National Roundtable Series • 2025-2026
Future Forward: Reimagining Inclusive Career Development
A national, by-invitation roundtable series for HR, DEI, and talent leaders ready to move from insight to action on inclusive career development for Indigenous, Black, and racialized women.
The research behind the work
From national research to national dialogue
Talent expectations are continuing to evolve — shaped by economic uncertainty, technological advancement, and shifting social landscapes. For Indigenous, Black, and racialized women, these needs are even more pronounced.
New national research from Accelerate Her Future, funded by the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Centre, reveals that
workplace systems still fall short in meeting the needs of women navigating overlapping barriers across race, gender, and career
stage.
Future Forward brought research into the room — creating intimate, by-invitation spaces for HR, DEI, and people leaders to examine equity gaps, explore actionable solutions, and exchange ideas that drive retention, advancement, and belonging.
The Series at a Glance
5 Cities across Canada
Calgary, Mississauga, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver
149 Senior leaders engaged
Primarily HR, DEI, and talent professionals
112 Organizations represented
Private Sector and Non-Profit
80% Senior Manager level and above
Decision-makers with authority over talent systems
88% Overall satisfaction rating
Across all five roundtable sessions
Download the Research Report
The Roundtable Series
Five cities. One national conversation.
Toronto
What we heard
Fix Headline Findings from Roundable Participants
Finding 01
"The higher the role, the whiter the room."
71% of respondents described a lack of representation of Indigenous, Black, and racialized women at senior levels. Indigenous women were named as the most invisible group across every city, every sector, and every stage.
“Investment in development is leader specific and white coded.“
— Roundtable Participant
Finding 02
"The pipeline is broken."
84% described the succession
pipeline as broken, thin, or invisible. High-performing racialized women are exiting before reaching senior levels — the pipeline isn’t just thin, it’s leaking.
“High performing racialized women who have demonstrated outstanding results face barriers to succession and promotion. So many exits.”
— Roundtable Participant
Finding 03
"Awareness is not advancement."
70% of respondents report that despite having strategies, ERGs, committees, and budgets — none of it is changing outcomes. The gap between intent and impact is where the work actually lives.
“There is money/funding to develop — not necessarily seeing a difference year over year.“
— Roundtable Participant
Finding 04
"The barrier isn't in one broken process."
“We are good at hiring racialized talent but there is opportunity for Indigenous and Black talent to be hired and to be more represented overall.”
— Roundtable Participant
Finding 05
"The room knows what to do. Accountability is the missing ingredient."
Across 178 action responses, participants called for accountability & measurement (17%), Indigenous-specific actions (15%), structural redesign (14%), and leadership education (12%). The ask is no longer more programs — it’s consequences for inaction.
“Make promotion an open topic versus behind closed doors.”
— Roundtable Participant
Participants were asked
Biggest Lifecycle Barriers
RECRUITMENT
RETENTION
PERFORMANCE
Women
BARRIER
BARRIER
Women
BARRIER
BARRIER
Future thinking
What the Room Called for
DO NOW — NEAR-TERM
- Tie manager and leader goals to DEI outcomes this cycle, not the next one.
- Launch formal sponsorship programs targeting the levels where Indigenous, Black, and racialized women most often stall.
- Review job postings to ensure language is inclusive and accessible for Indigenous and Black talent.
- Make promotion criteria visible and transparent to everyone, not just those already in the room.
- Collect disaggregated data across the employee lifecycle to understand where Indigenous, Black, and racialized women are losing ground and make decisions based on what it shows.
- Invest in training middle managers; they are where culture is either reinforced or changed.
BUILD TOWARD — long-term
- Move reconciliation commitments from principle to practice through community partnerships, tangible pathways into employment, and workplaces that are genuinely prepared to welcome and retain Indigenous women.
- Redesign promotion and career pathways so they work equitably across the full lifecycle.
- Embed DEI goals in executive scorecards and tie them to compensation.
- Overhaul performance management and talent review systems so they are equitable, transparent, and documented.
- Build organizations where Indigenous, Black, and racialized women belong, not just where they are hired.
- Advocate for pay transparency legislation with real consequences for non-compliance.
KNOWLEDGE PIECE
From Insight to Action: What We Learned Across Five Cities
A synthesis of participant insights from AHF’s national Executive Roundtable Series.
From Insight to Action
AHF Roundtable Knowledge Brief
Coming Soon
Special Thanks to Our Funder
Intersectionality, Inclusive Career Development and Future of Work Knowledge Mobilization is funded by the Government of Canada’s Future Skills program
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Accelerate Her Future® was founded on land and waters of the traditional territory of many nations including the Haudenosaunee, Anishnaabeg, the Attawandaron, and the Metis within the lands protected by the “Dish with One Spoon” wampum agreement. We respect Indigenous peoples’ deep connections to the land and waters, and affirm our commitment to continued learning while engaging our head, heart and hands to advance the TRC Calls to Action 92 and the MMIWG2S+ Calls to Justice 6.1, 11.1 and 15. We invite you to learn more about the history and presence of the Indigenous communities on the land and waters you gather on and work to build a better future for all. We encourage visitors to our website to learn about the land they are currently on.
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Accelerate Her Future® was founded on land and waters of the traditional territory of many nations including the Haudenosaunee, Anishnaabeg, the Attawandaron, and the Metis within the lands protected by the “Dish with One Spoon” wampum agreement. We respect Indigenous peoples’ deep connections to the land and waters, and affirm our commitment to continued learning while engaging our head, heart and hands to advance the TRC Calls to Action 92 and the MMIWG2S+ Calls to Justice 6.1, 11.1 and 15. We invite you to learn more about the history and presence of the Indigenous communities on the land and waters you gather on and work to build a better future for all and have included learning resources in your onboarding materials some of which are required for your completion. We encourage visitors to our website to learn about the land they are currently on.