This February, CanWCC celebrates the rich culture of Black Canadians during Black History Month while acknowledging the ongoing disparities in housing, health, and economic inclusion.
To better support the Black members of our community, we have compiled a list that includes resources to help educate and support Black business owners and entrepreneurs beyond Black History Month. This list includes resources and tools to help everyone learn about Black history, support and funding programs for Black business owners, and resources to foster more allyship.
Educational Resources for Black History Month
- Organizations and educational resources on the history of Black communities in Canada | Government of Canada
- Black History Month Commemoration Guide | Canadian Centre for Diversity & Inclusion
- February is Black History Month | Canada.ca
- Black History Month Resources: Approaches, Identities, Histories, Legacies & Inclusion | Facing History
- Celebrate Black History Month 2024 | Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture: Includes articles, a digital tool kit, historical documents and a searchable online museum.
- Black History Month | National Geographic: Explore hands-on activities, maps, and more that will give students of all backgrounds new perspectives on this important part of American culture.
- Black History Month Resource Tool Kit | Black Talent Initiative
- Racial Equity Playbook – BlackNorth Initiative: A list of tools and tactics organizations can use to fulfill their diversity, equity, and inclusion goals and become more equitable corporate citizens.
- Being Black in Canada | CBC News: Read articles, watch videos, listen to podcasts and meet Black athletes, authors, artists and changemakers.
- Read: Do’s and Don’ts of Teaching Black History | Learning for Justice
- Read: Black History Month Is Over. Now What? | Learning for Justice
Resources for Black Business Owners and Entrepreneurs
Support Organizations
- Federation of Black Canadians (FBC): FBC is a national, non-profit organization driven by Black organizations across the country that advances the social, economic, political and cultural interests of Canadians of African descent. Mobilize, Empower, Transform.
- Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce (CBCC): CBCC promotes local and bilateral trade, resource information, and cultural exchange for business.
- Black Business and Professional Association: BBPA is a non-profit, charitable organization that addresses equity and opportunity for the Black community in business, employment, education and economic development.
- BlackNorth Initiative: Their programs and resources include BlackNorth Academy, a program that provides professionals C-suite and boardroom preparedness for Canadian corporations; BlackNorth Connect, a job platform to match Black talent with employers who value diversity and inclusivity; the Racial Equity Playbook; and more.
- Black Professionals in Tech Network (BPTN): BPTN helps Black professionals network, connect with one another, share resources and grow their careers.
- BIPOC TV and Film: A thriving community of Black, Indigenous and Racialized creators and media professionals transforming Canadian film and Television.
- Black Entrepreneurs Resource Centre | CanadianSME Small Business Magazine
- The Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (BEKH): BEKH is The national hub for research, data and insights on Black entrepreneurship in Canada.
- League of Innovators: League of Innovators is a national Canadian charity that offers training, mentorship, accelerator and scale-up programs and networking for founders under 30.
- BKR Capital: BKR Capital is a Canadian venture capital fund that solely invests in Black-led startups and businesses.
- MATR Ventures: Matr Ventures invests in undervalued deep tech companies, with special attention to connecting multicultural and women founders.
- Black Business Association of BC: Provides access to micro-loans for Black small businesses and offers a variety of programs and resources for building your supply chain, preparing for trade shows, and maintaining positive mental health as a founder. (British Columbia)
- ANZA’s Black Entrepreneur Ecosystem Program: This program is designed to help Black youth generate business ideas, convert those ideas into business plans, and seek financing to launch their businesses. (Alberta)
- Black Founders Network | University of Toronto Entrepreneurship (Toronto, Ontario)
- Black Business Initiative (BBI) (Nova Scotia)
Accelerators and Funding Programs
- Black Opportunity Fund
- FACE’s Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund
- DMZ’s Black Innovation Programs
- Black Entrepreneur Startup Program by Futurpreneur
- Nobellum Innovator Program
- Black African and Caribbean Entrepreneurship Leadership (BACEL)
- Black Founders – Google for Startups Accelerator (2024 applications close on February 1, 2024)
- Black Pitch Contest (2024 applications close on February 16, 2024)
- ACCESS Community Capital Fund
- BFN Accelerate – Black Founders Network & University of Toronto Entrepreneurship
- BFN Scale – Black Founders Network & University of Toronto Entrepreneurship
- CIBC’s Black Entrepreneur Program Loan
- RBC’s Black Entrepreneur Program
- Black Business Association of BC – Programs (British Columbia)
- Black Entrepreneurship Program (BEP) (Ontario, Alberta & Quebec)
- Black Leaders Of Tomorrow (BLT) (Peel Region in Ontario)
- Tribe Network’s Black Start-up Project (Atlantic Canada)
- Black Business Initiative (BBI)(Nova Scotia)
- Atlantic Canada Black Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Program | BBI: (Atlantic Canada)
Resources for Allies
- Racial Equity Playbook | BlackNorth Initiative: A list of tools and tactics organizations can use to fulfill their diversity, equity, and inclusion goals and become more equitable corporate citizens.
- Black History Month Resource Tool Kit | Black Talent Initiative
- How to Be an Ally During Black History Month and Beyond | Omaha Community Foundation
- Read: The Do’s and Don’t’s of celebrating Black History Month as an ally – The Berkeley Beacon
- Read: Becoming a Better Ally During Black History Month and Beyond | HRPA
- Read: Do’s and Don’ts of Teaching Black History | Learning for Justice
- Read: Stop asking Black people to perform emotional labour during Black History Month | CBC News
- Read: White parents, it’s time to do the work honoring Black history | CNN
- Read: Support Black-Owned Businesses: 450+ Places to Start Online
Note: This resource list has been curated by the Canadian Women’s Chamber of Commerce for educational purposes in order to support women and racialized people in Canada. We are not affiliated with these groups and are not responsible for any changes in availability, outdated information or broken links on these websites.
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About CanWCC
The Canadian Women’s Chamber of Commerce (CanWCC) is the only chamber of commerce in Canada that advocates explicitly for diverse women-identified and non-binary entrepreneurs, founders, and business owners. Launched in 2018, CanWCC is a national not-for-profit organization with a mission to create equal opportunities for women-identified and non-binary entrepreneurs to thrive in business.
CanWCC is a nationally incorporated, not-for-profit organization dedicated to advocacy, advancement, and connection for and on behalf of its members. CanWCC’s membership consists of women-identified entrepreneurs and organizations that are at least 50% woman(en)-owned and led.