Black Leadership in Social Impact Summit

Inspiration. Action. Systemic Change.
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About the event

How might changemakers build actively anti-racist teams, services and programs?

On February 24-25, 2022, during Black History Month, Future of Good and the Foundation for Black Communities is hosting hundreds of changemakers from across the country to celebrate the achievements of Black leaders in social impact and build an anti-racist social impact sector.

Black changemakers are pushing the sector forward in countless ways, from making philanthropy more justice-oriented to asking questions about what ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ really means to redesigning community services for a post-COVID era — and so much more.

There is more than enough data that illustrates the systemic racism and marginalization of Black leaders as well as Black-led and Black-serving organizations groups.

What will it take to build anti-racist organizations, grantmaking, programs and services, beyond diversity and representation? How can we design more equitable social policy? How can we shift capital and narratives? How can we all remove barriers to leadership positions and funding to accelerate Black leadership, as well as, reimagine our organizations and services — to not only dismantle systemic racism, but to build actively anti-racist social purpose organizations?

WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID

"One of the best I've attended since the Pandemic has started and the questions asked and breakout rooms were spot on."
"Absolutely fascinating and enlightening to hear so many thoughts and calls to act in transforming the sector in a decolonial way.”
“[The summit allowed me to] connect with Black Leaders who can help influence and expand my knowledge as a white leader, to help me ensure that I am doing things with equity and best practices at the top of mind."

TICKETS

One year of Future of Good membership is included in your access to this event.

MEMBERS

If you are a current Future of Good member, please visit this page to get your access to the Black Leadership in Social Impact Summit.

GENERAL ATTENDEES

Summit access includes one year of Future of Good membership which includes access to all Future of Good content, a community of 2,500 changemakers and complimentary access to all our summit events for the rest of the year! Find out more about membership here. Once you purchase, you’ll be redirected to a page with your registration link for the summit. You will also receive an email from community@futureofgood.co containing the link.

SOLD OUT: Super early bird tickets 

SOLD OUT: Early bird tickets 

SOLD OUT: Regular tickets

SOLD OUT: Group tickets

Tickets for the 2022 Black Leadership in Social Impact Summit are now sold out. If you don’t want to miss out on the next Future of Good event, sign up for updates here.

JOIN the conversation using #Blackleadershipsummit

SCHEDULE

DAY 1

11:00

CONFERENCE OPENING

11:15 – 12:15

BLACK POWER PANEL: SHIFTING POWER & NARRATIVE

12:30 – 1:45

BLACK EQUITY PANEL: EQUITABLE SOCIAL POLICY

1:45 – 3:00

BRAINDATES

3:15 – 4:15

BLACK CAPITAL KEYNOTE: SHIFTING CAPITAL

DAY 2

11:00 – 1:45

BRAINDATES

1:45 – 2:00

LIGHTNING TALK WITH Meseret Haileyesus, CCFWE

2:00 – 3:00

CONCURRENT PANEL SESSIONS

(1) Building anti-racist grantmaking & social finance

(2) Building anti-racist community services & programs

(3) Building anti-racist teams

(4) Learning from grassroots movements

3:00 – 3:15

LIGHTNING TALK WITH CEDRIC BROWN, ATLANTIC INSTITUTE

3:15 – 4:15

BLACK FUTURES PANEL

PLENARY DESCRIPTIONS

We open the summit with a celebration of the powerful work of Black leaders and changemakers — the foundations laid by Black elders and the ways Black changemakers of today push for and achieve a more inspiring, equitable, and just world. 

This plenary focuses on reimagining social policy and how its created — highlighting the ways governments and civil society organizations throughout Canada have failed their Black citizens, and how Black leaders in social policy and activists are navigating change in the policy process.

Join us for a keynote that explores what’s possible if Black communities, entrepreneurs, and changemakers had meaningful and equitable access to capital — and what non-Black-led people and institutions with disproportionate access to capital can do to shift it. 

Now what?  What’s on the horizon when it comes to Black power, Black equity, and Black capital? How might we all take insights from this summit forward into our everyday work? Join us for this provocative discussion with a panel of forward-looking Black changemakers. 

CONCURRENT SESSION DESCRIPTIONS

Miniscule percentages of Canadian philanthropic and impact investment dollars go to Black-led, Black-serving organizations — despite that these organizations are doing some of the country’s most urgent and important work. But anti-racism in funding isn’t just about increasing those percentages; it’s also about changing the way funding is done. What does that mean in practice?

Like all social purpose work, there’s an inherent power imbalance embedded in community services and programs. The reality — and the legacy of historical, racist exclusion from systems of wealth, voice and power — is that most social programs are designed, developed and led by white people and racialized Canadians are disproportionately represented in those who access those programs. What does this mean, and how might community services embed anti-racism?

