Diversity Institute

📢 New research shows women-owned businesses are gaining ground— and are core to Canada’s economic future. This month we had two events (March 5 for our English audience and March 19 for our French audience) to launch our 2025 State of Women’s Entrepreneurship (#SOWE) executive summary, which gives us an important snapshot of how women entrepreneurs are driving innovation, exports, sustainability and job creation across Canada. 🔍 Key insights:  ✅ Women-owned businesses now make up nearly 20% of private sector enterprises.  ✅ They employ close to 1 million people and generate over $90B in revenues.  ✅ In 2024, women-led firms outpaced others in revenue growth and led in innovation.  ✅ Women are gaining ground in manufacturing, construction and agriculture.  ✅ Indigenous and Black women entrepreneurs are leading in business ownership rates. As Dr. Wendy Cukier (our founder and academic director) shared, “Women entrepreneurs are essential to Canada’s economic resilience in the face of global uncertainty. Supporting them is not just about equity— it’s a smart economic strategy.” This month we were thrilled to be joined by incredible speakers and changemakers including The Honourable Rechie Valdez (Chief Government Whip and former Minister for Small Business), the Honourable Élisabeth Brière (Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canada Revenue Agency), Ruth Vachon, Tania Saba, Shannon Pestun, Vicki Saunders (She/Her), Alison Kirkland, Magnolia Perron, Cassandra Dorrington and more. A big thank you to our partners and all who joined us for the launch events in English and French across the country! 💡 This research reinforces what we already know: investing in women-led businesses strengthens Canada’s economy, builds inclusive growth and ensures we’re prepared for the future. 📘 Read more from the news release https://bit.ly/4bKHvcp #WomenEntrepreneurs #SOWE2025 #ELEF2025 #SupportWomenOwned #SMEs #IWD2025 Sabine Soumare Peggy Harvey

🌟 Happening tomorrow at Toronto Metropolitan University, sign up now! We’re excited to partner with TECHNATION for an interactive Generative AI workshop created for women, Two-Spirit and non-binary students! Join us in person tomorrow for this free hands-on session, where you’ll discover how AI is shaping research, decision-making and inclusive innovation. This is your chance to gain practical #AI skills with no prior experience and connect with industry and academic experts. 🔗 Spots are limited, sign up today: https://lnkd.in/ggp-Qk3y

⬇️ Register today before logging off! Join us and Governance Professionals of Canada (GPC) this Monday, March 24 for a free webinar exploring how boards and senior leaders can embed inclusivity into their governance practices. Our founder, Dr. Wendy Cukier, will share practical strategies to help leadership teams foster inclusive decision-making and build organizational cultures where everyone has a voice. 🔗 Reserve your spot today: https://lnkd.in/e9nYUxcK #50_30Challenge #InclusiveLeadership #workplace

📣 Get the Diversity Assessment Tool (DAT) App FREE through the #50_30Challenge until March 31, 2025. Ready to take your equity, diversity and inclusion (#EDI) strategy to the next level? The DAT App makes it simple to evaluate your EDI policies and practices. ✏️ Access a personalized EDI scorecard ✏️ Get actionable recommendations and proven best practices ✏️ Create a stronger, more inclusive workplace where everyone thrives Time is running out, complete the DAT App today for free: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gcBnjvg2 Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

This week, our founder Dr. Wendy Cukier joined the Spotlight Series, a monthly panel moderated by Skills for Change CEO, Surranna Sandy, MA, MBA, ALM. The conversation brought together leaders from across sectors to discuss Women’s Leadership and Empowerment: Breaking Barriers, Building Legacies. Highlights from the conversation: ✨ Better data drives change: Women make up over half the population but hold less than 40% of senior leadership roles. Without good data, it’s hard to move the needle. ✨ Tech and innovation need to catch up: Women are still underrepresented, especially in senior roles (just 15%). Addressing bias in AI and creating space in growing industries is critical. ✨ Women-led businesses are a force: They generate $90B and employ nearly 1M people, yet still face barriers to growth. Inclusive policies and equitable funding are essential. Huge thanks to our host Sampada Kukade, Skills for Change vice president of Corporate Communications & Stakeholder Engagement and fellow panellists: - Naki Osutei (she/hers), founder and principal, P R E S I Q (Pronounced press-IK) - Monika Goodluck, multilingual freelance consultant Important conversations like this move us closer to meaningful change. Let’s keep pushing forward. #WomenInLeadership #Tech #Innovation

