{"id":60344,"date":"2025-06-24T10:01:06","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T14:01:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-cglcc-multisite.pantheonsite.io\/fr\/news\/vancouver-domestic-trade-mission-highlights\/"},"modified":"2025-10-22T16:13:16","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T20:13:16","slug":"vancouver-domestic-trade-mission-highlights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/queerchamber.ca\/fr\/news\/vancouver-domestic-trade-mission-highlights\/","title":{"rendered":"Empowering Growth Across Provincial Borders: Highlights from CQCC\u2019s Vancouver Domestic Trade Mission\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:44px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">From May 26 to 30, 2025, CQCC hosted its first-ever <strong>Domestic Trade Mission in Vancouver, BC<\/strong> \u2014 a landmark moment for Canada\u2019s 2SLGBTQI+ business community. This mission brought together <strong>21 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs and SMEs from across the country<\/strong>, connecting them to a vibrant local ecosystem of buyers, innovators, investors, and peers. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">With a curated program including seminars, coaching, daily debriefs, and full access to the inaugural <strong>Web Summit North America<\/strong>, the week was packed with purpose, connection, and momentum.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Kicking Things Off: CQCC Connect Vancouver<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We launched the week with <strong>CQCC Connect Vancouver<\/strong>, a powerful one-day mixer that set the tone for everything that followed during Web Summit. We\u2019re still buzzing from the energy of the <strong>breakout sessions<\/strong>, an <strong>inspiring fireside chat with Cicely Blain<\/strong>, and the thoughtful insights captured live by <strong>graphic recorder Miranda Maslany<\/strong>. It was a day that reminded us why we do this work \u2014 to create meaningful connections, inspire bold ideas, and build an economy where everyone belongs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udccd<strong>Next stop? Halifax.<\/strong> On October 9th, we\u2019ll bring CQCC Connect to the East Coast \u2014 where 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs, corporate changemakers, and passionate allies will once again gather to connect, learn, and grow. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More information and registration can be found <a href=\"https:\/\/queerchamber.ca\/event\/cglcc-connect-halifax\/\"><strong>here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Domestic Trade Mission By the Numbers<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>21 participating SMEs, including 12 on their first trade mission ever<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>180+ qualified leads generated<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hundreds of meetings and introductions facilitated<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>3 companies expedited certification to join the mission<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>147 attendees at the Queer Community Meet-up, powered by the Queer Innovation Zone (in collaboration with QueerTech, Misfits Ventures, Coldstart, VirtualGurus)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The highest number of applications ever received<\/strong> for a CQCC trade mission<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Delegate Voices: Real Impact, Real Inspiration<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cThis is the most hot leads I\u2019ve gotten from any trade mission with CQCC. Having Cass [and the CQCC team] there in person was life-changing\u2014he created a \u2018home base\u2019 and made the space welcoming.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cThe support and encouragement from the [delegation] pushed me to explore bigger partnerships than I\u2019d normally pursue.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cI\u2019m leaving deeply inspired. Innovation knows no borders.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">The mission not only generated business leads \u2014 it strengthened strategies, pitches, and confidence. Delegates emphasized how daily debriefs, private chat groups, and structured booth support created a sense of security and focus throughout the summit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Collaboration in Action: Stories from the Field<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\"><strong>Ty McKinney<\/strong>, CEO of 8 Bit Cortex, shared standout stories from the Web Summit:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-normal-font-size\"><strong>Business Matchmaking with Impact<\/strong>: Two Alberta-based companies began work with Indigenous communities on infrastructure projects backed by capital funding.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-normal-font-size\"><strong>Strategic Alliances<\/strong>: Queer-owned SMEs formed partnerships around burnout management, analytics, and grant writing.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-normal-font-size\"><strong>Social Impact at Scale<\/strong>: A drag fundraising initiative for addiction recovery gained momentum.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-normal-font-size\"><strong>QueerTech Visibility<\/strong>: The upcoming QueerTech Conference in Calgary received national interest thanks to promotion by delegates.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What We Learned: Gaps and Opportunities<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-normal-font-size\"><strong>Matchmaking remains essential<\/strong>: Delegates are eager for structured B2B matchmaking, even at domestic missions.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-normal-font-size\"><strong>Fund equitable travel<\/strong>: Intersectional entrepreneurs faced barriers due to limited travel funding \u2014 a gap that must be addressed as inter-provincial trade grows.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-normal-font-size\"><strong>Target mid-size buyers<\/strong>: Future programming must go beyond procurement teams and engage decision-makers with purchasing power.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Looking Ahead<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">This mission proved that <strong>inter-provincial trade missions work<\/strong> \u2014 building pipelines, unlocking markets, and amplifying the potential of 2SLGBTQI+ businesses.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\"><em>\u201cFor my first trade mission, I thought it was great! I\u2019m revved up and better prepared for the next opportunity.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\">With renewed energy, stronger networks, and bold ideas, CQCC is now better positioned to <strong>scale these efforts across the country<\/strong> \u2014 while advocating for inclusive funding and access so that <strong>no entrepreneur is left behind<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\"><strong>Special thanks to our Global Program Sponsors: Export Development Canada (EDC) and the Government of Canada<\/strong>, for their ongoing support in advancing inclusive trade through international collaboration.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div style=\"height:35px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure 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swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Read the highlights from our first-ever Domestic Trade Mission to Vancouver, BC!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":61066,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_trash_the_other_posts":false,"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","editor_notices":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60344","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/queerchamber.ca\/fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/10\/img_9172.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/queerchamber.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60344","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/queerchamber.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/queerchamber.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/queerchamber.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/queerchamber.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60344"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/queerchamber.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60344\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61065,"href":"https:\/\/queerchamber.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60344\/revisions\/61065"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/queerchamber.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61066"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/queerchamber.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/queerchamber.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60344"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/queerchamber.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60344"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}