It’s not enough for workplaces and teams to be inclusive, diverse, and equity-focused — essential as these shifts are. To foster and support the extraordinary ideas and talent of Black leaders and changemakers, teams must be actively anti-racist. What meaningful action can organizations take to get there?

Black communities across Canada and around the world have been organizing, advocating for justice, and taking care of one another since time immemorial. From mutual aid to activism, what can the institutional world of social impact learn from this persistent, gritty, grassroots work? How can it follow Black movements’ lead?

SPEAKERS

More speakers to be announced

Adrian Harewood

CBC
moderator

Adrian is the host of CBC News Ottawa at 6. Harewood attended elementary and high school at Ashbury College, and was involved in community radio at CKCU (Carleton University) and CHUO (University of Ottawa). He has been a guest host on national CBC programs such as As it Happens, Sounds Like Canada and The Current. 

Allison Dunne

Founder, Pink Flamingo

Allison Dunne is a Black arts and culture advocate dedicated to facilitating QTBIPOC programming. She is founder of Pink Flamingo: a queer, Black-led organization based in Calgary, Alberta. Their initiatives have given the community access to equity-based funds that promote authenticity, culture and the expression of self.

Amina Doherty

Co-founder, Black Feminist Fund

Amina Doherty (she/her/hers) is a Nigerian/Antiguan feminist. Amina is a co-founder of the Black Feminist Fund and is a founding member of FRIDA | The Young Feminist Fund. Currently, Amina is the Director of the Women’s Voice and Leadership-Caribbean program at the Equality Fund. She currently sits as a co-chair of the Global Fund for Women Board of Directors.

Cedric Brown

Senior Fellow for Racial Equity, Atlantic Institute

Cedric Brown is an award-winning social impact leader with 20+ years of deep and varied experience in the philanthropy and NGO sectors. He has built a significant track record of working to ensure pathways to opportunities for people of colour in the U.S. through tech startup entrepreneurship, tech inclusion and equity, college readiness and completion, arts and cultural representation, and voter education/civic engagement.

David Delisca

Poet
PERFORMER

David Delisca will open day two of our summit with a special in-studio performance.

Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah

Executive Director, Canadian Centre for Gender & Sexual Diversity

Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah is an award-winning Black feminist with over 8 years of local and international advocacy
experience in a variety of roles ranging from programming and counseling to policy analysis and
project management. She became the new Executive Director at the Canadian Centre for Gender
and Sexual Diversity (CCGSD) in July 2020.

Dela Wilson

Founder and Principal, Axle Impact Studio

Dela is the founder and managing director of Axle Impact Studio, a global social impact design and strategy firm, and the founder of Due Goodies, a promotional products company targeting the student loan debt crisis. She has advised technology and entrepreneurial ecosystems, nonprofit organizations and corporations on cultural transformation, impact evaluation and design across eight countries, all guided by a central question: how do we design to reposition the margin? 

Dorothy Williams

President, Blacbiblio.com, Inc.

Dr. Dorothy Williams has over 30 years managerial, administrative and volunteer experience within the non-profit sector. Her knowledge of the history and Black community there is unparalleled.  She was the Executive Director of both the Negro Community Centre and the Black Community Resource Centre, and DESTA where she was the key grant-writer and project manager. 

Dunia Nur

President, African Canadian Civic Engagement Council

Dunia Nur is the President of the African Canadian Civic Engagement Council (ACCEC), a national public affairs organization based in Edmonton, Alberta. The African Canadian Civic Engagement Council’s mandate is to protect and promote people of African descent’s dignity and human rights while celebrating our people’s significant contributions to our society and worldwide.

Emilie Nicolas

Columnist, Le Devoir

Emilie Nicolas is a columnist with Le Devoir and the Montreal Gazette and a frequent media commentator, analyst, public speaker, educator and consultant on public policy, equity, human rights, international cooperation, race and gender issues. She is a regular contributor to CBC’s Power & Politics and Let’s Go as well as CTV’s PowerPlay, and has been published in several journals, magazines and newspapers, both in French and English. 

Fabienne Pierre-Jacques

Managing Director, Community Knowledge Exchange
MODERATOR

Fabienne Pierre-Jacques is Managing Director of Community Knowledge Exchange; a social change agency committed to the pursuit of just futures. A strong commitment to social justice and community-led development has guided her volunteer and paid work, including positions in both the english and french speaking Black communities in Montreal and during her years working in International Development. monitoring and evaluation.

Funke Olokude

Executive Director, Ribbon Rouge

Funke has over fifteen years of extensive work experience in the social service industry working with diverse populations and sectors in Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta where she has continuously promoted equity in policy and practice that have led to transformational relationships between individuals and within systems. 

