Nikki Gershbain is the founder and CEO of IDEA Consulting Group. IDEA works with private and public sector organizations to provide strategic advice and design in the areas of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (IDEA).
Nikki has 20+ years of experience in equity, diversity and corporate social responsibility as a lawyer, c-suite executive, and non-profit leader. Prior to founding IDEA Consulting Group, Nikki served as Chief Inclusion Officer at the national law firm, McCarthy Tétrault, where she created a market- leading, multiple-award winning EDI program called “Inclusion Now”. Inclusion Now was named Diversity Program of the Year at the Canadian Law Awards in both 2020 and 2021, and McCarthys was named a Best Diversity Employer by Mediacorp in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

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Nikki is a recognized thought leader within the legal profession, with a track record of achieving superior, award-winning results in both the private and non-profit sectors. Nikki’s record of excellence includes multiple nominations as one of the top 25 “Changemakers” in the profession, for her contributions to advancing access to justice and equity. Nikki is the recipient of the Canadian Bar Association’s LGBTQ Hero Award, as well as the Start Proud Advocacy Award, in recognition of her work on transgender workplace inclusion and her visibility as a member of the 2SLGBT+ community.

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Over the course of her career Nikki has delivered hundreds of presentations, workshops and keynote speeches nationally and internationally. Her writing on equity and social justice issues has appeared in numerous publications, including the Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen, Huffington Post, and Canadian Lawyer.