Have questions about the BEA or a specific program? Send us a message and we’ll put you in touch with the right person.
The Black Entrepreneurship Alliance (BEA) is a co-designed initiative by Black Creek Community Health Centre, York University’s YSpace, TD Community Engagement Centre, and Schulich Executive Education Centre. We are funded by Canada’s Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
We support Black entrepreneurs & professionals in building successful companies through a curated collection of programs, partnerships, and innovative tools. With the help of our partners, we’re creating an alliance of community, academia, government and industry to support the life cycle of Black entrepreneurs and professionals.
BEA programs are open to anyone over the age of 18 who identifies as Black and is located within Southern Ontario.
All Black-identifying individuals in Southern Ontario can participate in BEA programs and events in 3 ways:
All programs offered through the BEA are free for successful applicants. We do not take any equity in participant companies.
No, the BEA welcomes applicants located anywhere within Southern Ontario.
You can get in touch with us via email at bea@bcchc.com, or by sending us a message on our Contact form.
The BEA Learning Community is a free, educational environment for Black professionals to speak openly about our underrepresented ecosystem, and identify possible paths for a more inclusive entrepreneurial landscape.
Our unique, year-round hybrid program gives early-stage and aspiring Black entrepreneurs the knowledge they need to navigate systemic barriers, execute business ideas, and push our community forward.
We accept applications throughout the year, and accepted applicants get access to the BEA’s network, resources, and other exclusive educational content.
There are no deadlines to join the BEA Learning Community. We accept applications from eligible participants throughout the year.
Nothing! All BEA programs are free and non-dilutive (we take no equity).
The program is open to all Black-identifying individuals over the age of 18, located within southern Ontario.
The BEA Learning Community is ideal for early-in-career entrepreneurs and founders looking for resources and knowledge as they navigate Black entrepreneurship.
No, applicants do not need prior university or college credentials.
There is no required time commitment to be part of the BEA Learning Community. Members receive access to self-paced videos and an online community.
We accept members year-round and have no maximum acceptances.
The BEA’s 1:1 Idea Consultations puts participants in a virtual room with a BEA team lead, where they’ll get expert advice about their career roadmap, and get connected to valuable opportunities within their industry and market.
There are no deadlines for our 1:1 Idea Consultations. We accept applications and can schedule consultations with applicants throughout the year.
Nothing! All BEA programs are free and non-dilutive (we take no equity).
Idea Consultations are open to all Black-identifying individuals over the age of 18, located within the southern Ontario.
Our Idea Consultations are ideal for early-in-career professionals and entrepreneurs looking for career guidance and/or entrepreneurial opportunities.
All Idea Consultations are scheduled for 30 minutes. If you need more time or special scheduling accommodations, please get in touch with us.
The BEA’s Business & Leadership Essentials Certificate program is a free, 2-month program designed to give Black professionals & entrepreneurs the business and leadership foundations to succeed in today’s competitive landscape.
Participants will join a series of virtual sessions to learn core skills while completing their Capstone Project with their peer group.
At the end of this virtual program, participants will be awarded with an encrypted digital credential issued by Schulich ExecEd.
Issued by Schulich ExecEd, digital credentials are recognized symbols acknowledging that the owner of the credential has successfully completed a program and has acquired all the new skills offered by the program. Your digital credentials are stored in a blockchain-encrypted digital wallet linked directly to you, and cannot be duplicated by anyone else.
Once shared on your online profile or resume, employers and clients can easily and securely verify your qualifications and level of expertise.
Sessions for our upcoming cohort (Fall 2023) will take place on the following dates:
September 11, 18, 25; October 2, 16, 23, 30; November 6, 13, 20 (Graduation).
Applications for our upcoming cohort are due on August 4, 2023.
Applicant interviews will take place from August 7 – 14, and successful applicants will be notified by August 21.
To ensure successful graduation, participants must:
*Participants are allowed a maximum of 1 absence if the BEA team is notified in advance
Participants who do not meet the above criteria will not receive a digital credential or graduation.
Nothing! All BEA programs are free and non-dilutive (we take no equity).
Our Business & Leadership Essentials Certificate program is open to all Black-identifying individuals over the age of 18, located within Southern Ontario.
Early-in-career employees, business leaders and founders/entrepreneurs looking to quickly develop their business acumen and skills from highly rated instructors.
