Afro Caribbean Business Network

Tag: press release

  • ACBN Canada Named 2023 ByBlacks.com People’s Choice Award Winner in Non Profit Category

    ACBN Canada Named 2023 ByBlacks.com People’s Choice Award Winner in Non Profit Category

    ACBN Canada is honored by ByBlacks.com as Canada’s Best Non-Profit Community Organization, marking a significant milestone in its mission to support Black entrepreneurs.

    The Afro-Caribbean Business Network Foundation Canada (ACBN Canada), a pivotal force in unifying and educating Black entrepreneurs across Southern Ontario, is thrilled to announce its recent accolade as the 2023 ByBlacks.com People’s Choice Award winner in the category of Best Non-Profit Community Organization in Canada. This prestigious award reflects the Foundation’s unwavering commitment to fostering growth, resilience, and success within the Black business community.

    Since its inception in 2017, ACBN Canada has profoundly impacted the landscape of Black entrepreneurship. Through its comprehensive suite of support services, including microloans, marketing assistance, sales support, and investment readiness training, the Foundation has successfully engaged with over 6,000 Black entrepreneurs and provided substantial resources to facilitate both business and personal growth. The creation of the ACBN Creative Works Agency and the launch of a microloan fund, which has helped to disburse over 2 million dollars, are testaments to the organization’s innovative approaches to overcoming the barriers Black business owners face.

    Ryan Knight, Executive Director of ACBN Canada, expressed his gratitude for the award: “Being recognized by the ByBlacks.com People’s Choice Awards is a profound honor and a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, the entrepreneurs we work with, and our community. This award is not just for ACBN but for every Black entrepreneur we’ve had the privilege to support. It signifies a step forward in our collective journey towards building generational wealth and reinforcing the importance of Black-led businesses in Canada’s economic landscape.”

    The ACBN Foundation’s significant contributions, including hosting the impactful National Black Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Conference and providing nearly $30,000 in free mental health counseling support, showcase its comprehensive approach to addressing the needs of Black entrepreneurs. The 5th Annual Legacy Symposium, themed “Building Generational Wealth Together,” further underscores the Foundation’s commitment to creating a sustainable and profitable future for Black businesses.

    About Afro-Caribbean Business Network Foundation Canada
    Founded in 2017, ACBN endeavors to unite and educate Black entrepreneurs in Toronto, Peel, and surrounding areas. As part of the National Black Entrepreneurship Ecosystem, ACBN Canada is dedicated to creating solutions that eliminate barriers for Black entrepreneurs through strategic planning, capacity building, and comprehensive support services. For more information, please visit ACBN Canada’s website.

    Ryan Knight and Roger Dundas from ByBlacks.com

    Congratulations to all the ByBlacks.com winners!

    Actor: Antonette Rudder

    Author: Zalika Reid-Benta

    Bakery: Fruitlicious Cakes

    Beauty Salon: The O Spot Skincare Clinic

    Blogger: Big Belly Mel

    Book: Malaika, Carnival Queen

    Clothing Brand: Premier Jour Lingerie and Swimwear

    Consumer Packaged Goods: Nerpy’s Inc.

    Event Planner: Debonair Corporate Events

    Film Director: Troy Crossfield

    Fitness: Andre Rose

    Lawyer: Hudson Law

    Marketing: NA Management

    Non-Profit Community Services: Afro Caribbean Business Network (ACBN)

    Poet: Dwayne Morgan

    Singer: Powerhouse Fellowship Soul Choir featuring Shawn Cotterell

    Therapist: Francis Psychotherapy

    Travel Service: Ellusive & Co Inc.

    Visual Artist: HAUI

  • Black Empowerment Manifesto Press Release

    Black Empowerment Manifesto Press Release

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    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    AFRO CARIBBEAN BUSINESS NETWORK CANADA FOUNDATION (ACBN): PRESENTS:

    A CANADIAN BLACK EMPOWERMENT MANIFESTO (CBEM) VERSION 2.0. VOLUME 001.

    TORONTO, April 22, 2021: ACBN Releases its commissioned work ─A Canadian Black Empowerment Manifesto (CBEM) Version 2.0. Volume 001. It is the brainchild of Errol A. Gibbs, principal researcher, and writer. The CBEM is a twenty-first-century “blueprint” ─a penetrating analysis of some of the causes and effects of Black “disempowerment.” Conversely, offering 15 Innovative Strategies for Black empowerment for the next 50 years (2021 – 2071).

