The Black Entrepreneur Startup Program will increase Futurpreneur’s support of aspiring, young Black business owners through a tailored version of its core offering March 24, 2021 (Toronto, ON) – Futurpreneur Canada today announced a new funding collaboration with Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) to deliver the Black Entrepreneur Startup Program, building on its longstanding partnership […]
Launch your dream business with support from an expert team with lived experience.
Our team will guide you through all the steps to embark on your business journey—from planning to financing to launch. Our program for Black entrepreneurs age 18-39 provides startup loan financing and up to two years of mentorship, plus access to resources and networking opportunities with fellow entrepreneurs across Canada.
With Diversity & Inclusion as core values, Futurpreneur supports young Canadian entrepreneurs from all backgrounds, helping them launch and grow successful businesses.
We launched this tailored version of our core Startup Program specifically to help address some of the barriers to success faced by many aspiring Black entrepreneurs.
This program is funded by RBC, with additional loan financing from BDC.
WE OFFER:
Inclusive financing
- Financing from $5,000 to $60,000 in startup loan financing * (up to $40,000 of which is delivered by Futurpreneur, funded by RBC; and up to $20,000 loaned by BDC)
Mentorship
- Up to two years of 1-1 expert mentorship.
Resources
- From our interactive Business Plan Writer to our Cash Flow Template, gain access to the resources you need to succeed.
Networking opportunities
- Engage with a national network of Black entrepreneurs, leaders and Black-led community organizations at a range of entrepreneurship events
Follow-on financing
- The opportunity to apply for up to $40,000 in follow-on financing funded by RBC, based on the first two years of successful business performance.
Discover and Learn
Read news, articles and stories about inspiring Black entrepreneurs, leaders and changemakers.
Frenie Jean-Baptiste: A Flavourful Journey
Frenie Jean-Baptiste fondly remembers inhaling the smell of rum syrup simmering on her grandmother’s stove before pouring the sticky sauce on a boldly flavoured rum cake they would bake together. Her grandmother always let her taste everything as it cooked – it’s what made her fall in love with the art of baking. Jean-Baptiste comes […]
Njeri Watkins: Inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs
Njeri Watkins is passionate about helping entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey. She comes by that passion honestly: As a seventh-generation member of a foundational Black community in Nova Scotia, Watkins, of Njeri Watkins Consulting, says she grew in up a community that was steadfast in its support for Black business leaders and entrepreneurs. […]
Felicita Ovadje: Lawyer-turned-beauty entrepreneur
Felicita Ovadje describes herself as the artsy one in a family of overachievers. When the founder of Felicheeta Artistry was plugging her way through her final year of law school, she found herself in desperate need of a creative outlet. “I was having a really hard time emotionally,” Ovadje recalls. “All I wanted to do […]
Kaela Kay: Balancing tradition and modernity
This year, in honour of Black History Month, Futurpreneur is profiling a series of exceptional Black entrepreneurship leaders in our network—entrepreneurs and mentors who are making a difference in their communities. A party invite nearly a decade ago changed the trajectory of Catherine Addai’s career. Addai is the designer and entrepreneur behind Kaela Kay, […]
Sonel Merjuste: “With good intentions, you can thrive”
This year, in honour of Black History Month, Futurpreneur is profiling a series of exceptional Black entrepreneurship leaders in our network—entrepreneurs and mentors who are making a difference in their communities. “With good intentions, you can thrive in whatever you do,” says Sonel Merjuste, owner of Les Aliments Merjex Inc. “We started this family […]
Janelle Hinds: Entrepreneur, mentor and champion of diversity in STEM
This year, in honour of Black History Month, Futurpreneur is profiling a series of exceptional Black entrepreneurship leaders in our network—entrepreneurs and mentors who are making a difference in their communities. Janelle Hinds wears many hats – and the collection is only growing. Toronto-based Hinds is the founder and executive director of Helping Hands, an […]
Resources
The following are the high-level eligibility requirements for the Black Entrepreneur Startup Program:
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- Participants must self-identify as Black and be Canadian citizens or permanent residents age 18-39; and
- When there are only two partners (owners) of the applicant business, the business must be majority Black-owned (> 50%); and
- When there are more than two partners (owners), the business must be at least 25% Black-owned (≥25%).
To review our full general eligibility requirements, see this page.
Questions about this program? See below.
OUR PROGRAM PARTNERS
We thank our program partners for helping us support young Black entrepreneurs across Canada.
