Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

“Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.” Verna Myers – Diversity Advocate

As so many organizations have, the events of 2020 and what they echoed historically and systemically, caused us to pause and reflect on how we can do better in embracing and living Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in our organization. And as a growing bi-national organization whose mission is connecting people across borders, work that by its very nature is about diversity and inclusivity, our MAPLE Business Council leadership team felt we were overdue to address DEI.

We are sharing our DEI commitments because they are integral to our mission and the value we want to deliver to our members and partners.  Moreover, as a membership-based organization, we have a large window on a wide variety of organizations and business sectors. This is both an opportunity to learn from our members and an opportunity to share our learnings with others. We can also learn from the DEI work that is happening in the United States and Canada. Not to take advantage of this unique vantage point would be a significant missed opportunity.

In 2020, we took an important step forward in addressing a gender imbalance on our leadership team. We appointed four women executives including our Board of Directors, Advisory Board and regional leadership. This is of course just one step in our DEI journey. 

In 2021, we made DEI our first themed issue of our monthly e-publication, MOMENTUM, with a special issue devoted to our members’ and partners’ insights on their own DEI journeys. And we also had the pleasure of learning from one of our members, Sem Ponnambalam, a successful woman entrepreneur in tech, through our Conversations video series including a special full-length recording of our discussion of her DEI journey from Sri Lanka to Canada and the United States. We look forward to sharing more content in 2022.

“Looking across a border is itself an act of inclusion.”

 MAPLE DEI Statement

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are fundamental building blocks in our mission to promote economic ties between Canada and the United States. People, organizations and nations can only trade, invest and collaborate successfully together if there is an underlying respect, trust and accountability for and to one another. Looking across a border is itself an act of inclusion. 

MAPLE DEI Mission

Our mission is to make Diversity, Equity and Inclusion integral to our community as evidenced by the composition, voice and actions of our leadership team, members and partners. 

MAPLE DEI Vision

MAPLE Business Council recognizes diversity as an asset, and through our leadership, management, membership and partnerships, we will reflect the diversity of the cross-border communities we serve. MAPLE will be an inclusive community that is equitable and non-discriminatory in the treatment, access, opportunity and advancement for all. We want our actions to positively influence others to embrace these values too.

MAPLE DEI Values

We welcome members and staff without bias to age, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, color, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, or creed.

We commit to deliberate efforts to ensure our community is a place where every individual feels a sense of belonging and inclusion.

We welcome differences and respectfully hear different perspectives.

We celebrate the DEI that underpins our cross-border community.

We project DEI in how we present our community to others.

We are a student of DEI actively learning from our members, partners and the broader community.

We do not tolerate attitudes or actions that do not respect DEI openly or privately.