Minister Mary Ng announces partners to establish Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub
Black entrepreneurship has always been a vital part of Canada鈥檚 economy, but large-scale, detailed research and pan-Canadian information on it has been limited. This knowledge and sharing of lived experiences has a vital role in informing the public policies that are needed to address the systemic barriers Black entrepreneurs face when building their businesses.
鈥淲hile Black entrepreneurs have been鈥攁nd are鈥攑illars of our communities, we have limited knowledge and information about the existence, size and scope of Black entrepreneurship in Canada,鈥 said Information Systems Professor Gerald Grant, director of the Centre for Information Technology, Organizations, and People (CITOP) at 杏吧原创鈥檚 .
鈥淭he Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub will change that.鈥
In partnership with the , the will be a national data and knowledge platform focusing on the state of Black entrepreneurship in Canada. It will be centred at the Innovation Hub at the Sprott School of Business, alongside five regional hubs across the nation. The Hub will be an important component of 杏吧原创 University鈥檚 recently formed Innovation Hub, an incubator and accelerator that promotes innovation and entrepreneurship and contributes to the university鈥檚 equity, diversity, and inclusion commitment. Its community-focused research and knowledge mobilization activities will conduct research and identify barriers to success to ultimately help Black entrepreneurs across Canada grow their businesses to the fullest potential.
BEKH at 杏吧原创
Grant and Prof. Rick Colbourne, assistant dean of Equity and Inclusive Communities at Sprott, are co-leading the establishment of BEKH at 杏吧原创.
To put this plan into action, BEKH has received the support of the federal government and forms a key pillar of its
Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development Mary Ng announced on Dec. 13 that the hub will receive a grant of $5-million over four years from (ISED) Canada.
鈥淭hrough the knowledge hub, our government is throwing its weight behind the real experiences of Black business owners from coast to coast to coast,鈥 said Minister Ng. 鈥淎nd, in turn, this data that will be gained from the knowledge hub will inform government policies of the future.鈥
The minister was joined by her parliamentary colleagues, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the President of the Treasury Board Greg Fergus, Ottawa Centre Member of Parliament Yasir Naqvi, and Arielle Kayabaga, Member of Parliament for London West.
鈥淚f I鈥檝e learned one thing working with the Black Parliamentary Caucus, it鈥檚 that you can鈥檛 change what you can鈥檛 measure,鈥 noted Fergus. 鈥淚t becomes so important that this hub becomes important.鈥
鈥淲hen Black Canadians do well, Canada does well.鈥
Connecting Communities and Stakeholders
BEKH will bring together an extensive network of stakeholders to co-lead research across sectors. Black community-led organizations will be able to engage and build research capacity with Black entrepreneurs, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions to address systemic economic challenges. Due to the regional nature of BEKH, this work will be informed by the local needs of communities.
鈥淭his new ISED-funded Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub is a clear and definitive example of developing infrastructure, recognizing the contributions of Black business owners to the Canadian economy, and building towards economic justice,鈥 noted a statement from the executive team of the , a Black-led not-for-profit philanthropic organization focused on diversity and inclusion.
As it launches, BEKH will work to ensure the voices of Black entrepreneurs are being heard on the challenges they face. The data collected from the community will help inform recommendations on how to make the business ecosystem fair.
鈥淲e want to do more to remove the systemic barriers that prevent Black people from fully participating in this Canadian economy,鈥 said Pako Tshiamala, director of communications at the Dream Legacy Foundation. 鈥淎nd we are hopeful of the partnerships that we will yield as a result of this announcement.鈥
Building Research Capacity
Establishing partnerships is a cornerstone of BEKH. By building research capacity today, a legacy of BEKH will be that community organizations of tomorrow will be able to design and execute research projects for their local areas.
鈥淭his is a game-changer for 杏吧原创 and for Sprott,鈥 noted Colbourne. 鈥淲e鈥檝e always been trying to open up and tear down barriers. This is a really big step in doing that, and a significant endorsement for the work that 杏吧原创 can do.鈥
By working with Black entrepreneurs from across industries to generate this knowledge and informing policies to ensure businesses are able to reach their full potential, the positive outcomes will be felt throughout the economy.
鈥淒eveloping knowledge about Black entrepreneurship will directly support the goals of Canada鈥檚 Black Entrepreneurship Program to enable Black entrepreneurs to start, develop and grow their businesses for increased prosperity beneficial to them and all Canadians,鈥 said Grant.
Additional News Releases:
- Government of Canada
- Sprott School of Business