Couldn’t join us earlier this month for our #IWD2025 event? Catch the full event recording at the link below! ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

💡 True or false? 💡 Immigrant ventures tend to grow quicker and create more jobs. Research indicates that TRUE, in a world characterized by increasing globalization and demographic shifts, #immigrantentrepreneurship has emerged as a vital driver of economic #growth, #innovation and social cohesion. 🔑Key fact: There are over 600,000 self-employed immigrants across Canada and over 260,000 of them have paid employees. 📖 Want to learn more? Our new book Immigrant Entrepreneurship: Challenges and Opportunities comprehensively examines the challenges, opportunities and strategies shaping immigrant entrepreneurship in Canada and abroad. 🔍 With in-depth research and expert insights, it’s a must-read for policymakers, researchers and anyone passionate about inclusive economic growth. 📚 Get your copy today: https://loom.ly/5OCcKkk SSHRC-CRSH Future Skills Centre - Centre des Compétences futures - Migrant Integration in the Mid-21st Century: Bridging Divides #ImmigrantEntrepreneurs #Innovation

Today, on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, read key insights from our three partner-led reports with the Ontario Government | Gouvernement de l’Ontario, focused on advancing equity, diversity and inclusion (#EDI) within federally regulated sectors. 📊 Key findings: 🚆 Transportation sector: Pay gaps persist, racialized employees make $0.92 for every dollar earned by their non-racialized counterparts. 📡 Communications sector: Representation of racialized persons stands at 25.8% overall and 25.4% in full-time permanent roles, surpassing both the Canadian Labour Market Availability (21.3%). 🏦 Banking sector: Among racialized persons in senior management at the big five banks, on average 39% are women and 61% are men. 🔎 Explore the reports and uncover actionable strategies for your industry: https://lnkd.in/gDEYns_T #WorkplaceEquity #Leadership #50_30Challenge

"Employment is one of the most important pathways to inclusion," said our founder and academic director Wendy Cukier in yesterday's Private Refugee Sponsor Network (Ontario) fireside chat. Watch the full conversation 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ezpqAeVj #WelcomingEconomy #futureskills

🚀New report launch! 🧑🔧🔧 Progress on women in engineering since 1992: How much has changed in 30 years? In 1992, the Canadian Committee on Women in Engineering released a report identifying barriers to women’s participation in #engineering. Thirty years later, our new partner-led report, More Than Just Numbers Revisited: Progress on Women in Engineering Since 1992, tracks how far we've come—or not. The findings? Despite initiatives like Engineers Canada's #30by30 program, progress has been mixed and slower than hoped. As of 2022: 📊 Only 25% of all undergraduate engineering enrollments are women compared to 14% in 1992 – a difference of just 11 percentage points in 30 years. 📊 Just 15% of engineering professionals are women compared to 3.2% in 1992. Women comprise just 20% of newly licensed engineers in Canada. 📊 Only 19.5% of full-time professoriate are women within Canadian engineering programs (vs. 2% in 1990) and only 18% of engineering managers are women. 📊There are differences between disciplines - women are more than half of biosystems engineering (54.5%) but only 19.5% of electrical engineers. The report, created with the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers and supported by the Future Skills Centre - Centre des Compétences futures, highlights the need for systemic change at every level. 📖 Ready to help shape the next 30 years of progress? Explore actionable recommendations in the full report: https://bit.ly/3RhMgAK #leadership #SeeItBeIt #SIBI #50_30Challenge