BlackNorth Initiative's Dahabo Ahmed-Omer Earns Inaugural Business Changemakers Award From the Globe and Mail’s Report on

TORONTO , February 26 /Businesswire/ - Executive Director of The BlackNorth Initiative, Dahabo Ahmed-Omer is one of the inaugural recipients of the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business Changemakers for 2021.

The Changemakers award is a new editorial award that identifies and raises the profile of the most innovative emerging leaders in Canada—people whose work is transforming the way business is done and celebrating 50 emerging leaders transforming business today.

“Dahabo has the rare ability to eloquently and disarmingly address what exactly needs to be done for the Black community right now, as well as in the long term. She draws our team and partners forward with her passion and positivity,” said Wes Hall, Founder and Chairman of The Canadian Council of Business Leaders Against Anti-Black Systemic Racism and the BlackNorth Initiative. “Dahabo’s entire career has been dedicated to fighting anti-Black racism, and she brings that same level of dedication and passion to the cause here at the BlackNorth Initiative. We are happy to see such a prestigious publication like the Globe and Mail recognizing her contributions to Corporate Canada and Black Canadians.”

The award was particularly poignant for Ms. Ahmed-Omer, an accomplished policy advisor and human rights advocate who has made it her life’s work to represent those without a voice. Among the many other organizations of which she has been a part of, Ms. Ahmed-Omer has played an instrumental leadership role in the Ottawa Mayor’s taskforce combatting anti-Black racism. Ms. Ahmed-Omer was a lead researcher for Justice for Abdirahman for its submission to the Justice Tulloch Independent Police Oversight Review and street check review. She has also played an integral role in the roll out of the new Ottawa Police Service’s recruitment strategy, as well as being a lead member of Black Agenda Noir. Her crucial role in the Nyansapo Wisdom, which promotes equity and inclusion for African, Caribbean, Black Canadians (ACBC) students in education, has seen her make deputations at the School Board to address series challenges children and teens of African descent are facing within the Ottawa school Board.

Ms. Ahmed-Omer’s non-profit work includes Chair of the Board of Directors for the Federation of Black Canadians, Co-Founder of the Justice for Abdirahman Coalition and Director of Operations for the Somali Centre for Family Services, where she attracted community support, built strategic alliances, and led diverse teams. Ms. Ahmed-Omer is also regularly sought after by media outlets and conference organizers for her expertise on the challenges faced by Black Canadians. In 2019, she was named one of the 100 most influential people of African descent under age 40, an international award in support of the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent.

Report on Business solicited nominations for the Changemakers award in late 2020. Winners were selected by The Globe and Mail’s award-winning editorial team based on their ideas, accomplishments, and impact, and determined by their nominations, subsequent interviews and reference checks.

“As the Canadian economy recovers from the pandemic, many people are seeking ways to make business more sustainable, inclusive, innovative and fair,” says James Cowan, editor of Report on Business magazine. “The 50 Changemakers on our inaugural list serve as inspiration and instruction for any business leader seeking to effect meaningful change.”

Editorial coverage of all 2021 Changemakers can be found in the March 2021 issue of Report on Business magazine, distributed with The Globe and Mail on Saturday, February 27th, and online now at tgam.ca/Changemakers.

About The Globe and Mail

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s foremost news media company, leading the national discussion and causing policy change through brave and independent journalism since 1844. With our award-winning coverage of business, politics and national affairs, The Globe and Mail newspaper reaches 5.9 million readers every week in our print or digital formats, and Report on Business magazine reaches 2.1 million readers in print and digital every issue. Our investment in innovative data science means that as the world continues to change, so does The Globe. The Globe and Mail is owned by Woodbridge, the investment arm of the Thomson family.

About the BlackNorth Initiative

The BlackNorth Initiative was created by The Canadian Council of Business Leaders Against Anti-Black Systemic Racism to combat anti-Black systemic racism in Corporate Canada. The initiative challenges senior Canadian business leaders to commit their companies to specific actions and targets designed to end anti-Black systemic racism and create opportunities for all of those in the underrepresented BIPOC community.

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