Meet the Esri Canada Podcasts Team
Having recently welcomed a new host to the Geographical Thinking podcast in January 2024, we wanted to take the opportunity to formally introduce you to the voices behind the Esri Canada podcasts!
Spatial Report connects you with the latest trends in the ArcGIS universe. Join Maggie Samson and Mark Ho as they unpack what you need to know about ArcGIS today and how it can help you take your mapping and geographic analysis solutions to the next level.
Spatial Report explores the ever-changing world of all things ArcGIS.
Geographical Thinking showcases inspiring stories from prominent thought leaders and GIS users spanning various industries in Canada. From navigating everyday obstacles to tackling the most pressing issues facing our world today, Michelle Brake is our guide as we explore how geospatial solutions can help solve problems and drive positive change.
Geographical Thinking explores stories, ideas, and conversations through the lens of geography.
Meet Mark Ho – Host of the Spatial Report Podcast
With a collection of hockey jerseys that would make the Hall of Fame envious, Mark makes his mark from Vancouver, BC.
Position: Technical Solutions Specialist
Team: Technical Marketing
Podcast: Spatial Report
Time at Esri Canada: 25 years (sort of)! 12.5 years at Esri Inc. in Redlands and Washington, DC; and 12.5 years at Esri Canada in Toronto and Vancouver.
What areas of GIS do you specialize in?
Nothing! I’m more of a jack of all trades, knowing just a little bit about a bunch of things: ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Hub, ArcGIS Arcade among them
Favourite map and/or app?
My favourite map is the New York City Subway Map – Hang it in The Louvre!
Do you have any hobbies when you're not behind a computer desk?
Want to travel more (aiming to visit the Seven Wonders of the World), and collect more airline barf bags and frequent traveler points along the way 😊
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
As much as I want to say sushi, gimme a bowl of fried rice any time any day any way!
If you could time travel, would you go to the past or the future, and what would you do there?
I’ll take the future over the past any day - I need to know what’s on the McDonald’s menu of tomorrow!
If your podcast had a mascot, what would it be, and why?
Buffy the Buffer – our loveable fuzzy-tolerant pairwise polygon with a mischievous attitude and a heart of gold (but only at a specified distance).
How do you choose the topics and guests for your podcast episodes?
Our philosophy is to be as current and relevant as possible. And of course, we also try to pick subjects that will be of interest for our audience. We aim to choose topics that are newsworthy now, and guests who are passionate about GIS.
Could you share a bit about the process behind producing an episode of your podcast?
The biggest challenge for me is our game show at the end of each episode, M versus M. It’s tough to find topics to write questions about that our listeners can play along with. And it’s even tougher because my opponent is Evil Maggie Samson. If you’ve listened to the pod, you know that Maggie is clearly smarter about everything ArcGIS. I try my best to come up with fun and interesting questions that will stump her. But it usually ends up with me losing badly and consistently reading the outro as punishment. My winning percentage is pathetically low. 🙁
What do you hope listeners will take away from each episode of your podcast?
When Spatial Report was first conceived, our view has always been that GIS is fundamentally fun and that should be reflected in our podcast! In each episode, our hope is that our listeners learn a little something about the ArcGIS universe that they didn’t know about. And they had a good time along the way (although my laughs are really annoying).
Meet Maggie Samson – Host of the Spatial Report Podcast
With a melody in her heart, Maggie adds her voice from Hamilton, ON.
Position: Technical Solutions Specialist
Team: Technical Marketing
Podcast: Spatial Report
Time at Esri Canada: Just shy of 5 years: Joined July 2nd, 2019
What areas of GIS do you specialize in?
All areas! Just like Mark, I have the pleasure of doing something new all the time and working with all our products. Right now, I love ArcGIS Online and all the configurable apps it has available, but I will never turn away from the traditional analysis in ArcGIS Pro; it is too powerful to be ignored.
Favourite map and/or app?
I am going to be cliche here and say the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 dashboard. We here at Esri Canada already know GIS is not just for directions anymore; but this app shared that knowledge with the rest of the world in a way that had never been done before.
Do you have any hobbies when you're not behind a computer desk?
I have been a lifelong lover of music and I spend a lot of my time singing in an upper voices choir. It was started by a member of the children's choir I was in growing up and has been so much fun to meet with a talented group of people every week and make music together. I can’t miss an opportunity to give a shout it out, so I recommend everyone gives Myriad Ensemble a listen we are on Spotify now!
When I am not signing, I am walking the trails with my dog, Darla, and have recently started taking pottery classes.
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I would have to say soup. I love a nice warm bowl of soup on a winter's day or a fresh Gazpacho in the summer. And really, what is soup? Chilli? Ramen? A bowl of cereal? It has a liquid base, and you eat it with a spoon, so I'd say yes, it’s all soup!
