Moving back in time

Good morning. Last Friday, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Roe v. Wade in a landmark ruling that sets us back nearly 50 years in history. Keep reading to learn how companies—including Canadian ones—are responding to the decision.

In this edition:

🏥 Corporations and reproductive rights🥦 Grocery delivery with the tap of a finger ⚽️ Money Crush Monday is back

— Vindhya Kolluru, Editor

HEALTHCARE

How corporations are responding to the overturning of Roe v. Wade

On Friday, Sun Life Financial and Manulife Financial, Canadian insurers with large footprints in the U.S., announced they are expanding health benefits for workers after the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) overturned Roe v. Wade.

• The justices voted 6-3 to uphold a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, which may pave the way for abortion to be outlawed in up to 26 U.S. states, including Texas. Companies such as Tesla, Oracle and HP have uprooted their HQ from California to the Lone Star State in a possible bid for cheaper talent and more relaxed regulations.

The details: Sun Life Financial and Manulife Financial will cover travel and lodging for their employees and their dependents to access any medical treatments or procedures, including reproductive health.

• Canada’s two largest insurers join more than 16 U.S. companies, including Amazon, Meta and Microsoft, that have announced that they will cover travel costs for employees who need access to safe and legal abortions and other procedures.

• Altogether, these companies’ expanded policies will cover over one million workers.

While numerous business leaders and executives have avoided taking an outright stance on abortion or have only done so in response to heavy employee pressure, one thing is clear: a lack of access to safe and legal abortion has enormous consequences for businesses and the economy.

• After a draft decision by the SCOTUS to overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked in May, Janet Yellen, the first female U.S. Treasury Secretary, said legal abortion has helped improve labour force participation among women in the U.S., citing published economic research.

What’s next: Bloomberg reported that Americans could now be looking north of the border to have a safe abortion—the procedures are typically less expensive in Canada than in the U.S., but travel and lodging costs will become a barrier to access for those who cannot afford it or whose employers can't pay for it.

Why it matters: The overturning of Roe v. Wade has widespread implications for people around the world, and is also highlighting the fact that access to safe abortions in Canada is at a much higher risk than you may think. We recommend listening to Aborsh, a podcast that dives deep into the state of abortion rights and access in Canada.

— Vindhya Kolluru

On our radar

• Hailey Bieber’s new skincare brand ‘rhode’ is being sued for trademark infringement by a fashion company of the same name.

• In her first interview since taking the top role, Glossier's new CEO Kyle Leahy spoke to Fortune about how she plans to take the beauty company back to its roots.

• Some of the most popular brands on TikTok use trending sounds and songs that require their legal teams to look the other way. Rachel Karten, who writes the social media newsletter Link In Bio, interviewed Mikhaela Jennings (@khaenotbae on TikTok) on what it’s like to have a brand use your sound on a billboard without proper credit or compensation.

• Marija Radulovic-Nastic, senior vice president of development technologies and solutions at EA Games, chatted with Vancouver Tech Journal on what it’s like leading diversity efforts at the video game company.

• London-based Octopus Ventures, run by Kirsten Connell and Maria Rotilu, closed its first fund of £10 million to invest in European start-ups working in the business-to-business software, fintech and health sectors.

RETAIL

Ordering groceries with the tap of a finger

With how expensive gas is right now, we don't blame you if you don't want to leave your home to go grocery shopping. Bonus: you can do it in your comfortable pyjamas.

Last week was abuzz with news involving rapid grocery delivery: DoorDash and Loblaw signed an *exclusive* deal to launch dark stores in Canada in a move that expands its online grocery delivery business, while Walmart Canada began testing a 30-minute grocery delivery service.

Wait, what are dark stores? Dark stores are warehouses primarily focused on online delivery and pick-up. Retail was heavily impacted by the pandemic and many major companies converted their spaces into local fulfillment centres. (So, instead of investing in brick-and-mortar stores, these retail companies have been opening dark stores across the country.)

The deets: Starting in August, you can sign up for PC Express Rapid Delivery and get your groceries delivered in 30 minutes or less. You’ll be able to exclusively buy your favourite PC brands and get them delivered to your door by a Dasher. For those who prefer to shop at Walmart Canada, the retailer is teaming up with Instacart to offer grocery delivery to residents in the Greater Toronto Area.