Ikem Opara

National Director of Learning Partnerships, Rideau Hall Foundation

Ikem Opara is a Nigerian immigrant to Canada, where he spends his time in the public and non-profit sectors building relationships and partnerships for social impact. A connector by nature, his career has included hyperlocal projects across Canada to leading or supporting international development programs in Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, Nepal, and Cuba. 

Dr. Jacqueline Bouvier Copeland

Founder, Black Philanthropy Month
KEYNOTE

An award-winning innovator, Dr. Jackie Bouvier Copeland bridges diverse disciplines and communities to heal people, society, and the planet. She is founder and chief executive officer of The Women Invested to Save Earth Fund (WISE), also the backbone organization for other global Black initiatives she has created, such as Black Philanthropy Month and Reunity.

Karen Diop

Program Manager, Anti-Black Racism Action Plan, McGill University

Karen Diop joined the McGill University Equity team as Program Manager, Anti-Black Racism Action Plan. Her work focuses on anti-oppression education and anti-racism education. She has international experience in qualitative research and programming on gender and global migration issues.

Kiana "rookz" Eastmond

Founder of Sandbox Studios & CEO of Toronto Music Association

Kiana ‘rookz’ Eastmond ♖♖ has become a well known public figure, starting her career in music, evolving into an executive, from a founder to a 5x award-winning serial entrepreneur. rookz has been featured for her impact by global brands like Nike and Google, making headlines in The Globe & Mail all the way to Complex magazine, and most notably has been a keynote speaker over 150 times in over 25 cities.

Dr. Kwame McKenzie

Director of Health Equity, CAMH

Dr. Kwame McKenzie is the CEO of Wellesley Institute and is an international expert on the social causes of mental illness, suicide and the development of effective, equitable health systems. As a policy advisor, clinician and academic with over 250 papers, 5 books, and numerous awards he has worked across a broad spectrum to improve population health and health services for three decades.

Liban Abokor

Executive Director, Youth LEAPS

Liban Abokor is the Executive Director of Youth LEAPS, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving educational and employment outcomes for Black youth in Toronto. Liban was a founding member of Ontario’s Premiers Council on Youth Opportunities, which guided the development of Ontario’s Youth Action Plan and Youth Opportunities Fund. 

Louise Adongo

Executive Director, Inspiring Communities

Louise Adongo is a bold and grounded leader who brings over a decade of experience in systems change, policy and evaluation to Inspiring Communities. She is known for bringing care and intention to uncovering the roots of tangled problems; enabling shifts to greater resilience, sustainability and impact. She believes in carving institutional spaces that are more nimble, transparent and creative.

Malvin Wright

VERGE Capital

Malvin Wright is a community development practitioner with over 20 years of experience leading global health and community development projects, programs and campaigns in over 4 countries globally, Nunavut and Ontario.

Mebrat Beyene

Executive Director, Wish Drop In Centre Society

Mebrat is an Eritrean, born in Ethiopia and raised in Montreal. As executive director of WISH and co-chair of Living in Community, Mebrat supports women and initiatives related to the health and safety of women and gender-diverse people engaged in street-based sex work. 

Meseret Haileyesus

Executive Director, Canadian Center for Women's Empowerment

Meseret Haileyesus is a multi-award-winning economic justice and health equity advocate, change-maker, and social entrepreneur. She is the CEO of the Canadian Centre for Women’s Empowerment, the only Canadian organization addressing economic injustice and abuse with a keen interest in addressing systemic barriers and other challenges that prevent women and girls from fully realizing their economic rights.

Nathan Hall

CEO, Culture Check

Nathan Hall is an award-winning entrepreneur, business leader and educator. He is the Founder and CEO of Culture Check, a learning and developing social enterprise that empowers individuals and organizations to address racial inequity in the workplace. It has been said that his ability to simplify complex issues and put audiences at ease when discussing such uncomfortable topics has been his secret weapon.

Nick Nurse

Senior Associate, Social Impact and Corporate Citizenship
MODERATOR

Nick Nurse was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario to a large, Caribbean family.  In 2015 Nick made the transition from retail to corporate HR at TD and supported multiple streams of focus including Employee Programs and Leaves Management. His work in Diversity and Inclusion over the years, as well as his own lived experiences, have broadened his understanding of social justice issues in the Black, LGBTQ2+ and Indigenous communities.

Nneka Otogbolu

Director of Communications and Equity Strategy, Edmonton Community Foundation

Nneka Otogbolu is the Director of Communications and Equity Strategy at Edmonton Community Foundation. In addition to the strategic leadership of the Foundation’s equity efforts, Nneka works to enhance the Foundation’s ability to connect with equity-seeking organizations and charities working with Edmonton’s several marginalized communities.

