November 22, 2021
For today’s flavour of Secret Sauce, we want to congratulate Breakfast Culture's Founder & CEO, Jefferson Darrell on winning the 2021 LGBT+ Business Advocate of the Year Award from Canada's LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC).
This award recognizes an individual who has been a significant advocate and champion of LGBT+ businesses and entrepreneurs; and who has used their leadership, platform, influence and/or position to advance the overall mission of improving LGBT+ inclusion in Canada's economy.
"Having worked regularly with Jefferson Darrell, I have seen him in action in both queer and non-queer spaces," said Tim Morton, Founder & CEO of Prompta Consulting Inc., a Breakfast Culture business partner and nominator for this Award. "I've observed how his intersectionality is constantly at play. In queer spaces he is often the voice for racialized peoples and in non-queer spaces he is often the voice for both queer and racialized peoples. It truly amazes me how he navigates these spaces with ease, grace and diplomacy.
"His company [Breakfast Culture] takes a holistic approach to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), incorporating intersectionality and the business case for DEI. Much of Breakfast Culture's work addresses discrimination. When addressing homophobia he looks at how it intersects with other forms of discrimination such as racism, sexism, ableism, transphobia, and more. Today, Breakfast Culture is doing phenomenal work around diversity, equity and inclusion and moving the dial for LGBTQ+ peoples and even LGBTQ+ organizations including the AIDS/HIV sector, the marketing communications sectors and the arts and culture sectors. I was both proud and happy to nominate him and am thrilled that he has been recognized by the LGBTQ+ communities for this important work."
The award was presented at Canada's LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC) Sixth Annual Black & White Gala, The Unstoppable Ball on Friday, November 19, 2021 at the Delta Hotels by Marriott in downtown Toronto.
"Tonight is all about celebrating Canada's LGBT+ business community, and honouring those Canadian leaders [who] have been instrumental in driving LGBT+ economic growth," said Darrell Schuurman, Co-founder and CEO, CGLCC. "Congratulations to all of tonight's award nominees and winners -- the work that you are doing to support our community creates meaningful impact so thank you!"
The Award itself is a beautiful piece of artwork created and designed by Patrick Hunter, this year's Young LGBT+ Entrepreneur of the Year Award Winner. Patrick is a two spirit Ojibway Woodland Artist from Red Lake, Ontario. Hunter paints what he sees through a spiritual lens which is inspired by his homeland and growing up seeing the original works of Woodland painter Norval Morrisseau.
"For hundreds of years, people have come to Canada to seek out a better life for themselves and their families. The Maple Leaf has become a symbol for Canada that invokes feelings of peace, prosperity and safety," said Hunter. "Canada is not perfect, even though that might be what is projected. There's a long history of immoral acts towards minority groups that predates Canada herself. But a government does not always reflect the complete values of all of its people. What I've come to realize is that it is relationships with people that you love, and the positive relationships with your neighbours that make Canada great. "I designed this Maple Leaf to appear that it's in motion. The lines representing past, present and future generations coexisting, forming new relationships and phasing out old ideas because Canada isn't one flat colour anymore. It's dynamic, organically growing, and on track to right old wrongs. Still, after 500 years, it's a place where people from around the world want to come and have been welcomed with open arms." Let's break some eggs!
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