Black Talent Initiative

🎉 Get ready for an eye-opening session at this week’s Friday Meet-Up Speaker Series with Kimberley Doornick, Employee Experience Specialist, Learning & Development at Interac Corp.! 🌟 Kim, an HR and Learning & Development expert, is dedicated to creating inclusive spaces where employees thrive. She’s a champion for diversity, amplifying underrepresented voices, and sparking growth through innovative learning programs and live, interactive experiences. This Friday, Kim will guide us through an exclusive Privilege Sale activity. Here’s the twist: each participant will get a “budget” to buy privileges. It’s an engaging, hands-on way to explore how privilege shapes our perspectives—and how we can foster more empathy, awareness, and equity in our communities. 🗓️ Date: Friday November 1st, 2024 ⏰ Time: 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM  📍 Location: Virtual on Zoom 📝 Register here: https://lu.ma/bti Don’t miss this chance to gain new insights, reflect on your own journey, and connect with others who are committed to making a difference. See you there! 💥 #InclusiveLeadership #PrivilegeReflection #EquityInAction #DiversityDriven #CommunityImpact #TransformTogether

Hard to believe it’s almost November already! 🍂 Get ready to make the most of it with our Friday Meetup #SpeakerSeries! This month, we’re thrilled to bring you 5 incredible sessions filled with insights, inspiration, and expertise from top industry leaders. You won’t want to miss it! Check out our speaker lineup: 📆 November 1: Kimberley Doornick, Employee Experience Specialist, Learning & Development, Interac Corp. 📆November 8: Tanya Hayles, Founder, Black Moms Connection 📆November 15: Elle Asiedu, Executive Director & Co-Founder, The Re-Seasoning Coalition 📆November 23: Tiffany Stull, Account Manager, Small Business, BDC 📆November 29: Kᴀᴛʜʀʏɴ Asʜʙʏ, Senior Director, Marketing & Communications, Scouts Canada ⏰ Time: 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM EST 📍 Register here: lu.ma/bti Join us each Friday in November for thought-provoking conversations and invaluable networking opportunities. #Community #Connections #Collaborations #Networking #VirtualEvents #NovemberEvents

Join us tomorrow for our Friday Meetup #SpeakerSeries featuring guest speaker Jerome Chinner, Executive Chair of Corporate Partnerships & Founding Member of Accelerate Auto! 🌟 🚗 Jerome has an impressive career across financial services, vehicle advertising, and automotive technology, with 15 years at American Express, followed by key sales roles at AutoTrader and now VP of Dealer Sales and Business Development at taq Automotive Intelligence. We’re excited to welcome him as he shares insights on Accelerate Auto, a non-profit working to increase Black representation in the automotive industry. Through mentorship programs, networking events, workplace showcases, and more, they’re paving the way for the next generation, starting with students from elementary to post-secondary. 🚀 Don’t miss this insightful session! 🗓️ Date: Friday, October 25th ⏰ Time: 12:30 PM- 1:30 PM EST 📍 Register here: lu.ma/bti #DiversityInAutomotive #CareerDevelopment #InclusiveLeadership #DrivingChange #EmpowerTheNextGeneration

Join us at this week’s Friday Meetup #SpeakerSeries, where we welcome Trystan T. C. Anderson, The University of British Columbia's Inclusive Hiring Facilitator, as our community speaker. With over a decade of experience in diversity-focused talent acquisition, Trystan is dedicated to supporting marginalized communities and driving IBPOC recruitment strategies. He'll share insights into his role at UBC, focusing on the university's efforts to increase the hiring of Indigenous and Black candidates across British Columbia. From strategic plans to special programs, learn how Trystan is fostering inclusive hiring practices and building strong recruitment networks from Toronto to Vancouver. 🌍 🗓️ Date: Friday, October 25th ⏰ Time: 12:30 PM- 1:30 PM EST 📍 Register here: lu.ma/bti Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from a leader committed to advancing inclusive recruitment strategies! 🙌 #InclusiveHiring #IBPOCLeadership #DiversityInRecruitment  #EquityInAction #TalentAcquisition