No, applicants do not need prior university or college credentials.
Participants are expected to contribute a minimum of 5 hours per week to participate in the educational workshops and connect with their mentors. Any additional time they have to complete the work required to push their business idea forward will be up to the participant.
The BEA’s Product Feasibility Bootcamp is an 8-week, virtual bootcamp for Black entrepreneurs who are ready to publicly launch their Food & Beverage CPG product.
Participants will get access to workshops, mentors, start-up perks, a network of peers, and more.
Applications for our next Product Feasibility Bootcamp are open from July 17, 2023 and due on September 14, 2023.
The Fall cohort will run from Oct 12, 2023 to Nov 30, 2023.
Nothing! All BEA programs are free and non-dilutive (we take no equity).
Our Product Feasibility Bootcamp is open to all Black-identifying individuals over the age of 18, located within Southern Ontario.
We’re looking for individuals who have an idea for consumer packaged goods (CPG) products and want to gain a better understanding of the industry and what it takes to launch a CPG product. Whether it’s a hot sauce, a beverage or a snack—just come with an idea that you’re ready to build on.
Participants are expected to contribute a minimum of 2 – 5 hours a week to participate in the educational workshops and connect with their mentors. Any additional time they have to complete the work required to push their business idea forward will be up to the participant.
A maximum of 11 applicants will be chosen for the program during each cohort.
The BEA’s Food Accelerator program is a 5-month accelerator program for Black-founded Food & Beverage businesses of consumer packaged goods (CPG).
Applications for our next Food Accelerator are now closed. Join our waitlist to get notified about our next cohort.
Nothing! All BEA programs are free and non-dilutive (we take no equity).
Our Food Accelerator is open to all Black-identifying individuals over the age of 18, located within Southern Ontario.
We’re looking for Food & Beverage ventures that meet the following criteria:
Participants are expected to contribute a minimum of 3 – 5 hours a week to participate in the educational workshops and connect with their mentors. Any additional time they have to complete the work required to push their business idea forward will be up to the participant.
A maximum of 10 applicants will be chosen for the program during each cohort.
The BEA’s Venture Catalyst is a virtual program supporting Black-owned, early-stage tech ventures in validating their ideas and building their proof of concept over a 6-week sprint.
Our next Venture Catalyst cohort will take place in Fall 2023 (October – November). To get notified when applications are open, please join our waitlist.
Nothing! All BEA programs are free and non-dilutive (we take no equity).
Our Venture Catalyst program is open to all Black-identifying individuals over the age of 18, located within Southern Ontario.
Our Venture Catalyst program is ideal for early-stage technology ventures that are at least 50% Black-owned and are ready to build their proof-of concept.
Participants are expected to contribute a minimum of 2 – 5 hours a week to participate in the educational workshops and connect with their mentors. Any additional time they have to complete the work required to push their business idea forward will be up to the participant.
A maximum of 10 applicants will be chosen for the program during each cohort.
The BEA’s Investment Bootcamp is a 4-month bootcamp that equips early-stage, Black-led startups with the training, mentorship and fundraising insights to secure early capital.
Applications for our next Investment Bootcamp are open from June 9, 2023 and due on August 11, 2023. Applicant interviews will take place between August 20 – 25.
The cohort will run from September 12, 2023 to January 31, 2024, with the final Demo Day taking place on February 1, 2024.
Nothing! All BEA programs are free and non-dilutive (we take no equity).
Our Investment Bootcamp is open to all Black-identifying individuals over the age of 18, located within Southern Ontario.
There are 2 streams of the Investment Bootcamp. Stream 1 is for pre-revenue stage startups with limited or no existing traction, but have a validated MVP. Stream 2 is for post-revenue stage startups with some existing traction, at a minimum $1,000 MRR.
Startups applying to either streams of the Investment Bootcamp must be at least 50% Black-owned.
Participants are expected to contribute a minimum of 2 – 5 hours a week to participate in the educational workshops and connect with their mentors. Any additional time they have to complete the work required to push their business idea forward will be up to the participant.
A maximum of 10 applicants will be chosen for each stream per cohort.
Innovation Hub Feasibility Study
Make Innovation Accessible for All. Fill out the survey to provide your insights, perspectives, and recommendations to inform a proposed Innovation Hub that will support underrepresented entrepreneurs and professionals.
The survey closes on August 18, 2023.
