The Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce boosts Black-owned Businesses during Canadian Black Business Week 2021
The Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce boosts Black-owned Businesses during Canadian Black Business Week 2021, with a new digital directory, and daily events featuring UBER, CIBC, Interac, the Government of Canada, Clearview Strategies, and the Black Opportunity Fund (BOF)
TORONTO (October 26, 2021) — To mark Canadian Black Business Week 2021, the Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce (CBCC) is pleased to announce a week of daily programmed events, highlighted by the launch of Black Business Direct, a new online directory of nationally Black-owned Canadian Businesses, produced in partnership with UBER. The debut of the directory featured an exclusive fireside chat between UBER Chief Counsel, Tony West, and CBCC President, Christelle Francois.
The remainder of the week includes a series of specially programming online experiences delivered by leadership across Canada’s banking and business sectors, who will share their expertise about business planning, export funding, whistleblowing solutions, and pathways to funding.
“We are thrilled to deliver a full week of free events for our second annual Canadian Black Business Week to help boost Black-owned businesses nationally, with this extended, accessible conversation about how best to navigate the many aspects of business ownership at this important time”, CBCC President, Christelle Francois. “As Canada continues to open back up for entrepreneurship and commerce, it’s key that Black businesses and business owners equipped from startup to scale up are well equipped; we look forward to highlighting the contributions of Black-owned businesses to the Canadian economy and to discovering sustainable entrepreneurial outcomes for future.”
Canadian Black Business Week 2021, Daily Events: October 25-29, 2021:
MONDAY 1PM – Black Business Direct: Launch Event
Time: 1pm – 2pm
Sponsor: Uber
Speakers:
- Tony West (Chief Legal Officer, Uber)
- Christelle Francois (President, Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce)
The Black Business Directory:
Featuring Businesses From Coast-to-Coast-to-Coast.
In conversation with CBCC President Christelle Francois, this fireside discussion will encompass:
- The importance of a directory for Black-owned businesses
- CBCC’s partnership with Uber to launch this directory in Canada, and ways that global brands can do more in their communities
- Ways that Canadians can support Black-owned businesses
- How businesses can register for this free resource to increase their exposure
TUESDAY 1PM – Conquering The Business Plan with CIBC
Time: 12pm – 1pm
Sponsor: CIBC
Speakers:
- Doug Minter
- Sean DeFrietas
- Sachin Somaia
- Hector Faucompre
- Chancie Romain
About This Event:
This webinar is focused on giving entrepreneurs a view of the business plan and its key components. You will learn from CIBC banking specialists, a CPA, and a business advisor about the key components of a business plan and tips and tools to make writing your plan a smoother process.
WEDNESDAY 1PM – Retail Renaissance: Small Businesses look to the Future with Interac
Time: 1pm – 2pm
Sponsor: Interac
Speakers:
- Shenela Tavarayan (Interac)
- Doug Minter (CBCC)
About This Event
Join the Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce and Shenela Tavarayan, Retail Commerce Senior Manager at Interac, for an interactive webinar to learn how COVID-19 has impacted consumers’ needs and shopping habits and how Canadian small businesses can prepare for the changing retail landscape.
WEDNESDAY 3PM – Navigating Government Funding and Export Programs for Black Entrepreneurs
Time: 3pm – 4pm
Sponsor: EDC & BDC & Govt. of Canada
Speakers:
- Christelle Francois
- Dave D’Oyan (EDC)
- Chelsea Prescod (BDC)
- Abi Tairu (TCS)
About This Event
As a Black entrepreneur navigating the entrepreneurial ecosystem can be an onerous task. The goal of this session is to make this process easier by providing key government programs and funding opportunities that can help grow your business. The presenters will be BDC, EDC, and the Trade Commissioners Service. The ideal audience would be growth-oriented businesses and those who are in search of new market opportunities.
THURSDAY 1PM – Fireside Chat Joe German from Clearview
Time: 1pm – 2pm
Sponsor: Clearview
Speakers:
- Christelle Francois (CBCC)
- Joe German (Clearview)
About This Event
In this fireside chat, CBCC President Christelle Francois will talk with Joe German with Clearview Strategic Partners. ClearView Strategic Partners is a Canadian company specializing in ethics reporting ‘whistleblowing’ solutions for organizations of all sizes. We have become a recognized leader with our widely adopted solution, ClearView Connects™.
ClearView connects people and organizations. They partner with clients to build an organization where employees feel empowered to speak up, and organizations can address and harness what they have to say.
FRIDAY 6:30PM – Access to Capital with Colin Lynch of the Black Opportunity Fund
Time: 6:30pm – 8pm
Sponsor: Black Opportunity Fund
Speakers:
- Christelle Francois (CBCC)
- Colin Lynch (Black Opportunity Fund)
About This Event
A Fireside Chat with President Christelle Francois and Colin Lynch with the Black Opportunity Fund to discuss the pathways for funding.
All events take place during Eastern Standard Time, and registration, which is free for CBCC members and for the general public, is required in advance. CBCC membership information is available online here.
About the Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce: The Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce is a national, non-profit, bilingual organization. We are a distinctive platform that supports Black businesses, promotes economic growth and prosperity, leads public and private sector advocacy and forms alliances and broad-based coalitions that represent the economic interests of our members and stakeholders.
Source Wendy Vincent
