CGLCC Co-Founder and Chair, Bruce McDonald, was pleased to be able to attend the 2nd "Trade Mission LGBTI Costa Rica" in San Jose, Costa Rica on September 4th hosted by the Cámara de Comercio Diversa de Costa Rica (CCDCR).

MEDIA ADVISORY - INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITY

NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN CHAMER OF COMMERCE GLOBAL LGBT SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS
TORONTO JUNE 14-16, 2017

WHAT: Top LGBT entrepreneurs and business owners will come together to share best practices, meet with corporate leaders interested in diverse suppliers, and identify barriers to growth and overall success when    the CGLCC (Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce), hosts the NGLCC (National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce) Global 5th Annual LGBT Summit of the Americas. 

Toronto - April 3, 2017 - The Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC), in partnership with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) of the United States, will host the NGLCC Global 5th Annual LGBT Summit of the Americas in Toronto, Canada June 14-16, 2017 at the InterContinental Yorkville hotel.
 
This year’s Summit brings together leaders and experts from government, corporations, entrepreneurship, academia, and global economic development.  Through educational programming and networking, the Summit will strengthen the ecosystem that supports the advancement of economic and social development of LGBT entrepreneurs and the LGBT community at large, here in Canada, the Americas, and globally.

Toronto, Ontario – January 20, 2017 – Almost 30% of LGBT employees report experiencing discrimination in the workplace*. While protecting employees from discrimination is both a legal and ethical responsibility for employers, and is generally spelled out in anti-harassment policies, there is often a disconnect between policy and practice. The Canadian Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC) believes that the topic of LGBT inclusion needs to be integrated into employee training programs.  The CGLCC, in collaboration with LGBT-certified consultant Annemarie Shrouder, has dedicated resources to the development of LGBT Diversity and Inclusion Training Online, an educational initiative to help employers meet this need.

On December 6, 2016, the CGLCC’s executive officers met with Edmonton MP Randy Boissonnault, the Prime Minister’s Special Advisor on LGBTQ2 issues.

Mr. Boissonnault, a former entrepreneur himself, expressed strong support for the Chamber’s efforts to advance economic opportunities for Canada’s LGBTQ2 business community, in particular through greater supplier diversity.

On December 5th, the CGLCC participated in Supplier Diversity Alliance Canada's (SDAC) first advocacy day on Parliament Hill. With the support of MP Doug Eyolfson, and the participation of CGLCC corporate partners RBC Royal Bank, TD Bank Group, and BMO, and certified suppliers Systematic Design and Eclair Communications, SDAC hosted a reception for Members of Parliament, Senators, and staff to discuss the benefits of inclusive procurement. 

The 3rd Annual LGBT Supplier Diversity Forum was held in Toronto at the Toronto Reference Library on June 15, 2016 with the theme of Tell Your Story. We had great attendance at this year's event and heard many stories from both Certified and non-certified diverse suppliers as well as representatives from our Corporate Partners.

Our guest speaker was Al Ramsay, Regional Manager, LGBTA Business Development - GTA at TD Bank Group. Al gave a warm and inspirational talk to open the event. His expertise and work in the areas of diversity and inclusion has been instrumental in helping TD become a leader in the LGBT community.

Once again we presented awards for Program Ambassador of the Year and Certified LGBT Business Enterprise of the Year.

The LGBT Supplier Diversity Program Ambassador of the Year Award was presented to Cassandra Dorrington.  
As President of the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council (CAMSC), Cassandra is an outstanding supplier diversity leader and an long-standing committed partner of the CGLCC. Her support and guidance was pivotal in the creation and launch of the LGBT Supplier Diversity Program in Canada. Through her extensive networks and knowledge base, she has enabled many connections, collaborated on many initiatives, supported LGBT supplier diversity development and workshops, participated in CGLCC corporate roundtables, and provided ongoing input into the growth of the CGLCC Supplier Diversity program. She has truly exemplified what it means to be an Ambassador.

The Certified LGBT Business Enterprise of the Year Award was presented to Annmarie Shrouder International.  
Annemarie Shrouder was the first ever certified LGBT Business Enterprise in Canada and has continued to support the CGLCC's Supplier Diversity Program ever since. She has participated in several supplier diversity events, workshops and networking events, reaching beyond just the LGBT community. Most recently, Annemarie has worked with the CGLCC on the development of tools that will assist our corporate partners spread the supplier diversity message both internally and externally.

