Making Innovation Possible Through Diversity

Over the weekend President Trump issued an executive order barring entry to the United States for the next 90 days to citizens from seven predominantly-Muslim countries. The number of citizens directly affected within those countries exceeds 130 million, but the potential true cost of this action goes far beyond numbers — global progress is at stake.

We live in a globalized world. With each new day, we are more connected than we have ever been. This connectivity has led to diversity of thought through the free flow of ideas. However, being connected and being together aren’t the same thing. Progress is not just a product of the free flow of ideas, it also relies on the free flow of people.

As Prime Minister Trudeau said this weekend on Twitter, diversity is Canada’s strength. I’m proud to say I believe it’s also Thalmic’s. We have long supported open immigration policies, including championing the Global Skills Visa in Ottawa. This weekend, my co-founders and I signed an open letter stating that through “…embracing diversity, we can drive innovation to benefit the world.” We believe progress is achieved through innovation; and innovation is made possible through diversity.

At Thalmic, we are moving forward with the help of everyone — no matter what country they happen to be from. We are proud to count individuals from several of the seven affected countries as Thalmic employees, and will continue doing everything in our power to expedite the recruitment and hiring process for candidates currently living outside Canada and the United States. Should we have U.S. employees who are unable to enter or reenter the U.S., we will provide all the support we can to help, including arranging for immigration and relocation to Canada. Furthermore, we will also provide help with immigration and relocation for our employees who wish to leave the U.S. for other reasons — if they disagree with the current administration, feel threatened in their current situation, etc. Lastly, we will continue to publicly advocate for worldwide immigration policies that are nimble, accessible, and responsive enough to keep up with fast-growing companies as they create new markets, products, and jobs.

The next great idea can come from anyone, anywhere. Global progress is contingent upon each of the 7.5 billion people in this world having the opportunity to align their passions with their expertise and innovate. Policy like President Trump’s will do little in the short or long term other than impede what should be the global task at hand for all countries: moving forward.