Honoring Resilient Entrepreneurs: Fuseinat Brimah, Founder of CanGro AgriFoods, Joins Communitech’s Fierce Founders Uplift Program

WETechAlliance has announced a significant achievement in its partnership with Communitech, having raised over $110,000 for women and non-binary founders in the region. This milestone highlights the ongoing efforts to support underrepresented groups in entrepreneurship. Among the latest cohort of Communitech's Fierce Founders Uplift program is Fuseinat Brimah, the founder and CEO of Windsor-based CanGro Foods. Brimah is one of ten founders chosen for the program, which aims to empower women and non-binary entrepreneurs from equity-deserving communities through mentorship and funding.

The Fierce Founders Uplift program provides participants with $10,000 in non-matching funds, mentorship, and access to essential networks to help scale their businesses. The program lasts three to five months and offers extensive support from experienced growth coaches at Communitech. Participants work on developing customized growth plans, identifying market opportunities, and refining their go-to-market strategies. They also benefit from personalized coaching and workshops that enhance leadership and business skills.

Brimah's selection for this program underscores her dedication to her community through her company, CanGro AgriFoods, which she founded in 2021. CanGro is a social enterprise focused on empowering farmers and enhancing agricultural practices with comprehensive management solutions. The enterprise aims to improve productivity sustainably by providing tailored services and resources to farmers, supporting them at every stage of the farming process.

Brimah's background in the food industry spans over 20 years. She began her journey by owning and managing Afro-Caribbean grocery stores, which equipped her with firsthand insights into the challenges of accessing ethnic foods and fresh produce in her community. This experience inspired her to create CanGro Foods, which prioritizes supplying fresh, locally grown produce, particularly ethnic foods that are often scarce in conventional grocery offerings. Through her business, Brimah addresses the dietary needs of her local community while fostering sustainable agricultural practices.

Additionally, Brimah is an active participant in local entrepreneurship networks, such as the Southwestern Ontario Black Entrepreneurship Network (SWOBEN), and she previously participated in the inaugural cohort of the i.d.e.a. Fund, a program supported by WETechAlliance.

The Fierce Founders program, which is backed by several significant entities—including the Federal Economic Development Agency of Southern Ontario, the City of Kitchener, Google, and the Province of Ontario—aims to equip women and non-binary founders with the tools necessary to grow their businesses and develop leadership skills.

For those interested in the upcoming Fierce Founders programming, including the Intensive Track and Bootcamp, inquiries can be directed to Susy Kustra, Manager of Programs and Client Experience. The launch of Brimah's participation in this program and the ongoing support from WEtech and Communitech exemplifies the commitment to fostering innovation and leadership among women and non-binary individuals in the regional entrepreneurship landscape.