Training Report

By Lydia Phillip, Training & Communications Manager

The Black Business Initiative (BBI)’s Training Department provides free business and professional development courses to Black and racially visible minority entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs. Training offerings are delivered through 11-week programs, workshops, conferences, business consultations, and more.

Congratulations to the Winter 2020 Training Graduates! Our Winter 2020 Training program began the first week of March, and was shifted online as COVID-19 became a growing threat. Fortunately, the participants had a chance to meet in person and the comradery continued digitally. The instructors quickly mobilized to have their material, lesson plans, and class activities to be engaging online. Although it may have looked and felt different, the learning opportunity was valuable for our clients. In a challenging and unprecedented time, BBI would like to extend a huge congratulations to our graduates of the following courses: • E-commerce: Selling in a Digital World • Entrepreneurship Essentials We look forward to celebrating the graduates’ success when we are able to gather in groups again.

“I think the most powerful thing to do is to help someone know themselves or their path. This course helped me shift my perspective and analyze my audience, website, and other topics related to online marketing. Thank you to the Black Business Initiative.” - Zainab Al-Habi, E-commerce graduate

“From as long as I can remember, I’ve always heard the saying, ‘the customer is always right.’ Many might agree, however, I’ve always had an issue with aphorisms and the Entrepreneurial Essential course has helped to validate my contrasting opinion. Although a business relies on its customers to assist with achieving success, it cannot become truly successful unless it first invests in its employees, by genuinely caring and supporting them in order to help them to better themselves both personally and professionally.” – Angella Hull, Entrepreneurship Essentials graduate