Msenwa has been an active resource for me personally along my journey to advocate for the women and children of the Democratic Republic of Congo for the past 8 years. He has spoken alongside my work, which has helped bring a voice of representation to the people I have been painting for the past decade.

Although I have been working in a diverse space for sometime… I learned so much from the two hours spent in group sharing and conversation. In how far I have come and how far I still need to go. Never once have I felt shamed of guilty for getting “it wrong” it’s a safe space to be vulnerable, uncomfortable and supported.

I think everyone needs this opportunity!

Heather Haynes, Artist + Founder The Art of Courage

Jacquie and Msenwa create a safe and intimate space that allows for the exploration of our experiences, our feelings, and our questions about our Allyship experiences.

Whether wearing shame and guilt or feeling pride in who we are and where we are on this journey, we can all acknowledge this is difficult terrain to navigate and sometimes “it’s not pretty.”

Thank you both for the love and care you bring to this work.

Carol Ann Budd, Woodland Wealth Inc. + Community Co-chair, Indigenous Council of Queen's University

I was nervous entering the space. I have been working in African countries for many years now and I know I carry unconscious bias and prejudice. My goal was to learn.

Different from a safe space, Jacquie introduced the idea of ‘brave space’, a space where we can be brave enough to name our discomfort and to talk through difficult ideology. I liked that idea and opened my heart to the group process.

Msenwa offered space and language that allowed gentle conversation and sharing of ideas. He presented ways of thinking and speaking to open rather than close dialogue. His flexibility and openness supported the group to move into the moment and to share their experiences of difficult situations. He would often reframe difficulty into a learning opportunity.

I look forward to our next meeting to learn more about allyship and how to be respectfully and honestly present with others.

Cathy Cleary, Bridging Post

I can’t say enough about this workshop! Unconscious biases are something we all have. If you ever get the chance to spend time in conversation with @oliver_mwene and @jacquie_costron [@costronco] - say ‘yes’! The shift I feel moving through my consciousness is so welcome :)

Claire Beach, Among The Trees Forest Therapy

As a cleaning supervisor of our family's commercial cleaning business, I had the pleasure of attending the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) workshop, which was an enlightening experience. The workshop was designed to help small business owners and startup entrepreneurs navigate the ever-changing world around us.

The facilitators did an excellent job addressing some of the barriers to DEI and its impact on businesses. They provided practical strategies that can be implemented to turn any business into an organization that finds strengths through diversity.

I appreciated the emphasis on the importance of being DEI-aware as a business in today’s work environment. It was refreshing to see that DEI is no longer just an added value to an organization’s success but the backbone of its vision to excel.

Overall, the 2-hour workshop was informative, engaging, and well-organized. I left feeling empowered and equipped with the tools necessary to make my business more inclusive and diverse.

I highly recommend this workshop to any business owner or entrepreneur who wants to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

Thank you to the facilitators for their expertise and commitment to promoting DEI in business.

Gail Talasan-Manigsaca, B.Haig Building & Office Care

The Unconscious Bias as a Small Business Owner session was extremely valuable. We don't know what we don't know until we seek opportunities to have our eyes opened by others a little further ahead on the journey. This session was exactly that opportunity for me! It was a safe space to explore my own unconscious biases and those I've witnessed in the behaviour and comments of others. No judgement. Just thought-provoking and inspiring discussion. Plus practical tools to move forward with language and marketing to include all the beautiful humans I've been put here on this earth to serve. Thanks so much to Jacquie and Msenwa for holding this space and leading by example. Great to connect with other participants as well. These are conversations we all need to have in 2023 and beyond!

Katherine Burrows, Katherine Burrows Creative