Why it matters: The two deals are a sign that more retailers want a slice of the pie that is the rapid grocery delivery service industry. The sector is on track to make nearly $6.5 trillion in big money, according to Forbes. DoorDash is not the only company expanding into grocery delivery services—In 2021, SkipTheDishes said it would open dark stores across the country while many other major retailers have signed deals with UberEats.

Canadians love convenience: There was a 9% jump in the percentage of Canadians who shopped online between 2018 and 2020, according to Statistics Canada. The demand for online grocery shopping has continued to soar even with pandemic-era restrictions lifting and more in-person activities resuming.

— Michelle M.

Overheard

“We know inflation is keeping Canadians up at night. It’s keeping us up at night.”

That’s what Bank of Canada (BoC) senior deputy governor Carolyn Rogers said last Wednesday, following the central bank’s announcement that inflation hit a nearly 40-year high of 7.7% in May, up from 6.8% in April.

Many economists expect the BoC to tame inflation by hiking its key interest rate by 75 basis points, following in the footsteps of the U.S. Federal Reserve, at its next policy decision meeting on July 13.

Other things we read and we liked

🧄 In sneering at pre-cut produce (such as garlic in a jar), chefs and food writers are dismissing people with disabilities without even realizing it.

🎶 Wave 👋 to the girlboss era and Mitski’s “Working for the Knife.” Beyonce’s comeback single, “Break My Soul,” is an ode to the Great Resignation, according to one labour economist.

😆 For some much-needed levity, check out this hilarious American Girl doll meme account.

🚶🏻‍♀️ We’ve been loving This Morning Walk, a chill and uplifting podcast hosted by Alex Elle and Libby DeLana on the joy of walking.

🎥 With more than 142.9 followers, Senegalese-born Khaby Lame has dethroned Charli D'Amelio to become the most-followed person on TikTok. Get to know the 22-year-old here.

☕️ While we would love to romanticize setting up shop at a cute café or patio, the truth is that working outside kind of sucks.

🤝 Now hiring

Want to get a jump on finding your next role? Here are this week’s featured job openings:

• Technology Strategy and Transformation Consultant at PwC Canada (Vancouver)

• Java Tech Lead at Cognizant (Toronto)

• Communications Advisor at Government of Alberta (Edmonton)

• UX Designer at CGI (Toronto)

MONEY CRUSH MONDAY

Transitioning from a career in accounting to digital sports media

Today, Btchcoin is spotlighting Roslyn McLarty, the co-founder and head of growth, operations and finance at The GIST. The sports media brand, made by women for everyone, boasts an audience of 700,000 (and counting) people across its newsletters, podcast and social media platforms.

What’s your advice for women founders?

• Leverage your perspective. Because we’re the consumer, women are in a very strong position to understand the target market, build a better product or see opportunities that have been overlooked. Have confidence in yourself and your idea.

• Companies that have been built by men don’t need to be the example you look up to. We have an opportunity as female leaders to build companies and cultures in a way that feels right to us.

• Check in with yourself. Make sure you’re aligning yourself to your values in the decisions you’re making in building your company.

How do you start your mornings?

My best, most productive days start with a workout, coffee, a meditation (my favourite is Chopra app) and sitting down to make a to-do list and block time in my Google Calendar before jumping in. This doesn’t always happen, but it’s what I shoot for!

What are some of your work-from-home essentials?

Coffee and bubbly water, biker shorts, AirPods and a second screen.

Now for the fun part: What are your favourite podcasts, books and TV shows?

• Podcasts: The Reset and We Can Do Hard Things for personal growth. Digiday, Founders Journal and Work Life for work. And, of course, The GIST of It for sports.

• Books: I just finished While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams and Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty (I love a good mystery). For work, Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0 is a favourite and I’m currently reading The Messy Middle by Scott Belsky.

• TV: I always look for something light and fun! For that I like Mindy Kaling’s shows Never Have I Ever and The Sex Lives of College Girls. They were hilarious.

Read the full Q&A here to learn how Roslyn McLarty made the leap from accounting to digital sports media and her top tips for entrepreneurs.

— Taryn Carr