverick NDP candidate Svend Robinson about how the party is doing on climate so far, and whether it’s capable of getting the Green New Deal right. We also touch on the NDP’s history and future of opening itself to the creativity and energy of social movements. Spoiler alert: it’s not always a pretty story.
March 25 2019:
BE MORE HUMAN
We examine the normalization of racism and xenophobia in political discourse, as we unpack one of the most pressing human rights and climate issues of our time: migration. Guests Harjeet Singh of Action Aid and Kara Manso of the Caregivers’ Action Center share stories and call on us all to be more human.
February 12 2019:
The Green New Deal
We talk to Varshini Prakash, co-founder of the Sunrise Movement, about the bold idea sweeping the U.S. political landscape known as the Green New Deal. And we explore the opportunities and challenges of bringing the Green New Deal frame to Canada.
February 8 2019:
Change is Coming
It’s election year in Canada, and The Leap is launching a brand new podcast hosted by Avi Lewis and Maya Menezes. Get ready: The first episode of Change Everything drops February 12.
About Us

Avi Lewis
Avi Lewis lectures in Journalism and Media Studies at Rutgers University. His over 25-year journalism career spans award-winning documentary films to news shows broadcast worldwide. He is co-founder and Strategic Director of The Leap.

Maya Menezes
Maya Menezes is a migrant rights organizer and climate justice campaigner in the Dish with One Spoon, Tkaronto. She is also the Senior Manager of Programming and Development at The Leap.

What Escapes Production
What Escapes is a production company devoted to impassioned storytelling, challenging people and ideas, and working in complex environments around the globe. whatescapes.com