Feb 28, 2025

Not long ago, my team and I were presenting research on marginalized populations in a particular industry during a board meeting. The data was clear, the insights well-researched, and I expected the usual back-and-forth discussion. What I didn’t expect was for a CEO to completely lose it - launching obscenities at us about how DEI was dead and dismissing everything presented as BS. Throughout my two decades in the corporate world, I’d never seen anything like it. And yes, sadly, he’s Canadian. Needless to say, he’s no longer a client.

But here’s what unsettles me: When did this kind of behaviour become acceptable? When did it become okay to attack facts just because they’re inconvenient or you don’t like them? When did basic decency become optional and professionalism go out the window? Answer -when U.S. politics shifted.

Canada has always prided itself on fairness, inclusivity, and integrity. But those values are under attack. We either fight to protect what makes us Canadian, or we let the wave of indifference wash over us.

It’s time for us to do what we expect from great leaders - to self-reflect. To look inward at who we are and outward at how we show up in the world. Many Canadian companies are facing this head-on, navigating political and economic disruptions while operating in both Canada and the U.S. SimplyProtein and Equifruit may sell completely different products - plant-based protein and bananas - but they share one thing in common: they’re proving that standing up for something isn’t just good ethics; it’s good business.

Michael Lines, CEO of SimplyProtein, had a wake-up call when a retailer asked, “What’s your company’s purpose?” and didn’t have an answer. Not because he didn’t care, but because, at that time, he hadn’t done the work to define it. Instead of slapping a feel-good initiative onto their business model, he turned inward. With the support of Melissa Da Palma, they asked their team what mattered most. From those conversations, the ‘Wellness Collective’ was born. They are a small group of team members who champion their purpose, and the company’s mission became clear: “To make life simply better”—because small things can make a big difference, and dreaming of better is never ridiculous.

SimplyProtein doesn’t just talk about impact—they live it. Employees lead their own initiatives, whether supporting Canadian youth or helping build a solar well in Vietnam. Volunteer hours count as work time, and leadership nurtures their purpose-driven culture, embedding their mission into the brand. Their commitment is unwavering, even in challenging political times. As Michael put it: “We’re taking a business-as-usual approach. We’re a Canadian company, and we have an office in Chicago and a team there who need to know we have a presence in their market and that we’re here to support them. But it’s clear - we are Canadian. We’re not changing our ethos. This is who we are, and we’re not going to become something else or someone else for any reason.”

Where politics tries to divide, SimplyProtein stands stronger together - growing their business and leading in a boldly Canadian way.

And just like SimplyProtein, Equifruit embodies its mission - “Global Fairtrade Banana Domination.” It’s bold, it’s ambitious, and it’s rooted in doing what’s right. Led by ‘Banana Badass’ Jennie Coleman, Equifruit challenges us to think before we buy.

In a time when trade wars dominate headlines, we are acutely aware of the consequences of unethical supply chains. I unequivocally support the movement toward buying Canadian because our choices matter. But what happens when buying local isn’t possible? As is the case with bananas. Jennie says “Bananas are really a metaphor for how we consume without question, for all products that are too cheap. Ask yourself: how is this t-shirt $4? Or how is this banana still the same price it was in 1995?”

Canada has a legacy of peacemaking and standing up for human rights. As we deal with the chaos designed to destabilize us, does that legacy get lost? Only 3% of bananas in Canada are Fairtrade. As we fight our own trade battle at home, shouldn’t we also stand up for those facing the same bully elsewhere? It’s easy to forget those we can’t see - or as Jennie put it, “Loin des yeux, loin du cœur” (Far from our eyes, far from our heart).

And to those who believe we can’t afford it—the difference between a Fairtrade banana and a conventional one is just pennies per pound. The impact of those pennies is life-changing for the farmers who grow them. The real question is: Can we afford not to?

I asked Jennie how she keeps her team motivated as they fight this battle—supporting Canada while pushing for global change. I was trying to understand her leadership principles. She thought for a moment and then simply said: “Don’t work with jerks.”

THIS is my new career philosophy; I plan to live by it as an honorary ‘Banana Badass’.

At a time when the pressure to cave to foreign politics is mounting, companies like Equifruit and SimplyProtein remind us that Canadian leadership means standing firm in our values, no matter what or who challenges us. Because Canada is different, and we need to keep it that way.