Built to be seen: A queer marketing lab - Optimizing your channels, metrics & A/B testing
2026-06-25 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Toronto)
Join us on June 25th at 2pm EST for our FINAL workshop with Charles McFarland! We will focus on optimizing your channels, metrics & A/B testing for more visibility.

Ready to turn your strategy into consistent momentum? In this final hands-on session, we’re putting your messaging into motion. Charles will coach you live on your Brandscripts and show you exactly where to “fish” by matching the right marketing channels to your ICP. You’ll learn how to test, measure, and scale your visibility strategies so you know what’s actually working. Leave with a concrete, 30-day action plan to confidently drive predictable growth.

We’re excited to partner with Inside Out Festival and Fondation Massimadi for this workshop series! Massimadi is offering a chance to our workshop attendees to win free tickets to their programming in October 2026!

See you there!

Webinar Wednesday : The Stories We Inherit, The Businesses We Build: Understanding Strategy in a World Full of Noise
2026-07-08 14:00 - 15:00
Session 1: The Stories We Inherit, The Businesses We Build: Understanding Strategy in a World Full of Noise

This session introduces participants to the foundations of strategic thinking and explores why many entrepreneurs mistake activity for strategy.

Through the lens of queer entrepreneurship, participants will examine how societal expectations, business myths, and inherited ideas about success can shape the way we make decisions in our businesses.

The session will explore:

What strategy is and what it is not

The difference between goals, vision, and strategy

Why many businesses operate without a clear strategy

Common characteristics of “bad strategy,” including vague ambitions, endless to-do lists, and the pressure to do everything at once

How successful organizations identify and focus on their most important challenges

The role of focus, prioritization, and trade-offs in building sustainable businesses

Participants will be introduced to a simple Strategic Diagnosis Framework that can be used to evaluate business decisions and identify where time, energy, and resources can have the greatest impact.

By the end of the session, participants will have a practical understanding of strategic thinking and a framework they can apply to their own businesses, creative practices, and entrepreneurial projects.

FAM Workshop: The Choices We Make, The Businesses We Create
2026-07-15 14:00 - 15:00
A strategy is only useful if it helps guide decisions.

Building on the concepts from Session 1, join us with Nissrine Shuman in this interactive workshop to help participants apply strategic thinking directly to their own businesses, creative practices, or entrepreneurial projects.

Every business is shaped by the choices we make: how we lead, communicate, adapt, and grow. Join us for this engaging FAM Workshop as we explore how intentional decision-making can help you build a business that reflects your values while setting you up for long-term success. Through practical insights and meaningful discussion, you’ll gain strategies to navigate uncertainty, make confident business decisions, and create with purpose. Whether you’re launching something new or looking to refine your next steps, this workshop offers valuable tools to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

The focus is not on doing more. It is on doing the right things, at the right time, with the resources available.

Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of where they are, where they want to go, and the strategic choices that can help them get there.

The Connection Café: Your monthly blend that brews networks, and big ideas
2026-07-16 14:00 - 15:00
The Connection Café: Your monthly blend that brews networks, and big ideas

Join us on Thursday, July 16th from 2–3 PM ET for a vibrant hour of intentional networking, authentic visibility, and plenty of “omg, same!” moments with fellow 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs and changemakers. This session will be hosted by the one and only Andrew ACE Edwards of DesignACE.

Whether you’re coming to share a new idea, find your next creative partner, or just want to vibe in community, this space is for you. Expect meaningful intros, playful conversation starters, and room to celebrate your wins and share what you’re working on. Think: the energy of speed networking with the depth of a heart-to-heart.

CQCC X TELUS Supplier Diversity Day
2026-09-11 11:00 - 15:00
Join us for a dynamic morning of candid conversation, shared learning, and practical connection-building at the CQCC x TELUS Supplier Diversity Day. This event brings together corporate leaders and diverse suppliers, thoughtfully matched by sector, goals, and logistics, to foster meaningful engagement and unlock new procurement opportunities. Together, we will explore how to strengthen pathways for diverse suppliers within corporate supply chains while building relationships that drive inclusive economic growth.

Location: 25 York Street, Toronto, ON – Flex Space | Floor 3

This event is exclusively for CQCC Certified Suppliers.

Agenda

10:20 – 11:00 – Registration Starts

11:00 – 11:10 – Entrance & Networking

11:10 – 11:20 – Opening Remarks

Welcome remarks from CQCC and TELUS. Overview of the day’s objectives.

11:20 – 12:05 – Interactive Panel and Table Dialogue

12:05 – 12:15 – Transition Break

Short break to allow for movement and preparation for the lunch session.

12:15 – 13:15 – Lunch

12:45 – 13:05 – Keynote Session

13:15 – 14:35 – Matchmaking Sessions

Extended matchmaking sessions form the core of the afternoon. Participants take part in structured rounds of pre-matched meetings, including one-to-one and small group discussions. Rotations occur at set intervals (25 mins) to maximize the number of meaningful connections.

14:35 – 14:45 – Closing Remarks

Closing reflections from CQCC and TELUS, including key takeaways, next steps, and upcoming opportunities for continued engagement within the supplier diversity programme.

14:45 – 15:00 – Open Networking and Follow-Ups

Participants reconnect with key contacts, exchange information, and identify the next steps for potential partnerships and collaboration.

Register

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.First Name *Surname *PronounsEmail *Job Title *Organization *City *Industry *How would you best describe your business size? *Microenterprise (less than 10 employees)Small (10-49 employees)Medium (50-249 employees)Large (250+ employees)What, if anything, is your affiliation with CQCC? *Certified SupplierRainbow RegisteredFAMOUT For BusinessCorporate PartnerEcosystem Fund RecipientCommunity Partner / Regional AffiliateCQCC staff / Board memberNot a memberNot a member, but interested!Other
accessibility requests, business

Is your SME owned and managed by an equity-deserving group that has been served? *2SLGBTQI+WomenVisible minoritiesIndigenous PersonsYouthPersons with disabilitiesN/AAre you from a rural, remote, or northern community? *YesNoAre you a 2SLGBTQI+ Entrepreneur? *YesNoIf you have any accessibility requests, please mention belowWe will try our best to accommodate your needs.If you have any dietary restrictions, please mention belowSubmit
