CGLCC Connect Vancouver
CGLCC Connect Vancouver
May 26 @ 9:30 am – 1:30 pm
Join us in Vancouver for CGLCC Connect, a premier event designed to bring together 2SLGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and allies in a dynamic and inclusive space. This is your opportunity to unlock new business opportunities, foster meaningful connections, and engage in insightful discussions that drive sustainable success.
What to Expect
This event offers a mix of engaging discussions, high-impact networking, and tailored opportunities to support the growth of LGBTQ+ businesses and supplier diversity initiatives.
- Breakout Sessions – Dive into engaging and thought-provoking breakout sessions tailored to your interests, where you’ll explore key topics, exchange ideas, and connect with like-minded professionals.
- Matchmaking Sessions – An exclusive opportunity for CGLCC-certified suppliers and corporate partners ONLY to connect in structured, high-value meetings aimed at fostering strategic partnerships and business opportunities.
Run of Show
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM | Registration open
- Welcome & Land Acknowledgment
- Introduction to session objectives
10:00 AM – 10:45 AM | Fireside Chat
10:45 AM – 11:45 AM | Breakout Sessions (Workshop-style)
11:45 AM – 12:30 PM | Networking Lunch
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Roundtable Matchmaking (Members Only)
- Open to CGLCC members only, this matchmaking session creates space for members who are actively looking to procure services or explore collaborations. Each table will be hosted by a member open to connections, with participants rotating every 15 minutes to spark new conversations and potential partnerships. This informal but focused setup supports cross-sector collaboration and builds visibility for small businesses across industries.
Why Attend?
Whether you are an established business owner, a corporate leader looking to expand your diverse supplier network, or an ally looking to support the LGBTQ+ business community, CGLCC Connect provides a space to engage, collaborate, and grow.
Join us for an inspiring and impactful day that will help shape the future of LGBTQ+ entrepreneurship and supplier diversity.
Register below and be part of this transformative experience.
Location: Jig Space, 8889 Laurel St unit 106, Vancouver, BC V6P 3V9
Speakers
Fireside Chat: Breaking Barriers, Winning Markets: Thriving as a Small Business in a Competitive World
Our Team
Cicely Belle Blain is a queer, neurodivergent writer, entrepreneur and activist from London, UK, now based in Vancouver. They are passionate about heart-centred leadership, anti-oppressive education and creating space for justice-oriented conversations and change. Cicely Belle is the CEO of Bakau Consulting, an anti-racist consulting company, the Editorial Director of Ripple of Change Magazine, and the author of Burning Sugar (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2020). They also instruct Executive Leadership at Simon Fraser University and serve on the board of the Tegan and Sara Foundation. Cicely Belle is one of the founders of Black Lives Matter Vancouver and was subsequently listed as one of Vancouver’s 50 most powerful people by Vancouver Magazine in 2018 and one of BC Business’s 30 under 30.
Breakout Session 1: Unlocking Growth: Building Stronger Supplier Networks
Our Team
Breakout room 2: Building a High-Performing Sales Funnel: Practical Workshop for Revenue Generation
Our Team
Romanian-born Ioana Birleanu built a 20-year career in frontline tech sales, becoming the first female LGBTQ+ sales director in Western Canada for a global tech leader and consistently ranking in the top 1% of performers worldwide. After co-founding Growth Flourishing with her wife, she now helps entrepreneurs and business leaders achieve authentic growth through sales and leadership advisory that aligns systems with values. Beyond her business, Ioana serves as an Adjunct Leadership Professor at Adler University and brings her unique perspective as an immigrant change-maker to various non-profit board leadership roles.
