SEF June Pride + National Indigenous History Month
June 1st hits and we see logos turn to rainbows with hashtags like hashtag#loveislove and hashtag#lovewins and hashtag#pridemonth being put out everywhere.
Then July 1st rolls around and the logos go back, the hashtags end, and it seems like it's all temporary.
June isn't just Pride month though - it's also National Indigenous History Month in Canada.
At SEF, we don't do temporary, we specialize in long-term, sustained support for each individual and community.
It's in our name: Sustainable Economic Futures.
Pride is year round, not just in June. 2SLGBTQ+ Entrepreneurs, patrons, and community members fight for their human rights year round.
Indigenous History goes beyond a month and traces back thousands of years and the fight for recognition and sovereignty is on every day.
SEF's primary objective is to develop and nurture small and medium sized businesses by empowering not only individual business owners but entire communities to take ownership and create change in their local economies.
It's important to not just acknowledge but celebrate the unique needs of each individual and community - it's how we create equitable and sustainable economies. We have always prioritized the expertise of the community in their own needs. When the communities we serve have that self-knowledge and sovereignty and self-advocacy, we see several outcomes:
Economic development and diversification of the community, including the creation of new jobs in a more diverse array of businesses, increased community assets, and improved quality of life in the community.
A culture of entrepreneurship remains in the community, as community resource teams, facilitators, and program participants become skilled community leaders who can mentor future generations of entrepreneurs.
Improved economic and social health of the community as members of under-represented groups (including women, older adults, youth, and indigenous community members) are empowered through entrepreneurship.
Increased local services available in the community as residents tailor new businesses to the needs of their communities.
From <https://sefcanada.com/virtual-entrepreneurial-development>
June being Pride Month and Indigenous History Month serves as a reminder that these communities need to be uplifted.
2SLGBTQ+-owned businesses represent over $22 billion in economic activity (CGLCC, 2022).
Gross domestic product attributed to Indigenous people has grown over $7 billion dollars from 2012 to 2020 to $48.9 billion (Statistics Canada, 2021).
The Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce reported that 2SLGBTQ+ entrepreneurs tend to have more diverse employees:
"2SLGBTQ+-owned businesses tend to employ more women (44% of 2SLGBTQ+-owned businesses vs. 41% of overall Canadian businesses), persons with disabilities (15% vs. 6%) and people identifying as Indigenous (9% vs. 5%)." (CGLCC, 2022).
These statistics are staggering considering the amount of research that supports that companies with inclusive practices towards gender and racial diversity as well as 2SLGBTQ+ folks "perform better financially" (Forbes, 2021).
It's smart business, it's community building, and it's necessary for sustainable economic futures.
SEF Canada is proud to celebrate both Pride month and Indigenous History Month and is committed to working year-round to continue removing barriers of access as well as constant learning and advocacy.
References and further reading:
We wouldn't be SEF if we couldn't then point you to some small businesses! The wonderful folks at Flamingo Market have created an entire website database for Canadian 2SLGBTQ small businesses! You can check them out here:
Access and Equity for 2SLGBTQ+ Business in Canada: CGLCC, 2022 (https://www.cglcc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Access-and-Equity-for-2SLGBTQ-Businesses-in-Canada.pdf)
Diversity Confirmed to Boost Innovation and Financial Results: Forbes, 2020 (https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesinsights/2020/01/15/diversity-confirmed-to-boost-innovation-and-financial-results/?sh=6c61c5bec4a6)
Pride Pays: LGBT-Friendly Businesses Are More Profitable, Research Shows: Forbes, 2021 (https://www.forbes.com/sites/josiecox/2021/05/24/pride-pays-lgbt-friendly-businesses-are-more-profitable-research-shows/?sh=6f05f1ff3d07)
Why do corporations embrace the LGBTQ+ cause? London School of Economics, 2023 (https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessreview/2023/02/23/why-do-corporations-embrace-the-lgbtq-cause/)
Using Entrepreneurship to Empower the Marginalized: Medium, 2019 (https://medium.com/nonviolenceny/using-entrepreneurship-to-empower-the-marginalized-7ad22eb53652#:~:text=Additionally%2C%20entrepreneurial%20success%20is%20not,the%20community%20they%20came%20from.)
Why Supporting Underserved Small Business Matters: New Economy Initiative (https://neinsights.org/why-supporting-underserved-small-businesses-matters/)
Sodexo's 2021 Indigenous Business Report: Sodexo, 2021 (https://ca.sodexo.com/corporate-responsibilty/responsible-community-diversity/diversity-inclusion/indigenous-communities-nations/indigenous-report.html)
Indigenous-owned businesses in Canada: confronting challenges, forecasting growth: Statistics Canada, 2023 (https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/2762-indigenous-owned-businesses-canada-confronting-challenges-forecasting-growth
Ways to Engage During Indigenous History Month: University of Guelph, 2023 (https://news.uoguelph.ca/2023/06/ways-to-engage-during-indigenous-history-month/)
Expert View: Can Entrepreneurship Empower Marginalized Groups? University of Kent, 2022 (https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/kbs-news-events/2022/11/expert-view-can-entrepreneurship-empower-marginalized-groups/)