Connections & Conversations: CGLCC Matchmaking Evening
Connections & Conversations: CGLCC Matchmaking Evening
December 3 @ 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Don’t miss out on this exciting in-person event, where 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and allies come together to foster meaningful connections and explore new business opportunities. The evening will feature:
- Networking with certified suppliers and corporate partners
- Inspiring fireside chat set to provoke some conversations
- Matchmaking sessions to connect with potential business collaborators
- Food and beverages to fuel your conversations and connections
Venue: CSI Spadina Lounge, Ground Floor, 192 Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON M5T 2C2
This event is the perfect chance to build strategic partnerships and expand your network in a dynamic, inclusive setting. Limited seats available, so make sure to register early and secure your spot for this exclusive opportunity!
Register below and stay tuned for venue updates!
Program Schedule
3:30 PM – 4:00 PM | Registration & Welcome Reception
4:00 PM – 4:15 PM | Opening Remarks
4:15 PM – 5:00 PM | Keynote Presentation/Fireside Chat with Jennifer Ménard-Shand
5:00 PM – 5:40 PM | Light Dinner & Networking
5:40 PM – 6:40 PM | Corporate-Supplier Sourcing Roundtables
6:40 PM – 7:00 PM | Closing Remarks & Next Steps
7:00 PM | Event Concludes
Keynote speaker
Our Team
As a First Nations Ojibwe and French-Canadian entrepreneur, Jennifer Ménard-Shand always dreamed of leading a purpose-driven organization. Today, she lives that dream as the founder and CEO of Staff Shop, an award-winning certified diverse staffing firm. Through sharing her inspirational entrepreneurial journey as well as insight into the Canadian labour market, truth and reconciliation in the workplace, DEI, and more, Ménard-Shand inspires leaders and their teams to reach their full potential both at home and work.
Ménard-Shand began her career in 2008 at one of Toronto’s most trusted full-service recruitment agencies, The Bagg Group. In 2013, she created Bagg @ Your Service, the organization’s first hospitality and event division, before purchasing her creation in 2018 and evolving it into Staff Shop. Today, her company services hundreds of clients across North America and deploys thousands of employees throughout Canada as a full-service staffing and consulting firm with a focus on global expansion. In 2023, Ménard-Shand founded her second company, FireFlames, a trinity of delicious hot sauces that provides health-conscious eaters with varying heat levels.
Ménard-Shand’s entrepreneurial story celebrates the triumph of resiliency as a survivor of abuse, abandonment, domestic violence, imposter syndrome, and PTSD. She is committed to breaking the silence and putting an end to generational trauma and unhealthy cycles. There is no limit to the positive impact Staff Shop and Ménard-Shand can have on humanity. This is what drives her to do her best and leave a legacy worth following for future generations.
In addition, Ménard-Shand serves on the board of Victim Services Toronto to continue her mission to clear the path for others to succeed in various communities while leaving a legacy worth following as a servant leader.