On a recent visit to Ghana, University of Toronto Scarborough alumnus Efosa Obano met with a small group of young African entrepreneurs – a meeting he later described as a highlight of his trip. The entrepreneurs – three Ashesi University students representing three separate startups – are all connected to Obano through the African Impact Challenge, a pitch and incubation program he helped launch with fellow African U of T students in 2020.
With venture capital funding plunging and Black founders historically facing greater challenges than others raising money, tech incubator programs in Canada are trying to help Black owned startups succeed. The objective of incubators like the Black Innovation Programs at Toronto Metropolitan University’s DMZ is to help Black-owned tech companies hone their ideas, find mentors, and connect with investors.
Leaders in the startup community remain optimistic about the strength of their industry and the role the Bay Area plays in driving innovation weeks after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.
Startup WooYourBoo Helps Rekindle Relationships: UofT miragenews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from miragenews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
More than 200 entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, students and community supporters gathered at the University of Toronto recently to mark the first anniversary of the Black Founders Network (BFN) and celebrate the achievements of its inaugural BFN Accelerate cohort of entrepreneurs.