From surviving to thriving
Canada needs more businesses, and more of them to thrive. Elevating immigrant entrepreneurship is one way to get there.
Impact accelerators boost investment unless…
If accelerators want to live up to their “impact” label, they need to confront inequity head-on.
As a hiring manager…
Women perceived as 2SLGBTQIA+ were 30% less likely to advance to the interview stage.
Why you should change your mind
Once we attach our identity to an idea or a stance, it is harder to let go.
When AI picks who we fund
A 2022 study by Lyonnet and Stern found that a machine learning algorithm can outperform traditional VC decision-making.
Is diversity a byproduct of merit?
Diversity isn’t what happens after we find excellence; it’s how we get there.
Widening the aperture
DEI is not about filtering out people – it’s about widening the aperture.
Beyond the rainbow
2SLGBTQIA+ leaders are already building businesses, jobs, and innovation. The only question is whether capital and funding systems will catch up or continue to overlook this vibrant, growing force in Canada’s economy.
How is capital flowing to Indigenous leaders?
Indigenous-owned businesses contributed $48.9 billion to the Canadian economy annually.
The model minority
Pointing to the success of Asian-Canadians as proof that equity is earned through hard work and assimilation is misleading—and harmful.
Too passionate?
Signs of passion in women are merely meeting expectations, or even viewed as overly emotional or “inappropriate.”
When funding reverses attraction
When female-founded ventures are backed solely by female investors, they are two times less likely to secure additional funding.
Designing for exclusion
Solutions built for overlooked communities provide value for everyone.
The Overton window
The Overton window represents the range of policy ideas the public considers acceptable. This window is constantly shifting, expanding, or shrinking as societal attitudes evolve.
Data and stories
A study by Silberzahn et al. (2018) found that analysts arrived at different conclusions even with the same dataset.
Pitch like a girl?
Feminine behaviours decreased the likelihood of being a finalist in a pitch competition by 13%, regardless of the entrepreneur’s gender.