🎬 Join us on October 18th for a special Friday Meetup #SpeakerSeries! 🌟 We’re excited to feature an inspiring fireside chat with acclaimed filmmaker and media personality Kwame Mason, founder of 7 and Eh Dream Productions Inc. Kwame began his media journey in 1996 and spent 14 years at Kiss 92 as a radio host before channeling his storytelling talents into filmmaking. His documentary, Soul on Ice: Past, Present and Future, highlights the contributions of Black athletes in hockey and has significantly impacted the sport's diversity narrative. 🏒 In conversation with our Founder, Mark Harrison, Kwame will share his experiences, the journey behind Soul on Ice, and plans for its upcoming 10th anniversary. He’ll also discuss his mission to raise awareness and foster lasting change in sports! 📽️ 🗓️ Date: October 18th 🕛 Time: 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM 📍 Register here: https://lu.ma/bti Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of Canada’s leading voices in sports storytelling and learn how you can contribute to creating lasting diversity in the world of hockey. #DEI #DiversityInHockey #SoulOnIce #RepresentationMatters #InspiringStories #FilmAndActivism

Great speakers coming up this month, register and be inspired!

Our Friday Meetup #SpeakerSeries continues with more inspiring and empowering speakers! Don’t miss out on the incredible lineup for the rest of October🌟 : 📅 October 18th – Kwame Mason, Filmmaker, 7 and Eh Dream Productions Inc. 📅 October 25th – Trystan T. C. Anderson, Inclusive Hiring Facilitator, The University of British Columbia & Jerome Chinner, Executive Chair of Corporate Partnerships & Founding Member, Accelerate Auto Register now and get ready to be inspired: https://lu.ma/bti #Community #Connections #Leadership #DEI #Impact

I'm thrilled to be a speaker at the upcoming #BTI Friday Meetup Speaker Series hosted by the Black Talent Initiative! 🎤 Join us on November 1st as we dive into an important discussion around privilege, diversity, and inclusion. I'll lead a Privilege activity to spark conversations around equity and personal journeys. It's a great opportunity to connect with amazing leaders and engage in meaningful dialogue that drives change in our communities. 🗓 Event Date & Time: November 1st 12:30 - 1:30 PM EDT 🔗 Join us here: https://lu.ma/bti I can’t wait to see you there! #BTI #BlackTalentInitiative

Today, we all need to pause and reflect on the intense collective grief carried by the Indigenous community on Turtle Island. Grandmother Kim Wheatley, Anishinaabe Cultural Consultant, Motivational Public Speaker, and respected Elder, graciously shared these and many other important insights during her inspiring guest talk at the Black Talent Initiative meeting on Friday. On my drive back home this morning after dropping off our daughter at school, I thought about this deep grief caused by the residential school system in Canada. The horror I would feel of someone forcing her to attend a school designed to strip away her culture—one where she might never return. These are the truths of the residential school system and the children’s remains that continue to be found. Grief never fully goes away. Trauma never truly disappears. But I am a strong believer in the healing power of love and hope provided by those we interact with in our daily lives as we build positive experiences around this grief and trauma. So today, I send big hugs and healing vibrations to every single Indigenous human being grieving today and every day. I do not know the pain you have felt along your journey, but I hold deep empathy and will keep my ears and heart open to listen and learn. 🧡

📢 This Friday, Don't Miss It!! The Black Talent Initiative is kicking off October with an exciting Friday Meetup Session featuring Tiffany Smith, Founder of The League Consulting Group! 🚀 Tiffany is a powerhouse in nonprofit development, marketing, and revenue generation, with 18+ years of experience driving major initiatives for organizations like Girl Scouts, Planned Parenthood, and Urban League. 💼✨ Join us as she presents "Play to Win: Change the Game in Your Industry"—a session designed to equip leaders at all levels with strategies for personal and professional success. This interactive discussion will offer "Play to Win" techniques and insights to enhance leadership performance. Don’t miss it! 🗓️ Date: Friday, October 4, 2024 ⏰ Time: 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM 📍 Location: Virtual on Zoom 📝 Register here: https://lu.ma/bti #LeadershipDevelopment #PlayToWin #Empowerment #CareerSuccess