With our conference, Stratagem 2019, one week away, we want to share with you our mistakes and failures. We want to be transparent and accountable to our attendees. We want to keep a public record of ways we need to be better - and continue to reference them for as long as we do this work. For readers who plan to attend Stratagem 2019, we share the following with you to help you make a decision about whether this space feels safe for you: We have not done enough to centre the

VANCOUVER, BC While navigating a career in the creative field may be a daunting feat for some less familiar, Roohi Sahajpal, the co-founder of Didihood, hopes to help ease that experience for people. “Didihood, which means ‘sisterhood’ focuses on fostering connections between South Asian womxn working in creative industries through networking, mentorship and community building,” she explains. “We started Didihood as a response to being the only South Asian womxn in the newsro

NORTH VANCOUVER, BC A woman with agency is a powerful force. Providing women with the resources and environment to nurture this is at the core of Dr. Carla Cupido’s She Summits. Cupido’s initiative was inspired by the work she does as a health professional. “As a health professional who is deeply focused on the study of human movement, I became increasingly aware of the power of the physical body to shift mindset,” she goes on. “I believe that the physical body is a tool we a

VILLE SAINT LAURENT, QC Completely Inclusive is an initiative that advocates for the increased representation of disabled folk. Founder, Kelly Johnson was inspired by her own experiences. “My own disability self-advocacy became a way for me to make the path easier for others,” she explains. “I teach businesses how to be inclusive and accommodating to diverse and disabled people.” Society’s limited awareness of the realities faced by marginalized groups is something Johnson ho

VANCOUVER, BC While mainstream media has seen an increase in Asian representation as of late, there is still a ways to go. Natasha Jung’s Cold Tea Collective is a platform that encourages the continued telling of Asian stories. “We share stories for, by, and about Asian millennials across the Asian diaspora, not just East Asian.” Jung was inspired to create this initiative after recognizing the “lack of representation of Asian stories” and the way in which that impacts identi

TORONTO, ON & MONTREAL, QC Born out of their own experiences as women of colour, The Villij founders, Kim Knight and Shanelle McKenzie, hope to encourage a shift towards increased representation for women like them. “We were inspired to begin our journey as entrepreneurs in the wellness industry due to an apparent lack of representation and opportunities available to the WOC community.” Their solution? A more organic, less top-down approach to inclusion. “We craved an organic

VANCOUVER, BC While their marketing initiatives may often depict otherwise, the mainstream fitness industry is one that struggles with diversity. The disparity between the projected image of inclusivity and the actual efforts being made is what The Boys+ Club Fitness hopes to bring awareness to. “Once becoming aware and identifying the ways in how the mainstream fitness and diet industry profits off of policing marginalized bodies, I was spurred into action to work towards di

VANCOUVER, BC Censorship is exactly what Seen podcast founders Nic Wayara and Lala Matthen work to challenge when it comes to the discussion of QTBIPOC. Seen is a podcast that give voice to QTBIPOC communities, with the ultimate goal of serving as a platform where individuals can find solace. The inspiration behind this endeavor? Wayara and Matthen’s friendship. “In our friendship, we’ve both felt free to be exactly who we are, and say what we need to say without censoring ou

VANCOUVER, BC Paige Frewer behind Vancouver’s celebrated Man Up Productions hopes to inspire a continued shift towards increased representation for people of colour in queer communities. “We strive to have equal or majority representation by artists of colour in our shows, and prioritize the booking of artists from other/specific marginalized communities, such as Black and Indigenous folks, people with different abilities, women/femmes, and gender non-conforming people,” they

VANCOUVER, BC Helen Camisa of Helen Camisa Yoga hopes dismantle the stereotypes that surround full-bodied people. The inspiration behind this initiative? Her life. “I am a full-bodied person who, for a long time, felt that I needed to change in order to fit in and explore the things that I love,” she explains. “I am happy to create a space that welcomes people like me and allows them to see that they don’t have to change a thing to enjoy life and feel connected to their bodie

VANCOUVER, BC Exploring the complexities of racial identity is what inspired playwright Lili Robinson’s latest work, Mx. “The concept for Mx was born from a deep sense of needing to unpack my racial identity and untangle my personal history as a mixed-race kid,” she explains. “I was raised in Vancouver by my white Canadian mother, and I grew up with little connection to the Black community in the city, which was at that time particularly small in number. It was not until late

Have you been eye-ing Stratagem over the past few weeks? Not sure how to find funds to attend? We have a solution for you! Stratagem is designed to be a professional development conference. No matter your role or industry, there's value in attending a conference designed to improve workplace culture. It's no secret that everyone can benefit from more equitable and inclusive work environments and the more members of your team that attend, the better off the whole organization

MONTREAL, QC There’s a sense of pride to be derived from knowing where you come from, though without much understanding of who we are, it’s easy to feel rejected in a society that doesn’t readily embrace diversity. Getting to know one’s self is the root of Rito Joseph’s projects, CHAM Ent and Afro-Diaspora Tour. Founded in Montreal, Quebec, Joseph’s initiative aims to uplift people of colour, Indigenous people and the Afro-descendant community, regardless of sex, gender, reli

CALGARY, AB Being different doesn’t make you any less worthy – a concept that Kate Paterson hopes fellow Calgarians keep in mind. Founder of Kepaterson Consulting and Queer Calgary, Kate felt compelled to provide a means of educating individuals on the realities faced by queer communities. “I felt the pull to turn the jargony language and theories I’ve learnt during my past 10 years in academia into tangible, accessible information for folks who may have the desire to serve t

VANCOUVER, BC Attaining quality and affordable childcare is an all too familiar struggle for new parents. Combine that with having no maternity leave benefits, and you have the inspiration behind Madeleine Shaw’s Nestworks. When Madeleine and her business partner wanted to start their own families in the early-mid 2000s, the fact that they wouldn’t have any maternity leave benefits was a difficult reality to accept. Finding themselves in a bind, they decided to take matters i

MONTREAL, QC While brands strive to appeal to the masses, there is one group that is often underrepresented or forgotten entirely: minorities. Stéphanie Princivil created The Hue Public Relations in response to this disparity. “I was inspired to build my public relations firm to help some of our favorite brands communicate to the audience they serve – which is widely diverse,” she explains. “As a publicist, I am often the only woman of colour sitting at the table, pushing to

VANCOUVER, BC Representation isn’t an easy thing to come by – and this is especially true for marginalized individuals. Intentionally or not, some initiatives tend to favour the pervading societal norms, forgetting about those who don’t fit those restrictions in the process. Creator of So, I had an abortion… and Expressions of Self Julia Santana Parrilla hopes to inspire a shift towards a more open-minded way of thinking. Motivated by her own experiences, Parrilla’s desire to

TORONTO, ON Misrepresentation, glorification and sensationalism – words that hit too close to home for people of colour, especially when it comes to their depiction (and oftentimes lack thereof) in the media. The continued perpetuation of this bias is one that Camille Dundas aims to dismantle. Co-founded with her husband, Roger Dundas, Camille created ByBlacks.com in direct response to the unsettling media portrayal of Black Canadians. “We’re either portrayed as criminals or

VANCOUVER, BC Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. This notion is one that Heather McCain wants you to understand about individuals living with disabilities. In 2005, Heather started Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods, a non-profit that focuses on bringing awareness to the realities faced by those living with disabilities. The inspiration behind this initiative? Her own life. “I have a disability and personally saw the inaccessibility of our commu