Yabu Pushelberg is honoured with award for outstanding corporate philanthropic leadership for the HIV & 2SLGBTQ+ communities
Editor’s note: During the Casey Awards celebration ceremony April 14, Glenn and George dedicated their award to artist Ooloosie Saila.
Yabu Pushelberg founders Glenn Pushelberg and George Yabu are being recognized with a Casey Award for leadership in corporate philanthropy for the HIV and 2SLGBTQ+ communities.
Partners in life and business, they have been driving change for over 45 years. Yabu Pushelberg, which has offices in New York and Toronto, works on projects around the globe, has had local as well as international impact. With experience designing restaurants, retail stores, hotels, and iconic brands such as W Hotel, Tiffany & Co., The Four Seasons, and Moet & Chandon, they design for maximum effect all over the world.
Closer to home, they have contributed locally, by providing the interior design work for Toronto’s Friends of Ruby drop-in centre for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, and generously funding AGO photography exhibits.
As busy entrepreneurs, the committee was impressed with their contribution of volunteer time, as well as dollars. Glenn and George were honorary co-chairs of David’s Disco 2025, supporting the event with characteristic zeal and spirit and inspiring their friends and business connections to jump on board as supporters and sponsors. Their friend and nominator Kirk LeMessurier describes how they offer their support, that, “they do so with energy, total commitment and above all, empathy.”
Sharing their love of art, they collaborated on a project at Casey House to install full-scale murals on the walls of inpatient rooms, offering unique and colourful installation to inspire healing and wellness. The first four rooms, where work was installed in 2025, showcase work by Inuit artist Ooloosie Saila.
Most recently, George and Glenn committed $300,000 to Casey House Foundation in support of a capital renovation to expand the outpatient clinical care facilities. The transformational gift enables the hospital to care for additional people living with and at risk of HIV through the creation of six new clinical rooms and washrooms.
They also committed their time, influence, and financial support to UNAIDS this year in response to the withdrawal of support from others, and to continue their commitment to global efforts in HIV/AIDS advocacy and awareness.
Casey House extends warm congratulations to Glenn and George on achieving this recognition of their generosity.