Feb

Honouring the Role of the Black Entrepreneur

Actions and Detail Panel

Sales Ended

Event description

Honouring the role of the Black entrepreneur and their vital contribution to addressing the generational wealth gap for Black families

About this Event

Honouring the Role of the Black Entrepreneur

and their vital contribution to addressing the generational wealth gap for Black families

Alterna Savings is honoured to host an afternoon conversation with five incredible community leaders on the topics of generational wealth, entrepreneurship, BIPOC communities and how we can work together to continue to improve economic equality and representation.

Research has shown us that entrepreneurs are vital to a healthy economy. Entrepreneurs address unmet needs and try to fill them with new goods or services. They drive economic growth and movement in communities, and in difficult economic times, entrepreneurs help by creating jobs and finding unique and creative ways to provide society with the goods and services they desire.

We know that there is a significant wage gap for Black families and that access to assets and legacy creation is challenging.

In our session, Honouring the Role of the Black Entrepreneur, you are invited to explore with us

• The role of Black entrepreneurs in addressing the generational wealth gap and asset building in Black families.

• What legacy and resilience look like.

• How can financial literacy and education support entrepreneurship and building equity and generational wealth.

• How we can support more Black families through the financial system and what products and tools should be available to meet the community's needs and build their wealth.

• Entrepreneurship and unleashing community wealth through entrepreneurship for Black Canadians, employee ownership, innovative solutions in Black ownership.

• How Black entrepreneurs have supported asset building for Black families.

Key Topics:

1. There are gaps in generational wealth for Black Canadians – hear shared insights on the significance of missing generational wealth and its role in the oppression of communities.

2. The role of Entrepreneurship in addressing the generational wealth gap for Black families – lived experience as an entrepreneur.

3. The importance of Entrepreneurship in building generational wealth, programs, and financial literacy.

Speakers:

Melloney Campbell

Melloney is a Startup Canada Board member serving within the public sector and government for Members of Parliament and Municipal Members of Parliament.

Having played a part in the growth of Startup Canada from inception to today, she’s been a Lobbyist, Mentor, Events Manager, Global Ambassador, Ecosystem Connector, and VP of Communications where she led the national Startup Canada program.

Melloney is the Founder and Community Leader for Startup Canada in the Region of Peel. Startup Peel has become a resource where entrepreneurs connect, network, and scale from ideation to MVP. Also, through industry partnerships, Melloney has designed a Bilateral Trade Incubator soon to be launched in Peel.

Melloney is also the winner of the 2018 Startup Canada National Award: Community Leader-East and the 2019 Startup Canada National Award: Community-Peel Region.

Ryan Knight | Alterna Business Member

Ryan has a deep passion for his community and is one of the cofounders of the Afro Caribbean Business Network Foundation – a non-profit organization created to help entrepreneurs of African and Caribbean heritage not only start businesses but help their companies grow and become assets for future generations. He now leads Ontario’s first Black Led Microloan Fund.

Over the past 10 years, Ryan has built multiple businesses and spends a great deal of his time leading and mentoring young entrepreneurs in the community. After starting a social enterprise, Detailing Knights, a mobile waterless car cleaning company, Ryan was able to launch his first youth entrepreneurship program called Knighthood Academy.

Ryan, one of Brampton’s top 40 under 40, and has been nominated twice for a Business Excellence Award by the Brampton Board of Trade – once in 2014 and winning in 2019. Ryan also won the Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Toronto Region Board of Trade in 2013.

Ushnish Sengupta | Alterna Business Member

Ushnish Sengupta is a co-founder of Generation Connection, which is a collective social enterprise that provides educational services to entrepreneurs starting from marginalized and equity-seeking communities. He has an Industrial Engineering and MBA education, experience in starting and managing Social Enterprises and delivering entrepreneurship and business courses. Ushnish is a Ph.D. candidate at OISE at the University of Toronto, and an award-winning instructor at the Schulich School of Business at York University.

Deion Francis | Alterna Business Member

Deion Francis, otherwise known as Deion K. is the CEO and Founder of Blueprint Pathfinders Inc. (BPI) a fast-growing personal and professional development firm, located in Toronto, Canada. Deion K is an Image Curator, Certified Master and Professional Coach, Transformational Speaker, Program Development Specialist, Radio Show Host, and the author of the upcoming book CHANGE.

She has developed and launched BPI’s signature seminars and workshops “Gifted for Success” (GFS) in 2016. Deion has also designed the Canadian Newcomer Transitional Coaching Program which she presently incorporates in government training programs for newcomers and was a panelist at the Immigrant Women’s Small Business Expo. As a champion of empowerment, she partner’s with not-for-profit agencies where she provides both personal and business coaching for individuals and start-up/small business owners.

Moderator:

Susan Henry, Manager Community Investment, Alterna Savings

Susan Henry has over 20 years of experience in microfinance. Susan was instrumental in leading the launch of our Alterna Savings Community Microfinance Program and the Community Loan Funds Partnership Programs which, since its inception in 2000, has disbursed over $7M in loans directly improving the economic participation of underserved communities and groups such as racialized Canadians, women, and others who face barriers to financing.

As a recognized authority on the role of microfinance in community development, small businesses, social enterprises, and economic justice, Susan have addressed over 500 potential small business owners each year. Susan’s leadership in the field of Community Economic Development in Canada and has advised policymakers and practitioners in microfinance and social finance tools and has been recognized with numerous awards.