{"id":11925,"date":"2025-03-24T11:20:57","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T15:20:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/?p=11925"},"modified":"2025-03-24T11:20:57","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T15:20:57","slug":"celebrating-four-years-of-supporting-black-entrepreneurs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/blog\/celebrating-four-years-of-supporting-black-entrepreneurs\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating four years of supporting Black entrepreneurs\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In March 2021, the <a href=\"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/offering\/black-entrepreneur-startup\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/offering\/black-entrepreneur-startup\/\">Futurpreneur Black Entrepreneur Startup Program (BESP)<\/a>, funded by RBC, launched with a clear mission: to provide Black entrepreneurs across Canada with access to the capital, mentorship, resources and networks they need to succeed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since then, the impact speaks for itself:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>$20.5<\/strong> million&nbsp;in loan financing and follow-on loan financing disbursed;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>511<\/strong> Black-owned businesses supported; and&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>50%<\/strong> of supported Black-owned businesses are women-led.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These numbers tell part of the story, but for me, BESP\u2019s impact is personal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Why this work matters to me<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like many Black professionals, I spent years in corporate spaces as the only Black woman in the room. I mastered code-switching, learned how to shape-shift to fit in, but the higher I climbed, the more disconnected I felt from my purpose.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2017, I walked away from corporate and started consulting. A lot of my time went to Black non-profits and grassroots organizations. I wanted to contribute to a community that was too often overlooked and underfunded.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then BESP found me.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A friend sent me a job posting at Futurpreneur in 2022. I applied, thinking, &#8220;Why not?&#8221; But the more I engaged with the organization, the more I saw something rare: real commitment to diversity, not just in words but in action. A Head of DEI at the senior leadership level? In a climate where companies are quietly backing away from diversity efforts, that means something.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the opportunity to lead BESP came, I took another leap. And it changed everything.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A program that\u2019s reshaping the economic landscape<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s be real, Black entrepreneurs face systemic barriers that make success harder. Limited access to capital, a lack of mentorship, and fewer industry connections make it tougher to scale a business. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bdc.ca\/en\/articles-tools\/blog\/untapped-potential-black-entrepreneurship-canada?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">BDC<\/a>, 84% of Black entrepreneurs are the first in their immediate or extended family to own a business, a rate higher than their non-Black peers.<sup>1<\/sup> Despite these challenges, community support is strong, with 95% of Black business owners having previously supported another Black-owned business.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s why BESP isn\u2019t just about financing; it\u2019s about shifting the landscape entirely.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re not just investing in Black businesses. We\u2019re investing in Black entrepreneurs\u2014their ideas, their resilience, their ability to innovate and lead.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take David Owasi, for example. He built Outreach Genius, an AI-driven marketing company in Winnipeg. In just 18 months, his team expanded tenfold, proving that Black tech founders are leading innovation in unexpected places.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or Jayrell Diggs, who turned his frustration with juggling laundry and school into SudDrop, a Halifax-based fast-growing laundry service that\u2019s now expanding beyond Nova Scotia. After winning a $10,000 Rock My Business Start-Up Award prize, he\u2019s using his prize money to scale even further.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Beyond loans: The power of mentorship &amp; community<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Money is one thing. But access to mentorship, resources and networks? That\u2019s where the real magic happens.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most powerful aspects of BESP is that we\u2019re not just handing out loans; we\u2019re creating real connections. Having a mentor who understands your reality, who\u2019s navigated the same barriers, changes everything. Because when you see someone who looks like you win, you realize you can win too.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through financial literacy workshops, business planning support, and peer-to-peer connections, we\u2019re making sure Black entrepreneurs don\u2019t just launch their businesses; they successfully sustain and scale them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Looking ahead: Expanding our reach<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>None of this would be possible without RBC. As BESP\u2019s founding partner and biggest champion, RBC has been instrumental in turning a vision into reality. Their commitment to Black entrepreneurship isn\u2019t just a pledge; it\u2019s a game-changer. Thanks to their support, and additional loan financing from BDC, we\u2019re reaching more Black entrepreneurs and helping them turn bold ideas into thriving businesses.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That means:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Expanding beyond major urban centers: because Black entrepreneurs exist everywhere, not just in big cities;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Strengthening post-disbursement support: with more marketing and financial workshops so that businesses can thrive after accessing their loans; and&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Building more networking opportunities: because sometimes, the best business advice comes from another entrepreneur who\u2019s been in your shoes.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The work doesn\u2019t stop here. We\u2019re just getting started.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>This is just the beginning.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ve seen what happens when Black entrepreneurs get the right support: businesses grow, industries shift, new opportunities open up and economies flourish.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>BESP is here to make sure that continues. Through mentorship, community, and the right resources, we\u2019re backing Black entrepreneurs who are ready to build.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re serious about taking your business to the next level, we\u2019re here. Pull up. Let\u2019s make it happen.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Startup your future, today! Learn more about Futurpreneur&#8217;s Black Entrepreneur Startup Program, <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/offering\/black-entrepreneur-startup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>click here<\/em><\/a><em>.&nbsp;<\/em> &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Tamara Chanoine is Futurpreneur&#8217;s Director, Black Entrepreneur Startup Program. She is a bilingual marketing professional with a dynamic background of more than 15 years of experience, working with national and global brands across a mix of exciting fields like automotive, retail, government, non-profit organizations and creative agencies.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This path led her to Futurpreneur\u2019s Black Entrepreneur Startup Program (BESP), leading a team of dedicated individuals who are committed to offering continuous support to Black entrepreneurs, helping them start up and expand their businesses.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In March 2021, the Futurpreneur Black Entrepreneur Startup Program (BESP), funded by RBC, launched with a clear mission: to provide Black entrepreneurs across Canada with access to the capital, mentorship, resources and networks they need to succeed.\u00a0 Since then, the impact speaks for itself:&nbsp; These numbers tell part of the story, but for me, BESP\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":11926,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,10,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11925","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entrepreneurship","category-futurpreneurs-and-partners","category-social-impact-and-sustainability"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11925","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11925"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11925\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11925"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futurpreneur.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}