Companies in 2020: put diversity and inclusion at the heart of your priorities

I had the pleasure of meeting Geneviève Comeau of Les Filles Fattoush. Formerly in the advertising world, she now makes her living as the executive director of a deeply inspiring social enterprise.

Les Filles Fattoush is a Syrian-cuisine catering service whose mission is to provide employment to newly-arrived Syrian women in Canada. It's also a desire to build a bridge between two cultures through food and culinary know-how. The company embodies the power of bringing women together to give them financial independence, ease their integration into a new culture, lift them out of isolation and, above all, give them confidence in themselves.

It was over an Ouzi (a traditional Syrian dish that Geneviève describes as Syria's pâté chinois) that we talked about the Les Filles Fattoush concept — and the importance of betting on inclusion within a company.

Why leave advertising to join a social enterprise like Les Filles Fattoush?

I had a huge desire to try entrepreneurship, and a great need to have a positive impact on society. It was during my time at the agency Bob that I discovered the concept of sustainable development, as they wanted to bring it to the forefront of their practices.

Through my own research, I learned more about social impact and its benefits. I also came across this line: the best way to meet another person is over a meal. So when one of the founders approached me to share the Les Filles Fattoush concept, I was immediately drawn in.

Why did diversity and inclusion become central to your work?

Because it's the simplest, most powerful way to make a company better — better at decisions, better at retaining people, better at serving customers who don't all look the same. D&I isn't a campaign — it's a way of designing the company.

What would you say to a leader who doesn't know where to start?

Start by listening. Then look at your processes — hiring, evaluation, promotion. That's where bias hides. Then make space for the people you've recruited to actually shape the culture, not just fit into it.

A huge thank-you to Geneviève for sharing her time and her vision. To learn more about Les Filles Fattoush and how to bring D&I more deeply into your company, come chat with us.

Article written by the Boite Pac team.