The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) is investing $200 million CAD ($140 million USD) in Indigenous and Black-led businesses to promote inclusive economic growth. The government-owned bank is also launching a $50 million ($36 million USD) financing and training program for women, Indigenous, and Black entrepreneurs. Investing in Indigenous and Black entrepreneurs This investment is part of the BDC’s strategy to address longstanding barriers faced by underrepresented entrepreneurs and to promote a more diverse and resilient entrepreneurial landscape in Canada. The $200 million CAD investment will be channeled through two
Canada’s Minister of Small Business has marked Black History Month by announcing the launch of a new ecosystem mapping tool for Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs. BEKH’s Mapping Tool The Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (BEKH) is developing a tool to provide data and insight to help ensure Black entrepreneurs have the support needed to start and scale their businesses. Minister Rechie Valdez – the first Filipino Canadian woman and second Filipino Canadian to be elected as a Member of Parliament in Canada – said the new ecosystem mapping tool is expected to be fully operational early
Ingenium has opened applications for its new Black and African Canadian Scientific and Technological Innovations Fellowship. Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation Ingenium, Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation, is responsible for Canada’s national scientific and technological collection, which includes over two million archival items and more than 150,000 artifacts. It also oversees three national museums in Ottowa, including the Canada Science and Technology Museum, where the fellowship will occur. The fellowship was developed in partnership with the Black Canadian Studies Association with the help of founding donors Dr. Gervan Fearon
Canada Black Music Archives Launches Digital Archive: Celebrating A Century Of Black Music In Canada
Canada Black Music Archives (CBMA) has announced its official launch as a digital repository dedicated to preserving and celebrating the musical heritage of Black Canadians. CBMA CBMA was founded in 2020 as a testament to the enduring contributions of Black musicians to Canada’s cultural landscape over the past 100 years. The story of the CMBA began with the history of WORD – Toronto’s award-winning Black Culture Magazine co-founded by Phil Vassell and Donna McCurivin in 1991. The first issue of WORD was published in March 1992, distributed free across the
A new initiative, launched by Dream Legacy Foundation (DLF), an organization that runs innovative programs to boost entrepreneurship within the Black Community and Ryerson University’s business incubator, has just taken off.
