Black Business and Professional Association Breaks Barriers for Black Men in Business

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 8, 2022) - The Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA) smashes the barriers, stereotypes and misrepresentation that inhibit Black men from succeeding in business at the National Black Men in Business Bootcamp on July 8 and 9, 2022. This bootcamp gives Canadian Black businessmen a unique opportunity to gain essential entrepreneurial skills and network with other Black professionals to grow and scale up their operations.

"We are fathers, sons, husbands, business men and contributing members of our communities," says Ross Cadastre, BBPA President. "The Black Men in Business Bootcamp not only provides much needed entrepreneurial training, networking and mentorship, it also allows us - as Black men - to tell and reshape our story."

The Black Men in Business Bootcamp launches with a plenary session on Friday evening featuring keynote speaker Trent Out Loud, Montreal entrepreneur and BBPA Harry Jerome Award winner. Saturday features skills development workshops including the Business Model Canvas and Business Plan Creation, Core Business Financials, Marketing your Specialty, Legal Basics for Entrepreneurs, Digital Literacy, Speed Business Networking Exercises, and Practice your Pitch. The event concludes with a fireside chat featuring six dynamic Black professionals, followed by dinner.

"With a multi-year pandemic plus the continued systemic barriers and stereotypes, Black men have been hit hard," says Nadine Spencer, BBPA CEO. "Since George Floyd's murder, we have all become more aware of the negative stigmas and societal misrepresentations that hold Black men back. These factors inhibit Black men from achieving economic success."

According to the May 2021 research study Inclusive Entrepreneurship: Exploring the Barriers Facing Black Entrepreneurs that was commissioned by African Canadian Senate Group and Senator Colin Deacon, 76% of the 300 respondents surveyed said their race makes it harder to succeed as an entrepreneur. Only 19% said they trust banks to do what is right for them and their community. And a majority of Black entrepreneurs said they do not know how to access support or advice when challenges arise in their business.

"One of the most critical needs for a Black man in business is finding the right mentor(s) to help build a sustainable network," says Cadastre. "This bootcamp is intended to help fill that need, and as the BBPA has done for the last four decades, we will continue to build a community of support around Black businesses."

Black Men in Business is a component of the BACEL (Black African and Caribbean Entrepreneurship Leadership) Training Program. BACEL, which was developed by the BBPA, Future Skills Canada and the Diversity Institute, is a 20-month program that provides skills, networking and mentorship to Canadian Black entrepreneurs. When the first phase of BACEL is completed in November 2022, data from this intersectional training program will undergo rigorous evaluation to show the economic benefits of delivering culturally appropriate, trauma-informed entrepreneurial skills training to Black business owners.

About the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA):

Founded in 1983, the BBPA is a charitable organization whose mission is to advance Canada's Black community by facilitating the delivery of programs that support business and professional excellence, higher education, and economic development. The BBPA presents the Annual Harry Jerome Awards, the National Black Business Convention (NBBPC), the BBPA National Scholarships, and workshops and programs at the BBPA Centre of Excellence. For more information, please visit www.bbpa.org or call 416-504-4097.

Media Contact:
April Wilson-Lange
april@brandeq.com
416-732-0202

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