Personal Profile

Name

Lisa Beecroft
Company

Gabi & Jules
Title

Owner

Leadership Profile

Who We Are

Gabi & Jules creates the most exceptional pies and baked goods in our bakery in Port Moody and bake for the Caffe Divano in Burnaby, Port Moody and Coquitlam as well. We do all of our baking in a collaborative environment, inclusive of individuals of all abilities.
Why We Are Involved

Gabi and Jules is named after our daughters – Gabriela and Juliana. The desire to create an inclusive environment is motivated by the fact that our eldest daughter, Juliana, has autism. We want Gabi & Jules bakery to offer opportunities to individuals on the autism spectrum. We want Gabi & Jules bakery to offer opportunities to individuals on the autism spectrum and with diverse abilities.
Distinction and Awards
  • 2019: Shortlisted – Autism BC British Columbia Excellence in Autism Awards
  • 2016: Peter Hulbert Accessibility Award, City of Port Moody’s Civic Awards
  • Nominated: Best Community Impact, Small Business BC Awards
Number of employees

30
Number of employees who self – identify as having a disability

10
Accessibility Initiatives
  • We are committed to looking at all aspects of our organization to ensure that there are an array of opportunities for people with diverse abilities, specifically individuals on the autism spectrum.
Highlights
  • Able to break out specialized tasks such as delivery driving and box building, and employ individuals who would excel at, and enjoy, these roles.
  • Many of the specialized tasks required part time hours, and there are individuals on the autism spectrum who prefer to work part time. This contributed to low turnover because we were meeting people’s preferences for working hours.
  • The accommodations we made did not require more financial resources, but rather simple changes in our operations. For example, by doing deliveries at a non-peak time in the cafe, anxiety was no longer a barrier for our delivery driver.
  • Having a diverse team has really impacted our culture in a positive way. Our team is excited to come to work and interact with one another.
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