Advertisement

New Brunswick startup helping to make companies more diverse

Click to play video: 'New Brunswick startup helping to make companies more diverse'
New Brunswick startup helping to make companies more diverse
WATCH: In the era of the #MeToo and Times Up movement, New Brunswick's Mesh Diversity is helping businesses create an inclusive and diverse culture in their workforce. Megan Yamoah has the latest – Feb 11, 2019

In the era of the #MeToo and Times Up movement, New Brunswick’s Mesh Diversity is helping businesses create an inclusive and diverse culture in their workforce.

According to the 2016 census, only 3.4 per cent of the population of New Brunswick are visible minorities.

READ MORE: Black History month poem inspires Kingston teacher, class and school

The concept for the company was inspired by the co-founders professional experiences

“18 years of racism in a country that would welcome you but not necessarily include you” says said Dr. Leeno Karumanchery, Chief Diversity Officer of Mesh Diversity.

Karumanchery says sexism, homophobia and racism are alive and real and he wants to help companies understand how to deal with it productively.

Story continues below advertisement

Their software platform provides actionable, real-time metrics that drive healthier more productive business principles, while putting safety, belonging and inclusion at the forefront.

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“Organizations who are interested in diversity, interested in inclusion can actually do that while getting the main business done too,” said Karumanchery

Intelisys Aviation Systems hired Mesh Diversity a year ago to help with their IT offices in India and Vietnam, but they also use the service here too.

“I think our industry has a diversity problem, our geography has a diversity problem we live in an area of the world that is very white, Christian, male, so that is reflected in our company being based here,” says Wayne Chamberlain, president of InteliSys Aviation Systems.

“When we’re recruiting locally we want to make sure none of our implicit biases are coming into that process.”

WATCH: Mapping out the African Nova Scotian Directory

Click to play video: 'Mapping out the African Nova Scotian Directory'
Mapping out the African Nova Scotian Directory

Chamberlain says his last dozen new hires have shown the impact mesh diversity has. The training and management solutions Mesh Diversity implements can be tracked online by clients.

Story continues below advertisement

“The candidates that are joining our team now are just an amazing fit for us culturally and it has kind of hit the ground running and feels like they have been here since forever so that alone has been worth the investment for us,” said Chamberlain

For Mesh Diversity, business is booming and they are expanding to the USA and Europe.

To support their new growth they are now hiring content marketers and software developers.

Sponsored content

AdChoices