In August, we celebrated National Black-Owned Business month by highlighting and promoting black-owned businesses in Canada that inspired us. I got in touch with the founders to ask them what it means to them to be a black-owned business in Canada.
Founders
Owned by Tobi Oluwole (Nigeria), Joshua Alawode (Nigeria), Marianne Encina (Bolivia) and Anisa Stoli Sanipe (Greece).
About
The3Skills knows what it takes to build a dream career from scratch. Their goal is to equip recent graduates, international students and young professionals with the confidence and the skills they need to stand out to employers and build exceptional careers.
The3Skills knows what it takes to build a dream career from scratch. Their goal is to equip recent graduates, international students and young professionals with the confidence and the skills they need to stand out to employers and build exceptional careers.
When you join their “Job Hunting Essentials” course, you learn about resume building, interviewing, salary negotiating, networking, LinkedIn optimization and more! Most importantly, you get full access to a thriving network and support system of career mentors, industry leaders and recruiting partners who will help you succeed in your job search now and throughout your career journey.
"We know that #JobHunting can feel lonely. Our mission is to stand with you throughout your job searching process, and beyond! "
Being a black-owned business in Canada
"Being a black-owned business in Canada means we get to set an example of what is possible for the next generation of black dreamers. It also means that the people we help find jobs, who are mostly minorities, will now have a chance to build wealth for themselves and their families."
Why they inspire us
I am proud to highlight this black-owned business as we share a similar mission. We both aim to change the trajectory of people’s lives by building them up and equipping them with the tools to supercharge their success.
Connect with them:
Founder
Tennile Cooper is a Canadian born of Jamaican background and Ghanaian heritage.
About
The She is Epic (SIE) Fund is an e-commerce brand that builds access to capital for womxn-led businesses.
It initially launched from helping women entrepreneurs position their brand for sales via my copywriting business.
When a person buys a tee, a tank or a tote, it helps build access to capital on thesiefund.com.
Being a black-owned business in Canada
"Being black in business is a statement within itself. And an example that is set—just by showing up with business acumen. I want to be what I didn't see growing up, and so, it's essential to show what's possible and colour in white spaces that predominantly don't include us."
Why they inspire us
This brand is fierce, relatable and undoubtedly epic! They are changing the narrative of what it means to be a black-owned and woman-owned business. The SIE Fund is all about rewriting history and opening doors for womxn-led companies by providing access to capital. Research showed that women-owned businesses are less likely to seek and receive funding.
Connect with them:
Founder
Blooming Umoren was born and raised in Nigeria.
About
Africa Blooms is a marketplace for made in Africa products. By connecting buyers and sellers worldwide, they are empowering artisans, makers, and creators across Africa to create economic prosperity across the continent. Africa Blooms catalyzes building healthier communities and empowering people around the world.
"We are on a mission to empower 100,000 small & medium scale businesses and individuals across Africa over the next ten years in creating an ecosystem of economic prosperity and powerhouses. "
Being a black-owned business
It's about creating opportunities. It's about giving people the tools and resources for creating sustainable jobs while giving each person a platform to showcase his/her creativity and uniqueness while reinforcing a sense of national pride.
Why they inspire us
As fate would have it, when I moved to Canada, my first neighbour was Blooming Umoren. Blooming and I lived in Graduate campus housing at the University Of British Columbia. We were both MBA students. Blooming has a compelling story that we will reserve for another blog post. What Blooming has accomplished over the past five years has been astronomical.
She has built up small African brands through her marketplace and has given them access to international clients.
Connect with us:
There you have the three black-owned businesses that inspire us, and we highlighted them on our Instagram page.
Though August is over, we continue to encourage you to support black-owned businesses in Canada. A few resources list black-owned companies, and you can also check out Yelp that helps you search for minority owned businesses.
We will continue to highlight BIPOC-owned companies that inspire us, and if you would love to a feature in our series, message us at [email protected].
Starting a business is a path that many new immigrants turn to, especially with all the challenges new immigrants can face in the job market. Canadian experience requirement can be a roadblock that sets many new immigrants back, which makes starting their own business an appealing option. If you are thinking about starting a business, check out our post on ten essential books to support your startup journey.