Sprott School of Business researchers collaborate to study the impacts of COVID-19 on LGBTQ2S+ business
Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business, in partnership with Canada’s LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC), has been conducting a study over the past two months to identify the unique impacts of the pandemic on LGBTQ2S+ businesses and entrepreneurs.
Commissioned by the e-commerce firm, Lightspeed, the exploratory study has three objectives:
- To determine whether the pandemic has had disproportionate positive or negative impacts on LGBTQ2S+ business;
- To explore whether LBGTQ2S+ businesses, in responding to the COVID-19 crisis, have explicitly turned to or benefitted from gay villages/neighbourhoods/similar community organizations; and
- To explore options for investment and support that respondents feel are necessary for post-pandemic recovery.
“Lightspeed was founded in 2005, in Montreal’s gay village and its original members were all part of the LGBTQ+ community. The ethos of our business has always been about diversity and inclusion from the very start, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this research was particularly important to us,” said Dax Dasilva, founder and CEO of Lightspeed.
“Both in the US and in Canada, majority-owned LGBTQ+ businesses generate trillions of dollars of contributions to the total GDP. Given their importance and influence on our economies, we wanted to understand exactly how the pandemic has affected this community and start a conversation with businesses and chambers of commerce, to help us build even better tools for resiliency.”
Dax DaSilva, CEO, Lightspeed
The key findings of the study thus far show that businesses located in gay villages have experienced a disproportionate number of closures, boarded up storefronts, and high rents in comparison to other LGBTQ2S+ led businesses.
In addition, women entrepreneurs and leaders are significantly underrepresented among LGBTQ2S+ businesses, which presents the need for greater support and opportunities to increase intersectionality within the community.
The results also show that, compared to the US, Canada has fallen behind for preferential spending, procurement and relief funds.
“Our research team at Carleton University was pleased to undertake this exciting research. The findings of our exploratory study demonstrate the need to better understand the LGBTQ2S+ business community and the opportunities that exist to realize the full potential of LGBTQ2S+ entrepreneurs and businesses, which already make a significant contribution to the Canadian and American economies.”
Dana Brown, dean of the Sprott School of Business at Carleton Univeristy
This study focuses on businesses in six North American cities (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles) and includes two components: a survey of business leaders, and interviews with leaders of organizations that represent, support or advocate for LGBTQ2S+ business.
The survey remains open. Founders and leaders from LGBTQ2S+ majority-owned businesses in North America can participate anonymously by completing the online survey.
The study is also being extended to the United Kingdom where it will be led by the University of Southampton Center for Inclusive and Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Innovation, in partnership with the Innovation Hub and Sprott School of Business at Carleton University.
Read the Lightspeed press release for more information on the study.