President (Interim)

“The existing business organizations in Saskatchewan have been great resources for me when I was starting out, but now that I'm getting more established, I struggle to find other business owners who can empathize with the unique barriers I face as a queer and non-binary entrepreneur. I deeply crave a queer business community and hope to find it through this initiative.”

Originally from Yellowknife, NT, Jacq has over a decade of experience leading queer and trans non-profit organizations. They co-founded the Northern Mosaic Network, the only 2SLGBTQ+ human service agency in the Northwest Territories, and proudly served as the agency's first Executive Director. Jacq moved to Regina, SK in 2017 where they became the Executive Director of the UR Pride Centre for Sexuality & Gender Diversity.

In 2021, Jacq founded Ivy + Dean Consulting, where they currently serve as CEO & Principal Consultant, whose goal is to bring equity focused, queer-informed and accessible approaches to governance, leadership, and programming to small & medium-sized non-profits.

Saskatoon Director - Vice-President Membership (Interim)

I joined SQEP as I believe it is important for queer professionals and businesses to benefit from the mutual support of their peers. Living in the prairies as a queer person, finding people of like mind and purpose is not always easy. I hope that SQEP will become a wealth of resources for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

Braden (Brady) is an experienced educator, theatre artist, and counsellor privileged to work on Treaty Six territory in Saskatoon. His academic career began with a Bachelor's degree in Education, majoring in French and minoring in drama, from the University of Regina, before completing a Certificate in Musical Theatre Performance from the Canadian College of Performing Arts in Victoria, BC. Originally from Moose Jaw, Brady returned to Saskatoon to begin his career in Education, working in elementary and secondary schools for over a decade. He prided himself on being a staunch advocate and visible role model for 2SLGBTQ+ youth in Saskatoon and area, both in his schools and through volunteering as an adult leadership mentor with Camp fYrefly Saskatchewan. As he continued to teach, Brady started to notice the skyrocketing incidences of mental health issues among queer youth in Saskatchewan schools and the lack of resources being provided for these students. He then decided to return to school and obtained a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University. Since then, he has developed a small private practice centred in Saskatoon and focused on providing queer-affirming mental health care to 2SLGBTQ+ people across Saskatchewan.

Saskatoon Director

Jeffrey was born and raised in the Saskatoon area and considers himself lucky to call Saskatoon home alongside his husband. He has been looking to get more involved within his community, and working with SQEP will allow him to leverage his business connections in the city and province to help empower the queer community to ensure they have access to the resources required for success.

Jeffrey has over a decade of experience in the tourism industry with a focus on business events. His previous role with Discover Saskatoon allowed him to meet the local restaurants, hotels, and experience providers to help tell their stories to the world. During this time, he worked with the Saskatoon 2SLGBTQ+ community to complete a destination assessment for 2SLGBTQ+ tourism readiness for the city. He also led the organization to become Rainbow Registered, accreditation through the CGLCC.

He currently works for Destination Canada as a part of their Business Events Team and has the pleasure of showcasing Canada to international markets. He is part of an internal EDI working group with Destination Canada as well as a board member for PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association), and both of these roles allow him to ensure that the voices of the 2SLGBTQ+ community are heard within the tourism industry.

Central Sask Director (Interim)

Shannon is a stand-up comedian, small business owner at Lawnchair Laughs and customer service director for a local start-up. They believe in meeting people where they are at and leading with compassion.

Born, raised and currently living in Saskatoon, Shannon has been involved in the local roller derby league, including a stint as the Media and Merch board member. Now, they run the Super Friendz Comedy Show, a local open mic set up with the intent to create space for and spotlight marginalized voices in the comedy scene—where aspiring comedians are welcomed and encouraged.

She is looking forward to building community and creating opportunities and spaces for queer professionals and entrepreneurs within the wider Saskatchewan business community.