Onome Ako

CEO, Action Against Hunger

Onome Ako is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Action Against Hunger Canada, an  international humanitarian organization that fights hunger and its root causes worldwide. Ako has led  initiatives in more than 20 countries with organizations including Amref Health Africa, World  Vision Canada, AfricaRecruit (a program of the Commonwealth) and UNESCO-Regional Bureau  for Education.

Paul Bailey

Executive Director, Black Health Alliance

Paul is a strategist, urban planner and Executive Director at the Black Health Alliance. Paul has spent the last decade designing interventions focused on improving outcomes for Black children, youth and families as it relates to: health and well-being, community violence, mental health and addictions, and the social service sector. His work is currently focused on social planning, health equity, and addressing the causes of neighbourhood distress and inequality.

Paulette Senior

President & CEO, Canadian Women’s Foundation

Paulette Senior is President & CEO of the Canadian Women’s Foundation. She has devoted her career to empowering women and girls to overcome barriers and reach their full potential. Paulette joined the Foundation in 2016, after 10 years as CEO of YWCA Canada. Her work with the Foundation is guided by the vision of an inclusive, national movement toward gender equity that will strengthen all Canadians.

Peter Flegel

Executive Director, Government of Canada anti-racism secretariat

Peter Flegel is the Executive Director of the Government of Canada’s Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat, a cornerstone of Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy. With his diverse team, Peter is driving whole-of-government systems change in the federal government from an anti-racism perspective.

Rito Joseph

Founder, Black Montreal Experiences

A self-taught Guest Speaker on Cultural Identity, Researcher and Entrepreneur, Rito has been chronicling the history and presence of Black Canadians for over half a decade while also conducting historical walking tours throughout the island of Montreal to keep the memory and the omitted pieces of historical content about the afro-descendant presence in Canada and its international links alive while keeping the lineage of black history active.

Rosemary Sadler

Order of Ontario
OPENING

Rosemary Sadlier OOnt (Order of Ontario) is a social justice advocate, researcher, writer, consultant, and, international speaker on Black History, anti-racism and womens issues. She is the past President, serving for 22 years as the unpaid leader of the Ontario Black History Society. 

Rudayna Bahubeshi

Manager of Operations, Equity Ontario Health Equity Office

Rudayna Bahubeshi has nearly ten years of experience in nonprofits, charities and government. Her work in recent years has included leading programs at Canadian Women’s Foundation; leading communications and stakeholder engagement at Inspirit Foundation; writing policy for the Centre for Advancing the Interests of Black People at TCHC; and working on municipal and federal political campaigns for progressive candidates. 

Sadie Kuehn

First Black school trustee on the Vancouver School Board

Sadie offers a lifetime perspective on the shifts of anti-racism, civil/human rights and equity organizing and understanding, that will be applied to current situations, impacting children in the public schools, parents, as well as community organizing, and the capacity — or lack thereof — of boards, their staff, governments, businesses and other institutions, to effectively respond to racism, bigotry and hate, which exists at so many levels of our systems and structures. 

Sherlyn Assam

Editorial fellow, Future of Good
moderator

Sherlyn Assam (she/her) is a freelance writer and a Master of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership candidate at Carleton University. Her work explores philanthropy, faith and spirituality, social justice, intersectional feminism, youth, and human trafficking. She has published stories with PANL Perspectives, Future of Good, Broadview, Our Times, and Trad Magazine. 

Shequita Thompson-Reid

Director of Programs, Eva's Institute

Shequita Thompson-Reid has been working at the intersections of community development and equity for 17 years. Currently, she brings with her expertise within the fields of program development, youth engagement, capacity building, housing, violence prevention, Conflict Mediation and Equity.

Sydney Piggott

Director of Community Engagement, Elevate
MODERATOR

Sydney Piggott (she/her) is a civil society leader, researcher, and advocate for gender equity
and social justice on a global scale. She is the Director of Community Engagement at Elevate where she co-creates community-based solutions to reduce barriers to employment for underrepresented jobseekers.

Sylvia Parris

CEO, Delmore "Buddy" Daye Learning Institute

Sylvia is President of SVPARRIS CONSULTING and the CEO of the Delmore “Buddy” Daye Learning Institute. Her work in education, strategic facilitation and the community is rooted in core Africentric Principles. She has a successful history of collaboration with the communities and stakeholders with whom she has worked.

Tyson Bankert

Black Leadership Alliance Council
MODERATOR

Tyson’s (he/him) personal slogan is, Promote Justice, Edify Others and Befriend the Lonely. Tyson is blessed to be able to practice these attributes in his work. Tyson is a community developer and facilitator nerd. His interest in community development comes at the intersection of justice and community development, and his work is based on equity, wellness, and agency.

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS

Interested in partnering with Future of Good and FFBC on this event? Contact Thi Dao here to discuss.

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