Ask a Black Entrepreneur Panel 2024: Resources

As part of the fourth annual Ask a Black Entrepreneur (AABE) Panel event on February 22, 2024, panelists and event organizers share resources for Black Entrepreneurs.

The AABE event is presented by the NSCC Black and African Nova Scotian Employee Resource Network, NSCC Entrepreneurship and NSCC Alumni Relations. The 2024 AABE panelists are alumni entrepreneurs: Stefan Williams (Business Admin. '14) of High Powered Customs Apparel Ltd., Shayla Parsons (Practical Nursing ’18) of Shayla’s Footsteps Footcare and Paul Adams Jr. (Applied Communication Arts '07, Graphic Design '14) of Adams Photography.

Resources for Black entrepreneurs

• Black Business Initiative supports Black entrepreneurs every step of the way, from start-up and development to growth and expansion.
• Futurpreneur’s Black Entrepreneur Startup Program provides start-up loan financing and access to mentorship for Black entrepreneurs aged 18 to 39.
• BDC has resources and financial support specifically tailored to empower Black entrepreneurs in their business endeavours.
• Tribe Network’s Black Start-up Project provides access to resources, education and training, capital, mentorship and coaching to Black entrepreneurs and business owners in Atlantic Canada.
• RBC’s Black Entrepreneur Program provides access to advice, connections, and banking solutions to grow your business.
• Black Opportunity Fund is a community-led Canadian charity on a mission to create a healthy and thriving Black Canada by challenging anti-Black racism and responding to long standing underinvestment in Black communities. The fund facilitates access to capital for Black-led businesses and provides access to grants to Black-led non-profits and charities.
• Atlantic Canada Black Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Program provides access to business development support, counselling and mentorship opportunities to Black entrepreneurs in Nova Scotia.
• Black Entrepreneur Credit Access Program aims to provide Black entrepreneurs with access to credit to drive their businesses forward. The program offers an enhanced credit review process that includes a holistic view of your credit application.
• Scotiabank offers a Black-Led Business Financing Program to lend eligible Black entrepreneurs financing for capital investments and/or working capital needs.
• The DMZ’s Black Innovation Programs provide Black-owned tech startups with the support of their incubator network, as well as programming, mentorship, and events.
• Nova Scotia Family Law has a list of community resources for African Nova Scotians.