Annual Conference 2023

Monday, October 16, 11:00 AM Central: 

In today’s society, each of us has an identity that shapes how we see ourselves and others. Not only do our social norms and cultural backgrounds influence our experiences, they also set the course for how we view the world. This session equips participants with a robust and shared understanding of important equity, diversity and inclusion concepts and terminology. This will lay the groundwork for safe and productive conversations about building an inclusive culture going forward.

● Understand key concepts related to equity, diversity and inclusion.

● Explain the difference between social equity and equality.

● Explain how bias and discrimination create barriers to social equity.

● Recognize our role in creating an inclusive culture

Shalyma Cambridge is an executive coach, facilitator, and frequent speaker, passionate about the development of courageous leadership, inclusive practices, and demonstrated commitment to diversity. She brings a deep understanding of complex organizations and over a decade of experience executing communication and change management strategies; developing and facilitating training; and coaching in a variety of settings.

As a child of parents who chose to immigrate to Canada from the Caribbean, Shalyma grew-up straddling two cultures. This experience afforded her the ability to engage with empathy and understanding across “difference;” see clearly the challenges and shortcomings with regards to equity within society; and value the power of community building and storytelling in shaping better futures. Her unique perspective eventually drew her to the field of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).

As both a Partner and Director of Client Solutions within the Vancouver-based EDI consultancy, HRx, Shalyma is immersed in all facets of consulting, training development, and coaching to help organizations build equity conscious leaders and work environments nationally. With first-hand knowledge of the importance of building community, she co-founded the initiative Kaiso Careers which provides training to BIPOC entrepreneurs and emerging leaders in developing personal brands grounded in authenticity. 

Along with these endeavours, Shalyma continues to work actively as an executive coach where she draws on her prior experience working internally in the fields of financial services and healthcare to support leaders at all levels. With a background in training leaders across North America in self-awareness, audience-centeredness, clarity of communication and inspired vision to support, it is her belief that when a culture of authentic, inclusive and bold leadership is encouraged, people are inspired to be their best.

Shalyma holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Graduate Certificate in Communications Management, certification as an Organizational Coach through the University of British Columbia and is certified to administer the Hogan Assessment; Myers-Briggs and Personality Dimensions. As of June, 2023, she also holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership. A dedicated volunteer, Shalyma has sat as a member of the Vancouver Board of Trade Diversity and Inclusion Committee since its inception, co-led the Vancouver Culture Collective Chapter which held space to share learnings on transforming and building great cultures in the workplace and sat on the Board for the Trinidad & Tobago Cultural Society of BC which produces the largest Caribbean festival in BC.

Outside of work, you’ll find Shalyma spending time with her husband and two energetic kids