cover story
WESLEY J. HALL Amplifying The Call For Social Justice by Jennifer M. Williams
Born in Golden Grove, St. Thomas, Jamaica, Wes Hall has chronicled his journey from a Jamaican plantation shack to Canada's Bay Street boardrooms. He has established an exceptional reputation through outstanding accomplishments in the business community, in corporate governance, and in handling strategic transactions. In 2003, he founded Kingsdale Advisors to provide services for shareholders and manage investor relations communications. Hall made history in 2021 as the first Black Dragon on the CBC hit reality TV series Dragons' Den. Over the years, Hall has leveraged his business success to help various charitable organizations and communities. These include service on the boards of SickKids Foundation, Pathways to Education, Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), The Black Academy, and more. In 2021, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Ottawa as an "established innovator, entrepreneur and philanthropist." The supporting rationale included: "Wes has become one of the faces, hope, and opportunity for millions of people who look like him." This recognition also points in the direction of being the founder and chairman of the Canadian Council of Business Leaders Against Anti-Black Racism and the BlackNorth Initiative — both organizations committed to combating anti-Black systemic barriers affecting the lives of Black Canadians.
Spring 2023
the EDGE
13
