The Southwestern Ontario Black Entrepreneurship Network

Inthe last month of 2022 the public launch of the Southwestern Ontario Black Entrepreneurship Network (SWOBEN) took place in Hamilton on December 5 and in Windsor on December 6, with over 200 attendees present.

This new initiative brings together a consortium of partners, led by Empowerment Squared, to offer a dynamic resource for Black business owners, entrepreneurs, and non-profit leaders in Southwestern Ontario.

SWOBEN has partnered with WEtech Alliance to provide services in the Windsor Essex region and is funded by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

The Purpose Of SWOBEN

This initiative seeks to address the following identified needs . . .

Scarcity of data about Black entrepreneurs, nuances about the Black community, challenges faced, and their significant contributions to the Canadian economy

Skills for marketing, communications, advertising, and promotion

Personal development and mentorship opportunities

Difficulties in securing and qualifying for capital

Who Can Participate?

Requirements for acceptance into the SWOBEN initiative are as follows . . .

The individual must identify as a Black person (Black Canadian, African, Caribbean descent, etc.) living within southwestern Ontario

Alignment with the stated goal and objectives of SWOBEN in assisting Black professionals and entrepreneurs

Within the SWOBEN, there is a Black Business Development Program, which offers entrepreneurs a hybrid, wraparound four month (16 weeks) experience, which includes business skills training, personalized assessments of existing businesses, and concepts, matching with professional services, mentorship, and opportunities for businesses to be profiled.

Idea-stage founders would have access to tailored business courses that will help improve their mindset about entrepreneurship.

By Colin Grimmond

Growth businesses would be given access to resources that will help them tackle business challenges and assigned to mentors and business advisors for acceleration.

Entrepreneurs must apply and be accepted into the program.

Four Cohorts Available

The Black Business Development Program will be offered two times in 2023 and two times in 2024 . . .

Cohort 1: February 18, 2023 to May 2023

Cohort 2: August to November 2023

Cohort 3: February to May 2024

Cohort 4: August to November 2024

The program includes seminars and workshops in a number of topics including Investing, Franchising, Financial Literacy, Business Branding, Pitching, Team Building, etc. Also, opportunities will be provided for expert business advisors to answer questions related to business needs for SWOBEN entrepreneurs.

What’s Next?

Other additional events and supports include . . .

Various and ongoing networking events (Orientation Day, DEMO Day, Pitch Day, Graduation Day)

Job Fair Event: Professionals Meet & Greet with employers

Mentorship Program: Matching mentors with seasoned entrepreneurs from similar industry sectors and backgrounds

Digital Hub: Promotional and marketing platform to showcase the success of SWOBEN entrepreneurs

For more information, visit either of the following websites: SWOBEN.ca or WEtech-Alliance.com/swoben. Tech Bytes is powered by WEtech Alliance (WEtech-Alliance.com). The columnist for this edition, Colin Grimmond, is the Coordinator, Professional Skills and Entrepreneurship for Empowerment Squared. He is responsible for the program coordination in the Windsor and Essex County region of the Southwestern Ontario Black Entrepreneurship Network. In his role, he oversees the development and delivery of various programs and services to Black entrepreneurs, including workshops, events and opportunities.