There is no doubt that The Standard will continue to be a catalyst for change for many years to come.
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In 2020, at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement and following the tragic death of George Floyd, 13 Black women with decades of global experience in marketing decided it was time for change. They felt uniquely qualified to lead the charge for reform by using their combined experience and achievements in marketing to address systemic barriers in the industry. Having faced recurring obstacles in their advancement as both corporate leaders and entrepreneurs, they came together to cultivate a community and national network called The Canadian Black Standard.
This inclusive organization is better known as The Standard, a nod to how the gaps in support and representation of Black women in the industry required advocacy and change to create a new “standard.” The Standard is proud to be Canada’s premier networking and advocacy platform addressing systemic barriers to the advancement in employment and inclusion of Black women in marketing.
Hearing about the emerging organization through volunteer connections, Blakes Partner Jake Gilbert discussed with colleagues how the Firm could lend pro-bono legal support to The Standard’s vision.
“From the get-go, we were very impressed by The Canadian Black Standard,” says Blakes Associate Gabrielle Wright. “They had a very important mission, a clear vision of how to make that happen and incredible partnerships lined up.”
To get The Standard up and running, Blakes provided legal support in registering the not-for-profit and drafting their governance documents. The founding members, through their passion and advocacy, also attracted support from other corporate partners like Royal Bank of Canada, the NBA, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, and Victory. Blakes assisted with the formalization of these relationships that provided the foundation from which The Standard has been able to grow significantly. Three years later, The Standard is proud to have been able to build on these corporate and community partnerships that are committed to dismantling racism and creating equity in the workplace.
Blakes Associate Keneca Pingue-Giles, who supported the partnerships and governance processes, says the passion of The Standard’s team was infectious: “The board was excited, engaged and responsive, and the work was really rewarding.”
Beyond assisting with the not-for-profit’s establishment, The Standard continues to partner with Blakes through the Black@Blakes network and gave a shout-out to Blakes for being named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers.
Jake Gilbert agrees that after assisting with the establishment of The Standard, it’s been rewarding to witness their growth and see how many professionals they’ve been able to engage in their mission to positively impact Canada’s marketing industry. “There is no doubt that The Standard will continue to be a catalyst for change for many years to come,” says Jake.
