Ways to get involved

Charitable Donation:

Make a donation and receive a tax receipt.

BECOME A MEMBER:

Receive exclusive access to events and experiences.

Sponsorship:

Become part of a movement by supporting our organization.

volunteer:

Want to roll up your sleeves to make vision happen?

work with us:

Have an idea? Want to collaborate or work together?

Volunteer testimonials

“Being part of a whole, sense of belonging, place experience, well-being, and creating collective memory are essential concepts in communal life. For immigrants or minority groups who have left their roots behind and seek to establish new ones, these concepts are even more crucial. 

In 2022, I moved to Calgary from Istanbul with my husband and our 7.5-month-old daughter. During the 16 months I spent raising her, I often felt isolated. Navigating the city was challenging—even with a background in architecture, I struggled to predict building functions and found it difficult to distinguish public from private spaces downtown. The limited library hours did not align with my availability as a mother who loves research and study. 

Long winters, a shortage of good public transportation, a lack of well-designed public and social centers, poorly designed main streets, and challenges in entering my professional field only deepened my sense of isolation. It felt as though a blanket covered the city, obscuring opportunities for exploration and discovery.

To overcome these challenges and adapt my knowledge to my new environment in a way that benefits both myself and the community, I educated myself and engaged with diverse communities to learn how they made Calgary their home. In October 2023, I joined d.talks, where I connected with professionals who shared my concerns about design and the built environment and we aimed to bridge the gap between the public, academia, industry, and the city to create a better well-designed environment. 

Since then, I have proudly participated in monthly discussions on art, architecture, urban design, housing crises, fostering a sense of belonging, and amore. This journey led to my involvement in various events and workshops; I would particularly like to mention three key events: the 50chairs Workshop, Let’s Talk About Home, and Intangibles: What Makes a City Investible? The last event included a city tour with 50 professionals. At the final destination of the tour, I reflected on my initial feelings of confusion and loneliness when I first arrived in Calgary. Now, I felt part of something greater. 

Hugging Shannon Lanigan, d.talks’ cofounder, I expressed my gratitude for helping me find a sense of home, and I keep going to make it better. I believe this movement can be a significant step forward for Calgary’s future, with multidisciplinary contributions shaping the city’s evolving identity.”

Elham Khajehnouri

“When I was introduced to d.talks I immediately knew I needed to get involved. With a passion for design and architecture, I had been looking for a community of like-minded people, other creatives, and events that would inspire me. Well, I found it!

The connection between design and the public has always seemed too distant, but d.talks is working hard to change that. Through their public conversations, events, and initiatives, they're working to bridge the gap between professionals and the community, making design accessible to everyone. That is no small feat! 

Volunteering with d.talks has given me the chance to help, contribute, and connect with other creatives to help shape our city's design dialogue. It's so much more than just a platform for discussions, it's a vibrant community where every voice matters and radical creativity is encouraged. I'm excited about everything that d.talks has in the works for the future!”

Charmaine Muzyka