Welcome Note

Sharif Haji, Executive Director

The Black Business Ecosystem is ever evolving and so are the services and initiatives being offered to Black entrepreneurs through Africa Centre. We continue to prioritise the full participation of Black entrepreneurs in economic and social development by mobilising resources towards developing new initiatives and expanding existing services to improve opportunities for Black entrepreneurs to thrive.

Recently, we completed an assessment of The State of Black entrepreneurs in Alberta and findings show that Alberta’s Black entrepreneurs continue to face challenges that include narrow customer-base due to racial attitudes towards Black entrepreneurs, poor relationship with financial institutions, lack of access to capital loans, as well as limited networks and business partnerships.

This can be addressed when stakeholders develop an integrated approach that helps Black youth build capacity to address various social, institutional, and systemic barriers in the pursuit of employment and entrepreneurship goals.

As you read this edition, you will learn that factors such as low start-up capital usually generated from personal savings rather than bank loans, which are usually outside their reach as well as lack of social capital gained through professional and social networks and mentorships critically affects the growth of Black entrepreneurs.

While we continue to evolve, we enjoy telling the stories and sharing the experiences along the way. During this Black History Month, I encourage all stakeholders to collectively work towards such strategies that address barriers and contribute to building all aspects of Alberta’s Black business community.

Yours Sincerely,

BCW is a bilingual, non-profit organization committed to advocate for Black Canadian for Black

BCW is a bilingual, non-profit committed to advocate for Black Canadian Women, girls and their families and to support and empower them to ease their social, Women, girls and their families and to and them to ease their social, Women, and their families them to ease cultural, and economic inclusion across Canada through education, employment, economic across through education, cultural, and inclusion through education, entrepreneurship, and full participation and involvement in community leadership. entrepreneurship, participation involvement in leadership. entrepreneurship, and full and involvement leadership. Through its business entity the organization brings together entrepreneurs and

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Mission: To empower Black Canadian women and their families to explore, invest and Mission: To Black Canadian and their families to explore, invest and Mission: empower Black Canadian women and their families to explore, and exercise leadership in all sectors of Canadian society and beyond leadership in all of Canadian society and beyond exercise leadership of Canadian society beyond Vision: To be Canada’s leading organization promoting socio economic engagement and be leading organization promoting engagement and Vision: To Canada’s organization socio engagement and development for Black Canadian Women, Girls and Families. for Women, development for Black Canadian Girls and Families.