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.

• Inventing a Category: How Carinne and her mother built Diva from the ground up, created a new market, and challenged industry norms with conviction and grit.

• The Politics of Women’s Bodies: A candid conversation about the ongoing weaponization of healthcare, the lack of research in women’s health, and how companies can—and must—show up as advocates.

• Breaking the “Ick” Factor: Educating not just consumers, but also medical professionals, buyers, and gatekeepers in a system still uncomfortable with women’s anatomy.

• A New Chapter in Vulvar Wellness: Why Diva’s expansion into vulvar care is timely, necessary, and rooted in the brand’s legacy of clean, effective, science-backed solutions.

• Menstrual Leave as Culture Shift: How Diva walks its talk internally, offering paid menstrual and menopause leave to create space for real well-being.

• Redefining What’s ‘Normal’: The importance of tracking, quantifying, and understanding the menstrual experience as a way to validate women’s pain and experiences—especially in diagnosing conditions like endometriosis.

• Legacy & Leadership: Carinne’s reflections on leading with values, staying true to the mission, and the responsibility that comes with being a pioneer.

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.

• Redefining Inuit Identity: Anna discusses what it means to be a “modern Inuk woman” and how North of North pushes back against outdated narratives about the Arctic and its people.

• Joy as Resistance: Why centering Indigenous joy is a radical act — and how the series uses humor and warmth to tell complex stories.

• Cultural Fashion as Storytelling: The intentional use of Inuit fashion, from vibrant parkas to traditional fur, and how it connects to both personal identity and cultural survival.

• Economic and Cultural Impact: The show’s $23M impact on the Canadian economy and the 500+ local roles created in Iqaluit — a game-changing moment for Nunavut’s film industry.

• White Saviour Complex: Anna unpacks how the character of Helen embodies the complexities of well-intentioned “helpers” in Indigenous communities, and why the show avoids easy answers.

• Global Reach and Representation: With Netflix as a distribution partner, North of North is bringing Inuit stories to a global audience — and changing the narrative about what Indigenous storytelling can look like.

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:

• Masculinity as a Performance: How men strategically use clothing to “shore up” masculinity, adapting their style to conform or disrupt depending on context — whether it’s the Met Gala red carpet or a corporate boardroom.

• The Politics of Power Dressing: The connection between style and authority in politics, from Obama’s infamous tan suit to Zelenskyy’s military green tee to Donald Trump's red tie — and why men who stray from traditional masculine dress codes often face backlash.

• Cripping Masculinity: Barry’s research on how disabled, fat, and queer men challenge conventional masculinity through clothing, reframing garments as tools for resistance and self-expression.

• Expanding Fashion’s Reach: The Parsons Disabled Fashion Student Program and how Barry is redefining fashion education to prioritize access, equity, and radical visibility for marginalized bodies.

• Soft Masculinity vs. Strategic Dressing: The rise of “soft boy” aesthetics — nail polish, pearls, florals — and how fashion is both embracing and co-opting traditionally feminine codes as a new form of hegemonic masculinity.

• Fashion as a Tool for Liberation: How fashion can function as a site of cultural resistance, allowing marginalized bodies to reclaim space and assert visibility against a backdrop of systemic erasure.