Many leaders are feeling paralyzed out of the fear of making the wrong choices or harmful ones when it comes to diversity and inclusion. While this fear may exist for many, it’s important that leaders don’t pause their efforts but instead find ways to uplift the BIPOC community in their industries. We’ve put together 3 ways for business leaders to make their industries more inclusive.
Highlight BIPOC Businesses & Organizations
It is important as business leaders to ensure we’re lifting up businesses in the industry and sharing their work. A simple way to do this is to share their business highlights to your social media platforms and provide recommendations to those in your network. This can help build their client and customer base by continuing to promote their work and connect them with your community.
Participate in Mentorship Programs
A great way to support growing BIPOC entrepreneurs is to support them through mentorship programs and offer your experience to assist them on the path to reaching their goals. Mentorship programs are useful for offering similar connections and resources so younger entrepreneurs can achieve success, similar to what you have. Programs like Futurpreneur Canada offer great mentorship opportunities to explore and offer BIPOC entrepreneur specific programs.
Offer Scholarships to Micro-credentialing and Applied Skills Courses
Education is a place where many systemic inequalities exist and there is still a lack of access for many communities, which is why more leaders should offer education and micro-credentialing opportunities to get people job-ready. Leaders should begin scholarship programs for micro-credentialing programs as they focus on the education and applied skills to boost resumes and help young entrepreneurs get the careers they’re after. This past year, digital marketing course Jelly Academy partnered with Canadian Council of Aboriginal Businesses to offer tuition to members to support Indigenous businesses with the skills and know-how when it comes to digital marketing. Find organizations to partner with or create your scholarship program in-house!
These three steps should help you move in the right direction to support more diversity and inclusion within your industry.
Darian Kovacs is the Indigenous founder of B-Corp certified Vancouver based SEO company Jelly Digital Marketing & PR & digital marketing course Jelly Academy. He brings 15 years of marketing experience and a passion for education, and creativity. He is the host of the podcast Marketing News Canada. Darian specializes in mixing PR with digital marketing and has worked with numerous internationally renowned brands on developing and executing their digital marketing and PR strategies. Darian lives in Fort Langley, BC with his wife and four children and likes to mountain bike, watercolour and read in his free time.