Supporting Black-led Technology Startups and Community-led Entrepreneurship Innovation Training in Prairies Canada

Black Business Ventures Association (BBVA) is a non-profit technology accelerator with a mandate to increase the participation of Black-led technology startups in Canada. In November 2021, BBVA launched the first Black-focused accelerator program in Western Canada. In order to implement its programs and connect with Black communities across the Prairies Region, BBVA plans to establish a strong digital presence across social media platforms and develop relationships with social and cultural organizations within the Black community. BBVA believes Black-led startups and tech-enabled businesses in Canada have the potential to present massive market impact and opportunities in an industry where only 2.6 percent of the tech workforce in Canada are Black (Brookfield Institute:
2019). In addition, there has been no research conducted to study the reasons for the persistently lower percentage of Canadian startups with a Black founder or co-founder or the percentage of Black students enrolled in STEM programs in post secondary institutions. BBVA is a part of the recently launched Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub and the Experiential Learning in Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (ELITE) Program for Black Youth and will gather data for use in research projects related to Black entrepreneurship.

Faculty Supervisor:

André McDonald;Philomina Okeke-Ihejirika

Student:

Partner:

Black Business Ventures Association

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Management of companies and enterprises; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Alberta

Program: