It’s never been more important to help every Canadian through times like these; just ask Darrell Schuurman, CEO of the Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
Schuurman is an advocate for affecting social change through the economic empowerment of LGBT+ entrepreneurs.
Growing up in small-town Alberta in an entrepreneurial family, Schuurman had a passion for business and knew the struggles small businesses face. But as someone who felt that he had to hide his true self, he knew, even more, the struggles facing LGBT+ people. He soon realized that he could combine his passion for business and his commitment to supporting LGBT+ inclusion, while leveraging his entrepreneurial background.
In 2003, he co-founded the CGLCC, Canada’s LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce, a national not-for-profit organization with a mission to expand the opportunities and advancement of the LGBT+ business community in Canada. Now with a team of 10, Schuurman and the CGLCC are proving that LGBT inclusion is good for business and good for Canada.
“For Canada to grow and for our communities to grow, we need to realize and understand the importance of an inclusive economy,” said Schuurman.
In this week’s episode of the #StartupCanadaPodcast, sponsored by Mastercard and Ceridian, Darrell discusses the importance of inclusivity of entrepreneurs and diversity of thought in Canadian business.
The Startup Canada Podcast Show is a production of Startup Canada, a grassroots, entrepreneur-led movement to bring together, celebrate, and give a voice to Canada’s entrepreneurship community. On the podcast, Startup Canada Digital Programs Lead Matthew Curtis speaks with the movers and shakers of Canada’s entrepreneurship community to give a glimpse into the future of business, and share insights on everything from social innovation to the future of work, investing, and why we need to think bigger to take our businesses global. Join Matthew Curtis for new episodes every Tuesday airing at 10 AM ET for lessons, trends, and opportunities in entrepreneurship from Vancouver to Fredericton; and Israel to Peru.
You can find every episode of The Startup Canada Podcast Show at www.startupcan.ca/podcasts/