Meet three impressive Toronto storytellers and thought leaders who celebrate diversity and educate audiences through personal stories and in-depth expertise.
These Toronto-based speakers advocate for equality and acceptance, challenge conventional thought and encourage organizations to strive for workplace diversity and inclusion through their personal stories. We asked them about their approach as speakers, and what corporate groups might expect from their keynotes.
"People want to know what their organizations can do better, but they also want to know what they can do better—how they can be a better person tomorrow."
– Dr. Hadiya Roderique
Disrupting Power Dynamics for Meaningful Change
Who: Jessie Wente, Broadcaster, Indigenous Advocate & Pop Culture Philosopher
His story: A celebrated film critic and broadcaster, Toronto-born and raised Jesse Wente is Ojibwe and a member of Ontario’s Serpent River First Nation. He is a columnist for CBC Radio’s Metro Morning, Executive Director of the Indigenous Screen Office and the only First Nations person to ever hold the position of Chair of the Canada Council for the Arts. Wente was named to Maclean’s 2020 Power List, Toronto Life’s Most Influential Torontonians of 2020, and he published his first book, Unreconciled: Family, Truth, and Indigenous Resistance, in September 2021.
Keynotes: Diversity & Inclusion is a Necessity, Not a Choice; Unreconciled—Making Meaningful Change; Reconciling Representation: Indigenous People in Popular Culture
Why: A compelling storyteller, Wente inspires his audiences to consider diversity and inclusion into the future view of their organization, industry and country, using stories from his life and his family’s history.
"Every organization is on their own path, and I try to understand where they are and meet them there. I always use personal storytelling to strike home points about systemic issues, as it makes the issues more real and ultimately actionable."
– Jessie Wente
How do you address your personal experience with diversity and inclusion in the city of Toronto?
I tend to speak to my experience living here my whole life as a First Nations person. It tends to be a complex relationship and one that is seldom in the right relation.
What key messages can an audience expect from your keynote with regard to diversity and inclusion?
Typically, I talk about the limits of the traditional DEI framework. I prefer a right relations framework that centres relationships and seeks to disrupt the power dynamics that can remain in DEI frameworks.
How do you tailor the topic of diversity and inclusion for corporate groups?
I tailor all my talks to meet the needs of the organization while keeping to my central approach. Every organization is on their own path, and I try to understand where they are and meet them there. I always use personal storytelling to strike home points about systemic issues, as it makes the issues more real and ultimately actionable.
The Power of Workplace Diversity
Who: Dr. Hadiya Roderique, Diversity and Inclusion Advocate, Journalist, Lawyer, Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto
Her story: Named one of Canadian Lawyer’s 25 Most Influential Lawyers in 2018, and recipient of a Rising Star award from the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers, Roderique is renowned for her powerful 2017 Globe and Mail essay, “Black on Bay Street,” about her experience as a young Black woman working as a Bay Street lawyer.
Keynotes: Cultivating a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace; The Path to Inclusive Leadership; Becoming a Bias-Free Workplace; Building Stronger Teams by Embracing Diversity
Why: Roderique’s talks focus on the challenges and barriers to diversity and inclusion and demonstrate the power behind diverse and inclusive workplaces.
"I use my experiences to bring the data and statistics I use to life, to show that these numbers translate to people's actual experiences. Connecting theory to lived experience!"
— Dr Hadiya Roderique
How do you address your personal experience with diversity and inclusion in the city of Toronto?
My personal story and experiences, from my junior kindergarten teacher's refusal to believe that I could read already at age 4 to my recent experiences as a Black woman in predominantly white workplaces, are woven into my keynotes. I use my experiences to bring the data and statistics I use to life, to show that these numbers translate to people's actual experiences. Connecting theory to lived experience!
What key messages can an audience expect from your keynote with regard to diversity and inclusion?
My talks typically have three parts: Highlighting the problem, talking about how to approach the problem from an organizational lens, the personal impact of discrimination and exclusion, and how to approach the problem as an individual. People want to know what their organizations can do better, but they also want to know what they can do better—how they can be a better person tomorrow.
How do you tailor the topic of diversity and inclusion for corporate groups?
While many systemic issues and challenges are universal, different organizations are at different stages of tackling the complex issue of inclusion in the workplace. I have an in-depth conversation with the organizers to get background on the makeup of the organization, what steps they have taken so far, and what steps are on the horizon.
These nuances are woven into my talks—a group that has a robust hiring system from a DEI perspective will need less information on hiring, for example. As storytelling is core to a message that stays with participants, I also speak with the organizers to get a sense of which storytelling examples may resonate best.
Creating Inclusive Spaces
Who: Michael Bach, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility Executive and Thought Leader, Author, Speaker
His story: An internationally recognized thought leader and expert in the fields of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility, Bach is the founder of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI), CCDI Consulting and Pride at Work Canada. He is also the author of best-selling and award-winning books: Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right and Alphabet Soup: The Essential Guide to LGBTQ2+ Inclusion at Work.
Keynotes: The Smart IDEA: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility is Good Business; My Superpower is Privilege: Understanding Your Secret Weapon to Create Inclusive Spaces; Safety in Numbers: Ensuring your Space is a Safe Space
Why: Bach has more than 30 years of extensive experience working in the area of 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion and can speak on many topics related to inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility. He brings a wealth of knowledge of leading practices for creating equitable workplaces in any industry.
"There is a significant amount of research that shows how a diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace can have a significant positive impact on the top and bottom line of an organization.
– Michael Bach
How do you address your personal experience with diversity and inclusion in the city of Toronto?
I grew up in Toronto. As such, my entire context has been shaped by the city’s amazing diversity. When I find myself in more homogeneous spaces (like white-dominated or male-dominated rooms), I can start to feel uncomfortable. I embrace the diversity of others in all its forms.
However, I was also growing up at a time when homophobia was quite common. As a young queer person, I recall feeling unwelcome in what I considered to be “my” city. It was a lot of years before I felt comfortable with being open about my sexuality anywhere in the city. And truthfully, there are still parts of the city where I wouldn’t walk down the street holding my husband’s hand out of fear of how people might react. Inclusion isn’t universal, and we still have work to do before we are a truly inclusive city.
"My main message is always that diversity and inclusion is a critical ingredient to success for any organization. I never talk about it as 'the right thing to do' or as a moral imperative. [...] Diversity and inclusion isn’t about doing the right thing. It’s about doing the smart thing."
– Michael Bach
What key messages can an audience expect from your keynote with regard to diversity and inclusion?
My main message is always that diversity and inclusion is a critical ingredient to success for any organization. I never talk about it as “the right thing to do” or as a moral imperative. It’s not that I don’t believe it’s the right thing to do, but that argument never convinces people who are skeptical or object to the need for change. The moral imperative isn’t enough of a motivation for some people.
There is a significant amount of research that shows how a diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace can have a significant positive impact on the top and bottom line of an organization. It doesn’t matter the type of organization—for-profit or non-profit, public or private, large or small, municipal, provincial, national or international—the impact is the same. A focus on diversity and inclusion can have a significant positive impact on the top and bottom line.
Diversity and inclusion isn’t about doing the right thing. It’s about doing the smart thing.
How do you tailor the topic of diversity and inclusion for corporate groups?
The message is always the same, but the examples change. When speaking to a bank’s senior executive, I talk about reducing voluntary turnover of employees, increasing employee engagement, increasing customer satisfaction and increasing positive brand recognition. If I’m delivering a presentation to a group of entrepreneurs, I use examples that are relevant to them, like how to attract a diverse customer base. But the key components are the same.