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Inclusive Partner Program

An XBE program unlike any other

CannonDesign Chicago Office
An industry event about equitable development hosted in our Chicago office.

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Created in partnership with leaders from XBE firms across the country, our Inclusive Partner Program galvanizes people and companies around a shared purpose: to collectively have the most impact possible.

It forges deep-rooted relationships that maximize shared opportunities, spark genuine collaboration and provide fulfilling experiences for all involved. It also leads to representational project teams capable of designing solutions that affect real change. We offer two pathways for businesses owned by BIPOC, women, persons with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ individuals and other marginalized groups to join the program. Both have the same end goal—to maximize shared opportunities for impact—but each path takes different shapes.

The short video below explains more and also features several CannonDesign Collective alumni firms sharing their thoughts on the experience.

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CannonDesign Collective

This is a 12-week, interactive program focused on knowledge sharing, professional development and relationship building between participating firms and CannonDesign. It’s a two-way active learning experience, meaning CannonDesign facilitates sessions focused on business growth and development, and participating companies share their insights and knowledge to help each other grow and improve their businesses. And it’s fun! It’s an exciting opportunity for all participants to create relationships with kindred spirits, share ideas, think big and sharpen their craft.

XBE Directory

Our XBE Directory is our go-to source when looking for partners to team up with on projects. To get added to our directory, firms need to meet basic requirements, including holding one of the following certifications: Minority or Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE), Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses (SDVOB), Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB), Disability-owned Business Enterprise (DIS), Small Business Enterprise (SBE) or LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE).

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Whether you participate in the CannonDesign Collective or the XBE Directory, you’ll be a part of a network that’s working to make the industry, our communities and the projects we design more equitable, fair and inclusive.

For more information on how to get involved, fill out the form below.

Get to know the firms in the CannonDesign Collective

Testimonials

  • I credit CannonDesign as a catalyst for our business’ growth today. They were willing to give us a chance, which turned into a large project award that we could add to our resume. And it helped us win other healthcare and higher academic projects. We have been able to grow from two people to eight because of CannonDesign’s program and inclusion.

    Cheryl Stoddard Owner, T.I.E Consulting Engineers

  • During the program, there was a thread that continued through all the courses. It was about doing better: in design, in the delivery of services, and how we can be more representative of those communities that we serve.

    Stuart Shell Associate Principal, BranchPattern

  • I think what I and DTLS took away from the CannonDesign Collective process was the feeling of being heard. The sessions we got the most data from were the client panels where we could hear directly from the horse’s mouth. It was nice that CannonDesign brought in so many different people for us to meet and learn from.

    Michelle Ohle Principal, DTLS Landscape Architecture

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