*** For Immediate Release ***
February 1, 2022 (Toronto, ON, Canada) – Boutique JEDI (justice equity decolonization inclusion) marketing communications consultancy, Breakfast Culture, is a finalist for the PRNews’ 2022 Social Impact Awards, honouring outstanding corporate social responsibility (CSR) and diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) initiatives, to be handed out in Arlington, Virginia on April 20 & 21, 2022. Calling their finalists “2022’s Most Impactful Communicators,” the Social Impact Awards have recognized Breakfast Culture’s work on the Ontario AIDS Network’s (OAN’s) STEP FORWARDProject created in partnership with the 54Lights podcast. STEP FORWARD was named as a finalist in three categories:
Best Health/Public Safety Campaign
Best Campaign by a Black-Owned Business
Best Campaign by a LGBTQIA2+ Owned Business
“On behalf of the entire Breakfast Culture Team, we are thrilled and honoured by this recognition of our work,” says Breakfast Culture Founder & CEO Jefferson Darrell. “We are all proud to have collaborated on OAN’s STEP FORWARD Project. It’s a shining example of the type of work we do at the agency, projects where marketing and communications intersect with diversity, inclusion and belonging. We are excited that a new company like ours is included among some of these industry veterans.”
“The STEP FORWARD Project was created to engage leaders working in Ontario’s community-based HIV/AIDS sector to step forward and lead challenging and courageous conversations about the impact of anti-Black and anti-indigenous racism in their work,” says OAN Executive Director Shannon Ryan. Drawing from a 40-year history of activism and dedication to inclusion and anti-oppression, this project aimed to create a platform that challenged Ontario’s 40+ AIDS service organizations, their leaders and their 500+ staff to engage in self-education, planning, and action by connecting them with resources for change and a diverse group of Black thought-leaders.
Data demonstrates that African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) and indigenous communities are disproportionately affected by HIV due to systemic issues of racism. The STEP FORWARD Project features four main components, with the goal of exploring and reflecting on a single question: “To what extent does white dominant culture and white supremacy impede the HIV public health response?” The four components follow:
A robust database of emerging thinking about anti-oppression, decolonization, and anti-racism.
A five-person speaker series featuring Black and racialized leaders from diverse professional and personal backgrounds. The speakers included: Ruth Cameron, Amanuel Melles, Jefferson Darrell, Beth Jordan, and Evolve Benton.
A six-edition newsletter showcasing each speaker and selections from the anti-racism database that correspond with the speaker’s topic.
A five-episode podcast series summarizing the speakers’ key points, plus a podcast finale summarizing the lessons, wisdom, and calls to action from each of the speakers by podcast host and producer Kondwani Mwase.
“Working on the STEP FORWARD Project was profound,” adds Kondwani Mwase, 54Lights podcast Producer, “not only because of the great way our teams collaborated but because of what that mobilization meant."
For OAN, success meant the STEP FORWARD Project would be shared beyond their initial subscription list of 60+ senior stakeholders with the 500+ staff in Ontario’s HIV sector. The number of reads and podcast listens substantially exceeded OAN’s objectives reaching beyond Ontario and even Canadian borders. The results follow:
Newsletter boasted a 6000% increase, 6598+ total reads and counting
Podcast boasted a 94% increase or 983+ total listens and counting
Geographical reach moved beyond Ontario to include 75% of opens in Canada (majority in Ontario), 20% of opens in the United States and 5% outside North America.
“OAN was incredibly gratified by the sector’s reaction to the STEP FORWARD Project,” adds Ryan, “and now by this nomination for a U.S.-based award.” Presented by PRNews, the Social Impact Awards were created by Access Intelligence to celebrate Corporate Social Responsibility and Diversity Equity and Inclusion efforts and to “honour communicators who use their platforms to better their community and the global community at large. Winners are the campaigns, initiatives, professionals, teams, rising stars, and lifetime pioneers that are helping to usher in a diverse, equitable future and redefine organizations’ role in the fight for global change.”
About Breakfast Culture™
Breakfast Culture inspires empathy in business to shape a future of deeper belonging and greater financial returns. Our services include: Diversity & Inclusion Audits, Woke Marketing & Communications, Group Training & Individual Coaching, Inspirational Talks & Motivational Keynotes. Learn more at www.BreakfastCulture.ca or on social media with hashtag #LetsBreakSomeEggs!
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For more information: LetsBreakSomeEggs@BreakfastCulture.ca