The event concluded with a cocktail reception and keynote from Caitlin Smith of the Canadian Lesbian & Gay Archives. Caitlin gave a fun and interesting talk about the archives and the 'story' of the LGBT community  that it works so hard to document.

Scroll through slideshow below to view photos with captions.

The CGLCC is pleased to welcome Robert Wolf as our new Supplier Diversity Program Manager. Robert joined us in mid-July and many of you will have met him already.

Robert graduated from Saint Louis University with his degree in Finance and a Minor in International Business. Following graduation he went to work in the Aerospace industry and gained 10 years of experience in Financial analysis, Financial Forecasting, Project Management, Sales Support, Contracts and Pricing.

Robert was also heavily involved with Employee Resource Groups (ERG) while working in Aviation. Robert served the Gay and Lesbian organization for over 5 years and held several offices including the President of a local site. While President, Robert sought out opportunities to align all ERGs with a goal of supporting diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Outside of work Robert enjoys participating in athletic activities and socializing with friends. From a very young age Robert became involved in Springboard diving where he competed on a National level and then at his University. Following university, Robert enjoyed coaching local High School and Club teams. Now, Robert participates in sporting activities throughout the GTA, including Football and Swimming. In addition, Robert loves to spend with his loving family, including his partner and his cat.

Robert is excited for the opportunity to listen to the needs of small business owners and draw on their experiences to become an advocate for Supplier Diversity in Canada.

The CGLCC Board is pleased to welcome two new members to the CGLCC management team. Sue Biggs has joined us as Director, Operations and Partnerships and Richard Martin as Director of Global Programs.

With the direction of Board approved work plans and budgets, Sue is responsible for overseeing and managing efforts and activities of the CGLCC.  Sue holds an MBA, and is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience serving public and private sector organizations. She brings experience leading global, national and regional initiatives aimed at enhancing partnerships, increasing market share and improving service for large and small businesses in Canada. 

Sue's experience includes leading global manufacturing projects, managing retail and supplier technology initiatives, as well as implementing provincially-mandated supply chain changes in healthcare and post-secondary tuition changes in education.

Finding opportunities to connect people and work smarter, together, motivates Sue in her work, home and community life.  Sue's free time is spent with her family, and she also enjoys volunteering and occasionally teaching college-level business courses.

Richard has extensive experience in international and inter-governmental relations, having worked in this area for many years as a senior manager within the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and Industry Canada.

He represented Canada at meetings hosted by major international organizations such as the OECD, the UNESCO, the Summit of the Americas, the OAS, the APEC and the G13 Carnegie Group on Science, Technology and Innovation. He organized many international ministerial-level delegations and events. In addition, he has a strong experience in Canadian federal-provincial relations, in particular in areas related to international education, adult learning, science and innovation.

He also contributed to the establishment and management of several grant programs designed to foster academic partnerships between Canadian scholars and institutions of higher education and their international counterparts (e.g., Canada-United States Fulbright Program).

Originally from the Montreal region, Richard is a graduate of the universities of Sherbrooke (B.A.) and Ottawa (M.A.). He is an alumnus of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program. He speaks French, English and Spanish.

We are pleased to welcome the newest member of our Board, Isabelle Swiderski. Isabelle is a change maker and connector at heart. She is founder and creative director of Seven25, a branding consultancy that partners with not-for-profit and social profit organizations to help accelerate their impact. She has been working in the marketing space for over 20 years an is driven by the conviction that design thinking can successfully tackle larger societal issues.

In 2014, Isabelle co-founded Lezervations, a series of long-table dinners for LBTQ women with quarterly events currently occurring in Vancouver, San Francisco and Toronto. Expansion to London UK, Seattle, Portland and New York are in the planning stages for early 2016. She also acts as co-chair for LOUD Business, BC’s queer chamber of commerce.
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Isabelle holds an MBA, an MA in Communication Design, and is a sessional lecturer at Emily Carr University. Her work has been recognized in national and international competitions, books and magazines. She is also a filmmaker whose shorts have screened in festivals in Europe, Canada and the US.