Each February, it’s important for organizations and people with a voice to speak for those who experience a lack of equity and systemic barriers in the Black entrepreneur community. While it’s important to acknowledge the many brilliant people who identify with and are allies to the community, we want to take it a step further. That’s why we curated this blog post to connect entrepreneurs, business do-ers, change makers, and everyone in between with meaningful resources with a mission this February.

Black Mentorship Inc. (BMI)

Their mentorship program aims to bridge the gap and mentor access experienced within the Black and BIPOC professional community. BMI is dedicated to addressing these challenges by providing an inclusive mentorship program to foster the growth, empowerment, and career development of Black people. They provide education, skills building, resources, networking, and strong community support to enable their participants to achieve their definition of success, eradicating systemic barriers and thus, create diverse leaders.

Learn more here.

Black Entrepreneurship Program

The Black Entrepreneurship Program (BEP) is a collaboration between the Government of Canada, Black-led businesses, and financial institutions in Canada. The Government of Canada has pledged to invest up to $265 million to help Black Entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses.

Within the program, there are different funding opportunities. At the time of writing this post, the Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund is still open for applications. This program provides loans up to $250,000 to Black business owners and entrepreneurs and you can learn more here.

RBC Black Entrepreneur Program

In July of 2020, RBC made a five-year commitment to invest $100 million to fund small business loans to Black entrepreneurs. With this program at RBC, Black entrepreneurs can access loans of up to $250,000 to start and grow their business. The program also offers a strong network of peers, advisors, and mentors that can help guide Black entrepreneurs to grow and develop their businesses.

There are several other offers available within this program, such as partnerships with H&R Block for easy tax filing and TELUS for savings on business technology and tools. Learn more about this program and how you can apply here.

Futurpreneur’s Black Entrepreneur Startup Program

This program allows Black entrepreneurs to access loans between $5,000 to $60,000. There are some eligibility criteria that one must qualify for:

• This program is open for Black entrepreneurs between the age of 18-39.
• The business must be less than 12 months old in full-time operation. Purchasing an existing business or a franchise business is also eligible within this program.

The program also offers up to two years of mentorship, plus access to resources and networking opportunities with other Canadian entrepreneurs.

Supporting Black-Owned Businesses at Haltech

Black-owned businesses are an integral part of our communities. Check out this curated list of Black-owned/operated businesses that you can support right now.

In Charge Inc.

In Charge enables financial advisors and firms to convert prospects 3x faster. They provide efficient and engaging tools that saves time, educates prospects and  allows advisors to focus on building human connections.

Their platform, HeyKyra, is a multi-purpose tool that automates data collection, helps qualify prospects for products and  provides personalized financial literacy. You can learn more about In Charge Inc here.

Not Your Child Corp.

Not Your Child Corp. is a Canadian company dedicated to road safety. They are Partners For Life with Blood.ca, Proud members of ORHMA, ILEA, M.P.I Toronto, the Canadian Safe Boating Council & and also members of several board of trades in Ontario Canada.

The mission at Not Your Child Corp. is to:

• Normalize the use of breathalyzers in our society, as smart & proactive safety tools
• Put an end to deaths & injuries caused by inebriated driving
• Ensure no host or parent suffers the guilt & consequences of enabling their child or patron to drive inebriated

Shop driver safety products like breathalyzers and more here.

Classlete

Recent Hi5 finalist Classlete is a membership platform helping high school athletes balance school, sports & their social life, while offering a unique way to share their stats, GPA & volunteer hours on social media through our custom Classlete Virtual or Printed Sports Cards and Posters. Join for free.

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