If you could time travel, would you go to the past or the future, and what would you do there?
Hmm tough question but I would say the (recent) past – was the hair REALLY that big in the 80s? Inquiring minds want to know.
If your podcast had a mascot, what would it be, and why?
My beautiful dog Darla of course! She is in no way related to GIS, but any excuse to see more of her makes me happy. She can show off her Darlatitude. Get it? Like latitude? Plus, I know it would annoy Mark.
Darling Darla is always cheering on Maggie during the M vs M game segment of Spatial Report.
How do you choose the topics and guests for your podcast episodes?
First and foremost, we like to give the spotlight to what is new. There are so many products and processes that are always being improved on that it can feel impossible to keep up with. We want to make it easy for listeners to know what is going on in the world of Esri’s GIS. Then I also like to give love to some things that might get overlooked, like Business Analyst or GeoAI, very cool areas of GIS that might seem niche but have applications in almost all the work we do.
Could you share a bit about the process behind producing an episode of your podcast?
Mark and I are lucky to be in a position where we have access to key GIS thought leaders and industry experts right at our fingertips, so our main task is deciding what areas need some attention and then convince these passionate GIS pros to help spread the love. It is easy when we know so many people who love GIS as much as we do. Then the only challenge is narrowing down only one thing that makes me mappy every month and making sure that one thing is not always something in ArcGIS Pro.
What do you hope listeners will take away from each episode of your podcast?
Whether you are a new GIS user or someone who has been working in the field for years, there is always something new to learn and a way to expand your GIS. I hope they discover something new and interesting every time they tune in and have fun with us along the way.
Meet Michelle Brake – Host of the Geographical Thinking Podcast
From the land of tides and vines, Michelle flows into the conversation from Wolfville, NS.
Position: Enterprise Solutions Specialist
Team: Technical Marketing
Podcast: Geographical Thinking
Time at Esri Canada: 2 years – joined in March 2022
What areas of GIS do you specialize in?
Like Mark and Maggie, I get to work with almost all aspects of the ArcGIS ecosystem. While ArcGIS Enterprise is my core area of expertise, it still includes a wide range of topics since it is a platform that provides access to web maps, apps, and more. My favourite part of GIS is the storytelling that we can do with data, so I lean more toward ArcGIS StoryMaps and ArcGIS Hub as areas of interest. But I always love playing around with the different styles and workflows in ArcGIS Pro that John Nelson shares on social media!
Favourite map and/or app?
The Digital Scholarship Lab at the University of Richmond put together a StoryMap that focuses on environmental inequalities in planning due to redlining practices in the 1930s. It is called “The lines that shape our cities”, and it is an example that I constantly recommend to people when looking at how far they can go with using StoryMaps to get a message across.
Do you have any hobbies when you're not behind a computer desk?
When the weather allows for it, you can find me outside and away from technology. I love hiking, biking, kayaking, and camping (front and backcountry)! But when the weather isn’t ideal for outdoor adventures, you can find me reading, binge-watching TV shows, and staying up to date on new movie releases.
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I love burritos, and there are so many ways that you could adjust the flavour profile with different ingredients. When I travel it is my go-to meal and I am always looking for new places to try.
If you could time travel, would you go to the past or the future, and what would you do there?
As someone who enjoys the outdoors – I think the 1980s would be a good time frame to visit and do a road trip to national parks. At this point the national parks systems in Canada and the US are well-developed but don’t see as high of visitation as we do today, so no traffic jams at the trailheads!
If your podcast had a mascot, what would it be, and why?
I feel like the humpback whale has the right vibes to be the Geographical Thinking mascot. Their migration patterns take them all over the world, they tend to go with the flow, and they are known for their curiosity.
How do you choose the topics and guests for your podcast episodes?
The main thing when looking for guests is whether we can help them tell their story and does it connect to the geospatial world in some way. Starting the year there is a plan of different topic areas it would be nice to hit if possible and throughout the year I keep an eye out for guests to touch on various topics like AEC or Emergency Response. But a lot of it comes down to opportunities that pop up - whether it is from scrolling social media (LinkedIn or Instagram), talking with an account manager, or a colleague recommending someone they know. Not very glamorous, but it gets the job done!
Could you share a bit about the process behind producing an episode of your podcast?
Once a guest has agreed to join me on the podcast, we’ll have a call to discuss logistics and for them to tell me about their story in their own words. Following this call, I put together questions for them to review based on our conversation and we sit down to record. We then have some back and forth with edits, get sign-offs permitting us to release the episode, and then spread the word once it is posted!
What do you hope listeners will take away from each episode of your podcast?
At the end of each episode, I hope that users feel inspired by the stories they are hearing and want to find new ways to use GIS in their own work or community. Even with GIS all around us, there is always space for more!