Supporting the Black Social Services Sector with Agapi Gessesse, ED CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals

03/04/21 • 31 min

The Black Social Services Sector, as Agapi describes it, isn’t getting the attention it needs. The CEE (Careers, Education, Empowerment) Centre for Young Black Professionals is taking that on. Hear how they are supporting 3B organizations – that’s Black-focused, Black-led (including Board representation), and Black-serving organizations, including many that are not registered charities.

In addition to supporting the sector, CEE provides direct programming, targeting particular industriesand creating demand-led workforce development solutions, with high retention rates. These programs provide not just training, but person-centred wrap-around supports, considering a trauma-informed approach to Anti-Black Racism and an approach culturally- relevant to Black Canadians. These programs are also being made available to other organizations to deliver in their local communities.

Finally, CEE is tackling policy change, at all levels of government, recognizing that change at the individual level is not enough.

This podcast will shed some light on how you or your organization could be supporting (or ignoring) the Black Community.

Resources

CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals: https://ceetoronto.org

Kitchen Masters and other CEE Programs : https://ceetoronto.org/programs/

DESTA: https://destabyn.org

Network for the Advancement of Black Communities (NABC): https://networkabc.ca

Black to the Future: https://blacktothefutureto.com

Unfunded: Black Communities Overlooked by Canadian Philanthropy: https://forblackcommunities.org/assets/docs/Unfunded-Report.pdf

Agapi Gessesse: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agessesse

Thank you for listening to Impact Conversations with Lynn Fergusson & Sally Fazal

Find out more about our work at Social Impact Advisors: https://socialimpactadvisors.ca

Finally, CEE is tackling policy change, at all levels of government, recognizing that change at the individual level is not enough.

This podcast will shed some light on how you or your organization could be supporting (or ignoring) the Black Community.

Resources

CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals: https://ceetoronto.org

Kitchen Masters and other CEE Programs : https://ceetoronto.org/programs/

DESTA: https://destabyn.org

Network for the Advancement of Black Communities (NABC): https://networkabc.ca

Black to the Future: https://blacktothefutureto.com

Unfunded: Black Communities Overlooked by Canadian Philanthropy: https://forblackcommunities.org/assets/docs/Unfunded-Report.pdf

Agapi Gessesse: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agessesse

Thank you for listening to Impact Conversations with Lynn Fergusson & Sally Fazal

Find out more about our work at Social Impact Advisors: https://socialimpactadvisors.ca

Previous Episode

Eating Disorders are Prevalent but Solvable, with Sonia Kumar, co-founder of Body Brave and the Body Peace Collaborative

As someone with lived experience, and as a person of mixed colour, Sonia brings a unique perspective to addressing eating disorders as a mental health issue, raising up the voices of people with lived experience and seeking more equitable access and support.

Sonia explains the issues and challenges facing people living with eating disorders , particularly through a pandemic that creates additional stress. She also shares some of the solutions developed by the national Body Peace Collaborative, including developing an award-winning e-platform for those experiencing eating disorders and their families, as well as to educate and support health care professionals to be better equipped to offer support.

Finally, Sonia shares some of her learning on the process. Solving these bigger societal issues often can’t be accomplished by one organization and means coming together as a collaborative for collective impact. This approach has its benefits and challenges, and Sonia shares both, concluding that it’s worth the effort.

Resources

Body Peace Collaborative/ Award-winning e-platform to access training, education and support: https://eatingdisordersu.org

Body Brave website: https://bodybrave.ca

Sonia Kumar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniaseguin

Priority Health Innovation Challenge: https://www.cfhi-fcass.ca/what-we-do/find-and-promote-innovators-and-innovations/priority-health-innovation-challenge

World Eating Disorders Action Day: June 2

Innoweave’s Collective Impact stream: https://innoweave.ca/streams/collective-impact/

Thank you for listening to Impact Conversations with Lynn Fergusson & Sally Fazal

Find out more about our work at Social Impact Advisors: https://socialimpactadvisors.ca

Next Episode

Business with Purpose – Creating Indigenous Software Testers, with Denis Carignan, Plato Testing President

As a social enterprise, we’ll hear how and why Plato Testing was created and the impact it was looking to have, intentionally setting a bold target for the number of Indigenous software testers they would create and leverage in Canada.

We hear now, five years later, how the planned impact is becoming a reality. We’ll hear about the partners they are working with, in post-secondary institutions and Indigenous training centres, and corporate partners who share in their mission and look to embed social responsibility principles in how they operate. We’ll learn of the successes they’re having, and most importantly, the impact it is having on the Indigenous employees working with Plato in various locations in Canada.

Resources

Plato Testing: http://www.platotesting.com

Denis Carignan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denis-carignan-3034a083

Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference: https://www.leadershipcanada.ca

Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report: https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1450124405592/1529106060525#chp2

Imagine Canada: https://www.imaginecanada.ca/en

Raven Indigenous Capital Partners: https://ravencapitalpartners.ca

CCNB/NBCC – New Brunswick Community College: https://nbcc.ca

Thank you for listening to Impact Conversations with Lynn Fergusson & Sally Fazal

Find out more about our work at Social Impact Advisors: https://socialimpactadvisors.ca