    Ryan O’Neil Knight, president of the Afro-Caribbean Business Network Canada Foundation (ACBN), and Vice President, Chris Beth-Cowie, examined the 15 Innovative Strategies proposed in the original version of the manifesto (70 pages), published in July 2020. They determined that with further study, the work could surface the vast potential of the “brain trust” that examined the historical period (1970 – 2020) ─the past 50 years. Similarly, the expanded study would strengthen the proposal to gain broad acceptance in public and private sectors as a viable guide to attain and sustain Black empowerment.

    Version 2.0. of the Manifesto proposes a clear definition of what constitutes a Black Empowerment Vision Criteria (BEVC), defined as foundational upon six criteria (Holistic, Permanent, Macro-level, Job Creation, Wealth Creation, and Digital and Physical Infrastructure). As a composite, they establish new benchmarks for Black empowerment initiatives in the future. Furthermore, these six criteria will enable executive leaders (government, corporate, and community) to measure the practical benefits of their multi-million-dollar expenditures in Black businesses and community programs, each criterion with quantifiable measures. 

    Gibbs’ CBEM brain trust also proposes creating a Black History Month Score Card (BHMSC) to present analytics each February of systematic progress. To achieve these pioneering objectives, ACBN/Gibbs makes a compelling call in their revolutionary (240 pages) “blueprint” for new integrated infrastructures (strategic, tactical, and operational), unlike the ineffective “organizational silo” models of the past that have suffocated the growth of the Black community. 

    This new approach has three foundational elements: (1) The CBEM’s overall strategic objectives. (2) A Canadian Black Empowerment Think Tank (CBETT) tactical objectives facilitated by an interdisciplinary Advisory Council, and (3) a Portfolio Management Office (PMO), operational objective powered by a team of Project and Business Management Analysts (PBMA). This new integrated approach will foster effectiveness and corporate style productivity and growth to support ─for-profit, not-for-profit, and public-private enterprises. 

    ACBN is a vanguard community that believes the Black community is at the right intersection in Black history to help elevate the Canadian society to rise beyond the historical impediments of race, colour, cultural, social, and economic injustices, and the Black versus White racial divide. The extensive body of work also makes a compelling call for a change in mindset ―particularly an “industrial mindset,” more importantly, to embrace CHANGE, which is indispensable as the world enters the transformational Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Industry 4.0. A reading of the CBEM will inform stakeholders interested in pioneering unique collaboration among the Black community, governmental, public, and private sectors. 

    We look forward to your engagement and inspiring dialogue regarding this “new” paradigm of Black empowerment. 

    Click here to to access and download the manifesto to read.

    For an Immediate Response.

    CONTACT:
    Ryan O’Neil Knight, President
    Afro Caribbean Business Network Canada Foundation (ACBN)
    Tel: 647.225.3309
    Email: ryan.knight@acbncanada.com
    Website: acbncanada.com

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  • 2021 Federal Budget for Black Entrepreneurs

    2021 Federal Budget for Black Entrepreneurs

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    On April 19 the Federal government introduced the 2021 Federal Budget. There have been two debriefs so far to determine what is in it for the Black community and I attended to see what was in there for Black Entrepreneurs.

    As I break down the items remember the definition of “Power” The ability to… do something or the ability to direct or influence behaviour.

    Item 1 – Increase of 51.7 million to the Black Entrepreneur Program

    Item 2 – Increase of funding towards procurement to support the Black Entrepreneur. Undisclosed Amount

    Many people are happy about this which is fine but again lets go back to the question of Power. From what I see these two initiatives do not give the Black Entrepreneur Power. Below I have identified where true funds are going in this budget that we need to increase our ability to access. Excerpts from Minister Ng update email below…

    “Here are some of the highlights for Canadian businesses:

    • Both the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy will be extended until September 25th 2021, with the possibility of extension till November depending on the economic and public health situation.
    • Introducing the Canada Recovery Hiring Program: This $595-million-dollar investment will help businesses pivot to recovery with incentives to hire back, grow hours, or increases wages.
    • We announced a historic $4-Billion-dollar investment into a Digital Adoption Program to help Canadian small businesses become more competitive, go digital, take advantage of e-commerce, and become more competitive in Canada and around the world.
    • Supporting Women through COVID-19: We are building on the initial $5-billion-dollar investment in the Women’s Entrepreneurship Strategy through a suite of federal investments and activities totaling $146.9M to address remaining persistent barriers, and support growth opportunities.
    • Starting and Scaling up: We want our Canadian companies to start-up, scale-up, access new markets and be global leaders for innovation. To do this they need access to financing. That is why we are expanding loans to include start-up costs and intangible assets, increasing the maximum loan for the Canada Small Business Financing Program to $500,000 and extending the coverage period to 15 years.
    • Creating the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development Program: Our government will invest over $100 million dollars to ensure Canada’s entrepreneurship ecosystem is supporting inclusive growth. This program provides new funding for national organizations to support diverse entrepreneurs and small businesses across Canada with financing, mentorship, and advisory services, and will help all Canadians have an equal chance to succeed and contribute to economic recovery and growth.
    • We are investing $450M to enable Canada’s venture capital industry to ensure robust access to capital for the next generation of innovative firms that will emerge and power inclusive growth during the recovery – both broadly across innovation-intensive industries and specifically within the health and bio-sciences sector.
    • As we have always said, the environment and the economy go hand in hand, our budget today invests $17.6 billion into Canada’s green recovery.”

    The Final one I believe we need to pay very close attention to. The Federal government has earmarked a large amount of money to create a “Green Economy” so we need to ask ourselves are we part of building this infrastructure. The Federal government spent over 200 billion dollars in procurement in 2020 but how much of that money went to the Black Entrepreneur? The Federal government has a National Housing Strategy with over 26 billion dollars already allocated through CMHC and 3 billion more has been budgeted. How many black developers are getting the contracts to build affordable housing for Canada?

    Stay tuned to see how ACBN is helping company access the bigger pool of funds that exist for the Black entrepreneur.

    Be sure to join our newsletter to stay up to date.

    Ryan Knight Executive Director of Afro Caribbean Business Network

    Thoughts from the desk of Ryan Knight.

    Executive Director of the Afro Caribbean Business Network Foundation.

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  • Sheridan College Partners with Afro Caribbean Business Network

    Sheridan College Partners with Afro Caribbean Business Network

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    RESEARCH TO SUPPORT BLACK ENTREPRENEURS

    For immediate release (Mississauga, ON) Jan. 19, 2020: The Afro-Caribbean Business Network (ACBN)  and Sheridan’s Pilon School of Business (PSB)  partner on a new research project. The research project aims to identify the needs of Black entrepreneurs and develop meaningful recommendations and resources to help build their business capacity. Black entrepreneurs have faced unprecedented barriers in the marketplace worldwide for decades. Access to funding and economic stability are some of the biggest challenges faced, which have been heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

    The two-year research agreement will include data collection, the development of a best practices guide for Black entrepreneurs, the creation of a training curriculum and a mentoring program.

    Founded in 2018, the ACBN works to unify and educate Black entrepreneurs in its network of more than 3000 businesses. We have cultivated a community for Black business owners where they can cross-promote their products and services to build their ventures and participate in relevant business and personal growth workshops. 

    Ryan Knight, President of ACBN  says: “Our biggest challenge as a community is our invisibility in current data. Race-based data has not been historically collected therefore, the actual reality that many entrepreneurs face in the Black community is not adequately reflected.” 

    Nicola Harris, Community Research Lead for ACBN and PhD candidate in Organizational Leadership. says “ACBN is  thrilled to partner with the Pilon School of Business at Sheridan College to produce data that will inform the creation of the support that Black entrepreneurs need to address their challenges.

    Research findings and complimentary resources will support Black entrepreneurs as well as help to inform future post secondary curriculum planning for Black entrepreneurs. 

    For full official press release by Sheridan College  please visit https://www.sheridancollege.ca/newsroom/news-releases/2021/01/Sheridan-and-Afro-Caribbean-Business-Network-partner-on-research

    ACBN Media contact:

    Nicola Harris
    Community Research Lead
    Nicola.Harris@acbncanada.com

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