Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons honours CCI’s Innovation Governance Program (iGP) with Corporate Leadership Award

FEBRUARY 9, 2023 — TORONTO, ON — The Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI) is proud to announce that it has received the Corporate Leadership Award from the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons (CFPDP) for its efforts to diversify Canada’s corporate boardrooms in the tech sector.

CCI is a national business association representing over 150 of Canada’s fastest-growing technology companies. In 2021, CCI launched the Innovation Governance Program (iGP) to develop necessary governance capacity in Canada’s tech sector to help companies scale-up globally. Since inception, CCI has prioritized recruiting from groups traditionally underrepresented in Canadian boardrooms — including women, people of colour, individuals with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, and members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

iGP is a multi-level education program that upskills current and prospective corporate directors in key areas of the intangible economy, including intellectual property and data governance, cybersecurity, finance and compliance. The program also offers in-depth sessions on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI); Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG); talent and skills development and more. Through CCI’s Board Member Advisory Program (BMAP), iGP graduates are amplified and marketed to Canada’s high-growth technology sector as qualified directors for roles on emerging and high-growth boards.

“We are thrilled to receive this award from the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons,” said Patrick Searle, Vice President of the Council of Canadian Innovators. “Canada’s tech sector has the power to shape our society and economy, and it’s important that we ensure it reflects the diverse communities that it serves. By diversifying Canada’s corporate boardrooms, we are helping to create a more inclusive and equitable tech sector and economy for everyone.”

iGP is offered in partnership with Sustainable Development Technology Canada, BMO, Bennett Jones, AltaML, Cycura, Deloitte, Innovation Asset Collective, Stonewood Group, The TMX Group, TECHNATION Canada, Women Get on Board, and QueerTech.

The CFPDP is a non-profit organization that works to empower individuals with disabilities through employment and community engagement. The organization is dedicated to promoting the full participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of society, including the boardroom. The Corporate Leadership Award is given to companies and organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to promoting accessibility and diversity in the workplace.

“The Council of Canadian Innovators is driving change by working to elevate qualified people with disabilities into the boardroom,” says The Honourable Vim Kochhar, Founding Chair of CFPDP. “Change starts from the top, where leaders use their influence and lived experiences to steer an organization’s direction, tone and culture. Bringing together people with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives results in more thoughtful and well-rounded decision-making. We applaud CCI for its efforts to diversify the boardrooms of Canada’s high-growth technology firms so that they can represent the full mosaic of our country’s population.”

CCI will continue its efforts to promote diversity and accessibility in the tech sector, including expanding access to its Board Member Advisory Program to help more companies increase the representation of individuals with disabilities on their boards. CCI believes that promoting diversity and inclusion is essential to building a more equitable and prosperous society for all.

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About the Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI): The Council of Canadian Innovators represents and works with over 150 of Canada’s fastest-growing technology companies. Our members are the CEOs, founders, and top senior executives behind some of Canada’s most successful ‘scale-up’ companies. All our members are job and wealth creators, investors, philanthropists, and experts in their fields of healthtech, cleantech, fintech, cybersecurity and ICT. Companies in our portfolio are market leaders in their verticals, commercialize their technologies in over 190 countries, and generate between $10M — $750M in annual recurring revenue. We advocate on their behalf for government strategies and increase their access to skilled talent, strategic capital, and new customers, as well as expanded freedom to operate for their global pursuits of scale. Learn more at www.canadianinnovators.org.

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About the Innovation Governance Program (iGP): Launched in Fall 2021, CCI’s Innovation Governance Program (iGP) is a comprehensive, multi-level governance training program that has trained 600 individuals to date on governance principles necessary to effectively govern start-up and scale-up companies. Through CCI’s Board Member Advisory Program, iGP graduates are amplified and marketed to Canada’s high-growth technology sector as qualified directors for roles on emerging and high-growth boards. For more information about iGP, please contact Gabriella Boulos (igp@canadianinnovators.org) or attend an upcoming iGP information session.

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About the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons:Founded in 1984, the goal of the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons (CFPDP) is consistently to seek to put the emphasis on a person’s abilities — rather than disabilities — and to recognize and celebrate their achievements and contributions to society. Since then, CFPDP has initiated dozens of important projects and events, raising over $35 million. Learn more at https://www.cfpdp.com/.

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