Community of Practice
Advancing Black Entrepreneurship in Canada through targeted improvements to support systems
The Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub is establishing a Community of Practice to bring Black business leaders, Black-led organizations, and industry experts together to strengthen how entrepreneurship is supported across Canada.
What is a Community of Practice?
A Community of Practice is a structured, ongoing forum where participants work through shared challenges related to supporting Black entrepreneurs across different sectors, regions, and stages of business growth. These challenges may include improving access to capital, strengthening mentorship and referral networks, reaching underserved entrepreneurs, improving program delivery, measuring impact, or helping entrepreneurs navigate procurement and market opportunities.
Within this approach, working groups are formed around specific areas of focus, bringing together individuals and organizations that are addressing similar issues and looking to improve how support is designed and delivered.
Who should get involved?
This initiative is designed for leaders of Black-led organizations that support Black entrepreneurs, industry experts with experience in areas such as financing, scaling, procurement, or sector-specific growth, and practitioners who work closely with Black-owned businesses and understand the realities entrepreneurs face as they grow and navigate different stages of business development.
Why This Work Matters
As more entrepreneurs engage with these supports, expectations are rising. Organizations are being asked to respond to more complex needs across different sectors, regions, and stages of business growth. Meeting these challenges requires more than individual programs working independently. It also requires stronger collaboration, ongoing learning, and opportunities for organizations to share what is working in practice.
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Participating offers an opportunity to:
Learn from other organizations working on similar challenges
Compare approaches across regions and sectors
Identify what is working and where gaps persist
Contribute to improvements in how support is delivered for Black entrepreneurs
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Each working group will focus on a specific, practical challenge related to supporting Black entrepreneurs.
Examples may include:
Supporting businesses at different stages of growth
Improving capital readiness and access to financing
Addressing sector-specific barriers (e.g., supply chains, certification, procurement)
Adapting programs to regional market realities
Strengthening how services are delivered across different business models
The focus is not on theory. It is on improving practice.
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Organizations and individuals interested in participating can express their interest by contacting the BEKH.
