THE SOLUTIONS LAB
Building Better Solutions for Black Entrepreneurs
The Solutions Lab brings together entrepreneurs, ecosystem organizations, researchers, governments, investors, and community leaders to strengthen entrepreneurship programs, evaluate what works, and co-design practical solutions that help Black-owned businesses start, grow, and scale.
Because stronger businesses begin with stronger ecosystems.
LAB PARTNERS
What is the Solutions Lab?
How We Create Impact
The Solutions Lab is a collaborative innovation network for strengthening Black entrepreneurship supports in Canada. Built through the Black Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Map (BEEM), the network connects organizations interested in working together to improve entrepreneurship programs, test new approaches, and develop practical solutions that benefit Black entrepreneurs.
By combining research, community experience, and real-world testing, the Solutions Lab helps transform promising ideas into practical resources that can be adopted across Canada's Black entrepreneurship ecosystem.
The result is a stronger ecosystem and better support for Black entrepreneurs.
We work with partner organizations to better understand existing programs, services, partnerships, and supports.
We work with ecosystem organizations to evaluate promising approaches and identify opportunities for improvement.
Entrepreneurs, organizations, researchers, and community leaders work together to develop practical solutions.
Promising ideas are implemented and refined alongside regional partners.
Transforming knowledge into practical guides, tools, and frameworks that help organizations strengthen entrepreneurship supports.
Testing innovative approaches, learning from implementation, and identifying scalable solutions that can benefit entrepreneurs nationwide.
Our Collaborative Work
-
Creating a clearer picture of the programs, services, and supports available to Black entrepreneurs across Canada.
-
Understanding how entrepreneurship supports can become more effective through evidence, community insights, and continuous learning.
-
Bringing together entrepreneurs, organizations, researchers, and partners to create practical solutions to real-world challenges.
-
Transforming knowledge into practical guides, tools, and frameworks that help organizations strengthen entrepreneurship supports.
-
Testing innovative approaches, learning from implementation, and identifying scalable solutions that can benefit entrepreneurs nationwide.
Collaboration Pathways
Every organization has something to contribute. Choose the pathway that best reflects your expertise and experience.
Program Delivery Partners
Research Partners
Regional Partners
Pilot Partners
Strategic Partners
Don’t See Yourself?
We welcome new ideas and new collaborators. Let's build something together.
The Value
The Solutions Lab is helping create a stronger entrepreneurship ecosystem by:
Strengthening collaboration
Reducing duplication
Improving entrepreneurship supports
Identifying promising practices
Developing practical playbooks
Supporting regional innovation
Sharing evidence nationally
Creating stronger outcomes for Black entrepreneurs
Success is measured not only by the solutions we develop, but by the lasting improvements they create across Canada's Black entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Join the Solutions Lab
Real change happens when people work together.
Whether you are an entrepreneur, community organization, researcher, policymaker, investor, or ecosystem leader, your experience and expertise can help shape the future of Black entrepreneurship in Canada. Together, we can build better solutions that create lasting impact.