As part of CVCA’s D&I priorities and under the stewardship of the D&I committee, we are laser-focused on benchmarking and building a diverse talent pipeline within the Canadian VC and PE sectors.
The CVCA has formed a subcommittee of its D&I committee to launch the pilot CVCA internship for Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC) students in partnership with ICON Talent Partners – a grassroots non-profit with experience helping CVCA member organizations in sourcing BIPOC talent for both full-time and interns.
The pilot program has placed 10 BIPOC students (nominated by Canadian universities from across the country) into 10 CVCA member firms as paid interns for the Fall 2021 term and will continue to support the cohort with biweekly Lunch & Learn events and networking. At least 50% of candidates put forward by ICON were women from racialized communities – the most underrepresented group in private capital.
Learnings from the pilot will be reviewed in 2022 with the goal to expand the program to more CVCA member firms in Summer 2022.
Interested In Partnering?
The CVCA and ICON Talent Partners are currently seeking partnerships with Canadian universities that would like to provide this opportunity for their students. Universities interested in this unique opportunity should contact the CVCA.