Day One: Wednesday, September 28, 2022
10:00 EDT
15 min
Welcome and Opening Remarks from the Chair
Wendy Cukier, Founder & Academic Director, Diversity Institute, Ryerson University
10:15 EDT
45 min
Creating the Racially Just Workplace/Fighting Anti-Black Racism at City of Toronto
Anthony Morgan, Manager, Social Development, Finance & Administration, City of Toronto
- Where are we now?
- What stands in our way?
- Game plans for progress
- Strengthening equality in your own organization
11:00 EDT
15 minBreak
11:15 EDT
45 min
Building Bridges to Indigenous Communities to Boost Recruitment and Increase Sense of Belonging
- Helping companies delivering culturally sensitive and relevant information to Indigenous leaders, decision-makers, and community members across Canada
- Inclusion strategies for organizations and government departments
- The need to make connections on many levels
- Building trust and telling your relevant, authentic and compelling inclusion story that will lead to long-term Indigenous relationships that will add value across all areas of your business
- “The corporate brand must be viewed as the bridge between the organization and the Aboriginal workforce”
12:00 EDT
60 minBreak
13:00 EDT
45 min
What I Have Learned Leading the “Canadian People with Disabilities Inclusive Recruitment” Portfolio at TD Disability
Jennifer Popkey, Diversity & Inclusion Talent Partner – People with Disabilities, TD Bank Group
- What can be barriers to recruitment in your organization?
- Initiatives to improve your recruitment process
- Establishing internal and external relationships for ongoing recruitment
- Different types of onboarding and ongoing support for new hires
- Looking ahead in the recruitment space
13:45 EDT
45 min
Often Overlooked Questions Around Hiring and Promotion Decisions
Sacha de Klerk, Head of Diversity & Inclusion, Canada, Norton Rose Fulbright
- Is there a burning need for change?
- How do you light the fire?
- Is there accountability?
- Is diversity part of senior management decision making?
- “Will he or she fit in?”
- Auditing hiring and promotion processes on basis of gender
- The role of unconsious bias training
- Checks and balances in decision making
14:30 EDT
15 minBreak
14:45 EDT
45 min
Evidence Based Strategies to Mitigate the Negative Impact of Exclusion and Foster Workplace Belonging
- Relationships among diversity and inclusion (D&I) practices and employees’ experiences at work
- Factors driving feelings of inclusion and belonging in companies today
- Which diversity and inclusion practices “work” and for which desired workplace outcomes
- Evidence-based solutions for middle managers.
- Mentoring and sponsorship
- Managerial involvement
- Workplace policies
- Turnover intent
15:30 EDT
45 minDeep Diversity and Intersectionality in Your Organization?
- Intersectionality is the complex, cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and classism) combine, overlap, or intersect especially in the experiences of marginalized individuals or groups.
- Cumulative disadvantages and erasure faced by – for example – women of color, undocumented women, women with disabilities, women with children, queer and transwomen, and women who live at the intersections of multiple identities
- What do you need to know about intersectionality in your organization?
16:15 EDT
60 min
Black Canadians’ Perspectives of Social and Emotional Skills in the Workplace
Michelle Gorea, Senior Research Associate, Education and Skills, The Conference Board of Canada
- Discussion of social and emotional skills and their role in the workplace.
- Review of findings from our recent study that explores how Black Canadian professionals perceive the development, expressions, and evaluation of their social and emotional skills at work.
- Exploration of why workplaces must recognize diverse understandings of social and emotional skills and create spaces where people feel they can safely express their skills regardless of identity.
- Recommendations for leaders to consider as they work towards fostering more inclusive, equitable work environments.
17:00 EDT
End of Day One
Day Two: Thursday, September 29, 2022
10:00 EDT
15 min
Welcome and Opening Remarks from the Chair
Wendy Cukier, Founder & Academic Director, Diversity Institute, Ryerson University
10:15 EDT
45 min
Employee Resource Groups: How, Where, When and How?
Thushyanthi (Thushy) Muruges, Equitable Design Lead, People and Experience, Culture Amp
- How are impactful ERGs created?
- How do you connect people and keep the connections alive?
- How ERG’s can act as a conduit for providing insights to leadership
- Leveraging leadership support for ERGs
- How ERG members can leverage ERG work for career development
- employer branding and ERGs.
- Communicating, setting goals and action items
11:00 EDT
15 minBreak
11:15 EDT
45 min
Harnessing the Power of Allies in Support of the LGBT Community at IGM Financial
Kimberley Messer, VP, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, IGM Financial
- Importance of allies to all underrepresented and marginalized communities
- Role of supportive open-minded and compassionate allies who are committed to breaking down barriers
- What does it mean to be an ally?
- Effective ways of harnessing allies to bring about positive culture change in the workplace
- Role of active allies and the ally program at IGM Financial
12:00 EDT
60 minBreak
13:00 EDT
45 min
Addressing Microaggressions
Wendy Cukier, Founder & Academic Director, Diversity Institute, Ryerson University
Created by the Black Business and Professional Association, the Canadian Congress on Diversity and Workplace Equity, Pride at Work Canada, and Ryerson University’s Diversity Institute, The Micropedia of Microaggressions equips Canadians with an understanding of one of the most common forms of discrimination—microaggressions—and supports training on equity, diversity and inclusion.
- Understandi the harmful impact of microaggressions on daily experience of many women, non-binary, Black, racialized, Indigenous, disabled and LGBTQ 2S individuals
- Becoming aware of bias, stereotypes, offensive comments and behaviours
- Mental health and physical impacts of microaggressions
- Steps to unlearn behaviours
13:45 EDT
45 min
The Power of DEI Surveys & How You Can Use Them to Gather Impactful Insights
- Knowing what questions you need to ask and what data and metrics you need
- Building alignment across the organization to collect DEI demographics and sentiment
- How to leverage data and insights once it is collected
- Best practices and stories of companies that are leading the way
14:30 EDT
15 minBreak
14:45 EDT
45 minA DEI Journey at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Ray Edwards, Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
15:30 EDT
45 minMoving From Diversity to Inclusion
Tina Walter, Director, Employment and Social Development Canada
- What does it take to move an organization from diversity to inclusion?
- Understanding the culture
- Invisible norms and practices
- Systemic discrimination
- Interpersonal discrimination and microaggressions
- Unconscious bias
- White privilege and fragility
- Intersectionality
16:15 EDT
End of Day Two