Canada's Trade Commissioner Service (TCS), the Canadian LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC), and Brand LA launched a U.S. trade mission to support Canadian LGBTQ+ businesses. The initiative kicked off with a strategic webinar, ahead of the in-person gatherings, which will take place in Las Vegas and Los Angeles this August.
Brand LA offered the Canadian delegation of LGBTQ+ business owners regional insights and best practice tips for business development, community integration, and professional growth. Ivy Arias, Brand LA's founder and chief marketing officer, also discussed the importance of prioritizing foreign companies' Marketing communications infrastructure to operate and compete in the United States. Arias pointed to programs and resources that are currently available to support FDI efforts and elevate U.S. global competitiveness.
Brand LA's guest speakers included LGBTQ+ leaders in education, brand strategy, wealth and investment management, and the Hispanic business community. The panel discussion featured advice to foreign companies on solid branding; lessons from our region's small business owners; research priorities to validate international expansion in the current U.S. economy; as well as knowledge about L.A.'s education ecosystem and training opportunities that could benefit foreign companies and business leaders expanding to this market.
Patrick Courcelles, Consul and Trade Commissioner at the Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles, who's spearheading the initiative told Brand LA:
"It's part of our mission to support Canadian companies doing business in the U.S., and we make an extra effort to help entrepreneurs from communities that are often underrepresented in international trade. We’re very happy to be working with 15 Canadian LGBTQ-owned businesses as part of this trade mission to Las Vegas and Los Angeles, in collaboration with the Canadian LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC). This will be a great opportunity for our Canadian companies to connect with potential customers and strategic partners in the region, and we're optimistic that it will generate success for these companies and will lead to future trade missions."
TCS and Brand LA also worked together in partnership with The Daraja Collective to deliver the first SoCal BlackTech Express at the beginning of the year; a tech and innovation DEI program, which focused on supporting Black-owned and Black-led Canadian startups with high-growth potential seeking international expansion to the U.S. market.
Brand LA's Newsroom