RBC, MLSE LEAD TEAM OF PARTNERS INVESTING IN THE CANADIAN BLACK STANDARD TO SUPPORT BLACK WOMEN IN MARKETING
TORONTO, Nov 16, 2022 – Inspired by November being Financial Literacy Month in Canada, The Canadian Black Standard (The Standard), is pleased to announced the renewal of its first and founding partner RBC, alongside marquis corporations MLSE and NBA Canada for 2023. These leading businesses are committed to the mission of elevating the standard, educating the community, and accelerating the industry.
While this year’s financial literacy month theme, “Make Change that Counts: Managing Your Money in a Changing World”, reflects an evolving financial landscape, the narrative is uniquely different for Black and racialized women. The Standard, a premier networking and advocacy platform addressing systemic barriers to employment advancement and the inclusion of Canadian Black women in marketing, is leveraging this awareness month and theme to showcase a more accurate picture of the challenging realities for the community:
Racialized women earn 59.3% of what white males earn on average*
Out of 1,600 corporate board of directors in Canada, only 13 members were Black and only two were Black women**
Black women are amongst the fastest growing small business owners in Canada. Yet 27.8% do not know where to get financial help for their businesses***
To help close the massive financial gap, RBC reaffirms its commitment to The Standard community by providing business resources, access to leadership and core funding for capacity building and program delivery. The cornerstone initiative entitled Money Moves presented by RBC, connects, educates, and uplifts Black women in marketing in three ways:
Money Moves Virtual Events: Free year-round professional development webinars featuring Black women subject matter experts delivering tangible resources for entrepreneurs and marketers to expand financial literacy and build generational wealth.
Marketplace LIVE: An in-person pop-up marketplace and networking event featuring 100% Black women- owned small businesses, designed to amplify, and elevate and re-invest in the community.
Rising Star Grants: Financial grants awarded to outstanding young Black female entrepreneurs, ages 18 - 29 years, who are ‘ones to watch’ as they excel in the marketing industry.
“At RBC, we believe that in order to create a more inclusive and prosperous future, we need to remove barriers to access and expand opportunities for BIPOC clients, colleagues and communities,” said Shannon Cole, Vice President, Brand Marketing, RBC. “ As a Founding Partner of the Canadian Black Standard, RBC is proud to continue its support for the advancement of Black women in the marketing industry through 2023.”
Founding partners MLSE and NBA Canada are both invested in The Standard, harnessing the power of sports as a global leader in directing social change. These like-minded corporations are committed to helping to build The Standard’s brand equity and transforming the industry at the intersection of gender, race, and sport. These strategic partnerships are rooted in providing developmental initiatives to help the organization further its mission to accelerate professional opportunities to advance Black women in Marketing, Communications and Media.
“As an organization focused on embedding principles of equity, diversity and inclusion into all that we do, we recognize the value of cultivating strategic partnerships with organizations like the Canadian Black Standard, that prioritize the professional development and career growth of equity deserving groups,” said Teri-Dennis Davies, Chief People and Inclusion Officer. “We also believe in gender equity and the unique contributions of women in the workplace including the challenges that intersect across gender and race. We are proud of our ongoing partnership and collaboration with the Canadian Black Standard as we work together to create more space for Black women and women of colour.”
Both organizations are committed to creating a winning and inclusive culture on and off the court, and from the inside, out through a series of initiatives:
The Huddle powered by MLSE + NBA Canada: A cornerstone program delivering a playbook for success for the mind and body, featuring like-minded sports business professionals sharing insights and resources to help advance Black women in the sports marketing sector, a space predominantly led by Caucasian males.
The Standard Night @ The Raptors: a community awareness event at a Toronto Raptors home game to celebrate and honour Black women changemakers during women’s history month. The 2023 edition is scheduled for March 14 with a special block of tickets on sale now for the community to join in solidarity.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Dialogues: a Standard-facilitated journey into anti-Racism and allyship designed to create a culture of inclusion in the workplace by revealing systemic barriers and re-framing into actionable practices across verticals from building productive teams, to recruitment and hiring, to the advancement of diverse leadership.
“We love the mission of The Standard and are committed to celebrating and empowering Black women in the sports and marketing industries,” said Leah McNab, NBA Canada Managing Director. “The Huddle was created to build community and spotlight Black women in Canada doing incredible things, and we’re excited to continue contributing to the organization’s growth.”
The Standard was founded in 2020 by 14 Canadian women with decades of collective global experience in communications and marketing. The community is united through a shared vantage point of balancing the barriers of gender and race in personal and professional lives, emphasizing an intersectional approach, and setting a new Standard to center and support Black Canadian women, specifically in marketing.
Looking ahead The Standard is focused on its primary objectives of creating a national network, growing its reach with a new membership program in 2023 and continuing to advocate for the elimination of systemic barriers. The Standard also plans to expand the DEI project piloted in 2022, aimed at providing future-forward corporations with anti-racism and allyship tools to advance inclusive leadership models in the workplace starting at the C-suite and senior management team levels.
“Corporate solidarity statements and performative actions are not an effective way forward,” added Duncan. “At The Standard we aim to set it, raise it and be it, inspiring change through measurable shifts in hiring practices, training, and education. We invite companies to connect with us to help advance their DEI strategies with tangible actionable steps to dismantle systemic barriers and develop inclusive pathways for Black and racialized women to excel and lead.”
For media inquiries, please contact: info@canadianblackstandard.com
