Tacofino is continuing its commitment to improving the quality of life for those in the hospitality and foodservice industry while also raising much-needed funds for local causes by taking its Shift Change initiative online for a series of ‘Speakers for Change’ workshops starting Tuesday, November 17.

A series of four one-hour Zoom sessions, Speakers for Change will be held monthly from November through February 2021 and will involve local community leaders looking to inspire positive, sustainable change in the industry as well as for those who work within it. The sessions are free of charge for the participants to make it accessible for all and Tacofino will donate $1,250 per session to the keynote speaker’s charity or cause of choice for a total contribution of $5,000. While geared towards those in the industry, the general public is invited to attend as well.

Following are the first two Speakers for Change sessions and featured guests:

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for Racialized Groups Within the Industry
Tuesday, November 17 at 3 p.m.
Participants will learn about systemic barriers in the hospitality industry, strategies for creating change and why change is not only important for business but for the people and the communities in which they operate. Keynote speakers include The Hogan’s Alley Society Board of Directors Co-Chair June Francis, and Kristina Henriksson — Co-Founders of The Co-Laboratorio Project, a women-led organization focused on racial, environmental, economic and gender disparities across a wide range of sectors that include tourism and hospitality.

Queer Competency for the Hospitality Industry
Tuesday, December 8 at 3 p.m.
This session aims to provide participants with a deeper understanding of diversity and how to make organizations more welcoming for queer, trans and two-spirited employees and customers by instituting policies and procedures that support inclusivity and remove barriers. The keynote speaker is Rana Nu, Education and Training Specialist with QMUNITY — a non-profit organization that works to improve the lives of queer, trans and Two-Spirited people.

“We established Shift Change last year to encourage meaningful dialogue on issues that are endemic in our industry, such as mental health, substance dependency, inclusion and diversity,” says Gino Di Domenico, Managing Partner of Tacofino. “In the age of COVID-19 and in light of the sweeping social change we’ve seen this year, we realize that it’s more important than ever to listen more and learn from each other’s experiences and we encourage people from across the hospitality industry spectrum to join us for these very important conversations.”

HOW TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Complimentary tickets to take part in Shift Change’s Speakers for Change events may be reserved online at eventbrite.com/o/tacofino-27785422939.

To learn more about Shift Change or sign up for a newsletter, go to shiftchangenow.com, become a fan of /shiftchangeNOW on Facebook or follow @shiftchangeNOW on Instagram.