Portrait of Olugbenga Olubanjo, CivE MASc 1T9 (photo by Daria Perevezentsev)

Black Founders Network

Supporting Black founders, creating more Black-led businesses and celebrating Black Excellence.

About

The Black Founders Network (BFN) is an inclusive community for Black entrepreneurs at all stages of their journey, created to provide access to the networks, resources and inspiration to build, fund and scale impactful startups. By recognizing systemic barriers, celebrating Black excellence and providing allyship, mentorship and sponsorship for Black founders, we are building a thriving community of Black entrepreneurs from every industry and at every stage.

Why BFN?

70 %

of Black-owned businesses across Canada were not eligible for the federal Canadian Emergency Business Account

2 out of 300

grants in Canada went to Black-owned businesses

2 %

of venture funding raised in North America went to Black-led companies

76 %

of Black entrepreneurs surveyed in Canada said their race makes it harder to succeed as an entrepreneur

The BFN was built and continues to be shaped by the community it serves. Over 100 Black founders and over 50 Black organizations participated in the BFN consulting process. Their lived experiences have informed the design of this initiative.

Join the Network

BFN is composed of three pillars: Core, Accelerate and Scale. These pillars are open to all Black-identifying U of T students, faculty and alumni. In partnership with U of T’s accelerators, the BFN provides industry- and stage-agnostic support and resources to increase the number of successful, Black-led U of T startups.