Past, Present, and Philanthropy with Hilary Pearson

In this episode of PhilanthroThink, Mandy Pui and Mekayla Dionne speak with Hilary Pearson, director of the Clarus Foundation, about growing up in a family devoted to public service, what gets passed down between generations, and how curiosity has shaped her giving. Hilary reflects on her grandfather, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, and her mother, Senator Landon Pearson. She also talks about a family connection to feminist leader Laura Sabia, whose name now lives on in an award for young women entrepreneurs and STEM students at Brock University. She answers Lisa Wolverton's question about AI for good and leaves her own challenge for the next guest: how can we move past slow philanthropy? TAKEAWAYS Service can be modelled long before it is named. Curiosity is a powerful engine for giving. Serious philanthropy needs purpose and practice. Giving time and knowledge matters as much as giving money. Slow philanthropy postpones impact. Wealth needs to move now. CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction to PhilanthroThink 01:53 Growing up in a family of service 04:08 Centennial year and seeing Canada from abroad 07:44 Family lessons beyond the titles 13:47 Curiosity as a family trait 15:25 When giving became personal 20:00 The story behind the Clarus Foundation 24:09 Laura Sabia, Lester Pearson and a family connection 31:18 A gift that keeps on giving 32:51 A word from IG Private Wealth Management 34:49 What does a world that uses AI for good look like? 38:11 Slow philanthropy and accelerating giving FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter: https://x.com/mpnlcarleton LinkedIn:   / carletonmpnl   Instagram:   / mpnlcarleton   GUEST Hilary Pearson Website: https://hpearson.ca/ Host and Co-hosts: Jonathan Harline LinkedIn / jonathankharline Mandy Pui LinkedIn / mandy-pui-2259617b Titilayo Adedeji LinkedIn / titilayoadedeji Mekayla Dionne LinkedIn / mekayla-dionne-57b091234 PRODUCTION Keenlii Website: www.keenlii.com Instagram:   / keenliico   SUBSCRIBE AND ENGAGE If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe wherever you listen—Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube—and leave us a review. Let us know what topics you’d like us to explore next. SUPPORT OUR PODCAST Help us bring more insightful stories to you by sharing this episode with fellow nonprofit enthusiasts and changemakers. ABOUT PHILANTHROTHINK PhilanthroThink is a new podcast series that complements our existing discussion series from Carleton University’s Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership (MPNL) program. In each episode, we sit down with wealth creators, philanthropic leaders, and innovative thinkers to dig into the real challenges, opportunities, and strategies shaping the sector both at home and abroad.