How do you take your coffee?
Oat Milk Latte or Americano
Has the Canadian corporate landscape changed in terms of diversity & inclusion since you started working 11 years ago?
On a corporate level there is more of a pronounced effort to celebrate the BIPOC community and make Allyship stronger. At McDonald’s we started a BIPOC Employee Business Network in 2020 for corporate staff. I’ve been part of the BIPOC Steering Committee as a Partnerships Pillar Co-Lead. My role is to help celebrate key calendar events by planning and bringing dedicated events to life. This past May in honour of Asian Heritage Month we hosted a Book Club event by reading the book Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong. Last year we held two virtual panels in honour of both Asian Heritage month and Indigenous History month with guest speakers to touch on the key topics to which we wanted to bring awareness and mindfulness.
Have you seen changes in the coffee community on a local level?
On a community level I feel that over the years more independent coffee businesses owned by BIPOC owners have opened up in the neighbourhoods where I hang out. Some of them have really become a part of the community and I’m glad to support them.
If you could work towards ONE thing to increase diversity & inclusion in Canadian coffee, what would this be?
I would suggest supporting organizations that give the DE&I community a foot in the door to the coffee industry or find other ways to build awareness of existing opportunities. Whether through scholarships to support trade education, experience through apprenticeships, or business grants for coffee entrepreneurs, this would all help make our industry more Diverse and Inclusive.
