VIDEO RECORDING LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6gZTqKj5ds

Economic pressures may make it harder for businesses to maintain their focus on and investment in equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), but the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements have put these topics squarely on business leaders' agenda. Advancing equity, diversity and inclusion has become a strategic imperative for organizations and requires strong leadership from the top. But how to family business leaders advance EDI and to what benefit? What strategies and actions can owners take to support significant change and move the needle on EDI? The good news is that companies do not need to start from scratch. The measures that generate EDI progress most effectively are both attainable and measurable. The main goal for companies is to continue devoting time, capital, and management attention, and to ensure that they run EDI not as a separate initiative but as an initiative integrated into everything that a company does and every decision that its leaders make. Moreover, some changes that the pandemic made necessary—in particular, remote work—create an opportunity to reimagine how work gets done, resetting norms and building EDI into the new reality of work.

This discussion will begin by exploring the current state of EDI as a priority in today’s organizations and will draw on the insights of our three distinguished speakers to provide perspective and strategies for business owners to advance EDI within their organizations.

Moderator:

Robert Patzelt, ICD.D is an executive and business lawyer with more than 30 years of experience in organizational leadership, operations, mergers and acquisitions and business development. He is a skilled negotiator with recognized expertise in law, risk management and corporate governance. He is also a respected board director for multiple organizations and the leader of several major initiatives in corporate, not-for-profit and non-governmental agencies including some undergoing major transformational change. Robert is a member of the Executive Committee of the ICD Maritime Chapter.

Speakers: 

Sally Ng has been focused on building entrepreneurial communities across Atlantic Canada for the past decade and is now part of the team at Highline Beta as Senior Director, Partner Success. Highline Beta(HLB) is a hybrid VC firm corporate venture studio working alongside leading enterprises and world-class founders. We’re focused on solving corporate problems through models of corporate innovation, co-creation, and accelerators. Previously, Sally started and ran her company The Triple Effect, which focused on developing best practices in corporate innovation, entrepreneurial development for under-represented communities, and technology coaching (DigiLearn). As a community leader, Sally is actively involved with the startup community through her work with Techstars and Startup Weekend and has traveled around the world facilitating events. She currently serves on the national Board of Directors for the Community Foundations of Canada (CFC), a charity with $6B worth of assets within its network. She also currently serves as a Lieutenant in the Canadian Forces, working with the Royal Canadian Air Cadet Program.

Matthew J. Martel is the Chief Operating Officer with the Black Business Initiative. He is a Certified Project Manager who believes in a ‘people-first’ approach to business, Matthew James Martel is the Chief Operating Officer at the Black Business Initiative (BBI). He was born in Cape Breton, moving to Halifax to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Management from Dalhousie University, followed by a Master’s degree in Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation from the Sobey School of Business. A serial entrepreneur, Matthew also has an extensive background in leadership, Human Resources, change management, and strategic planning. Prior to welcoming the opportunity at BBI, he previously held roles at the Halifax Regional Municipality, Knightsbridge son Surrette, and also served on the Fusion Halifax Board as the Director of Entrepreneurship. With an aptitude for strategic thinking and solving complex problems, Matthew enjoys working with groups to troubleshoot challenging issues; he leverages these skills to support his team and organization. Matthew’s ability to observe and to understand the contributions of different facets of a company allows him to effectively work with individuals and teams to innovate organizational processes. Matthew is passionate about Canadian entrepreneurship, especially in working to foster and grow minority-led enterprises.