The 2026-2028 Black Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Map (BEEM) Steering Committee
The Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (BEKH) has established a new Steering Committee to help guide the continued development of the Black Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Map (BEEM). Bringing together leaders with experience in digital technology, finance, entrepreneurship development and community organizations, the committee will help ensure that the platform continues to reflect the needs and priorities of Black entrepreneurs and the organizations supporting them.
As digital technologies reshape how businesses connect with customers, partners and opportunities, the people who use these tools have an important role to play in their development. For the BEEM, this principle has guided an approach that brings together technical expertise and the knowledge of Black entrepreneurs and ecosystem organizations to create a platform that reflects the businesses, resources and relationships within Canada's Black entrepreneurship ecosystem.
The importance of these connections is reflected in the BEKH's own research. Its national study found that only about one in five surveyed Black entrepreneurs were connected to an organization funded through the federal Black Entrepreneurship Program. By making businesses, support organizations and professional networks easier to discover, the BEEM can help entrepreneurs navigate an ecosystem in which valuable resources and opportunities may otherwise be difficult to find.
Developed through the BEKH in collaboration with Carleton University's Geomatics and Cartographic Research Centre (GCRC), the BEEM has involved community participation from its earliest stages. Consultations with Black entrepreneurs and support organizations helped identify what should be represented on the map, while feedback on early prototypes informed improvements to the platform.
"By co-designing the platform, we can ensure it provides users with the data, insights, and functionality they need to strengthen their planning, improve effectiveness, and enhance their bottom line," says Dr. Pulsifer.
The new Steering Committee builds on this approach, providing a dedicated avenue for leaders from different sectors to help set priorities, improve usability and identify opportunities to expand the BEEM.
The possibilities created through community participation are already taking shape. Map stories featuring the Black Entrepreneurs & Businesses of Canada Society (BEBC), Nobellum, the Coalition of Black Small and Medium Enterprises (CoBSMEs) and myAIpathway are helping bring greater visibility to their work. The Black Healthcare Professionals Network (BHPN) has also outlined its entire network of healthcare professionals into the platform, making the collective reach and expertise of its members easier to discover. This approach offers organizations an opportunity to make their networks more visible while helping others identify potential partners and connections.
As more businesses and organizations participate, the BEEM can offer a richer picture of the expertise, relationships and resources available across the country. The Steering Committee's guidance will help determine how this growing information can be organized and used to better serve entrepreneurs and ecosystem organizations.
"With their guidance, the BEEM will improve discovery, analysis, and connections across the Black entrepreneurship ecosystem," says Dr. Pulsifer.
The wider Black entrepreneurship community also has an important role in that process. Entrepreneurs and support organizations can contribute by adding their information, sharing their networks and identifying opportunities to improve the platform. Their participation helps expand the BEEM's reach and brings different experiences and perspectives into its continued development.
The establishment of the Steering Committee strengthens the BEKH's commitment to giving Black entrepreneurs and the organizations supporting them a voice in shaping the digital tools created for their benefit. With community perspectives helping guide its development and a growing network of businesses and organizations contributing to the map, the BEEM is creating new possibilities for collaboration across Canada's Black entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Explore the BEEM and contribute to the growing network at www.thebeem.ca.