Building Practical Support Through Research and Community Engagement
There is a different kind of energy that comes with this time of year. The weather is warming up, calendars are filling quickly, and across Canada, entrepreneurs, organizations, and community leaders are gathering in more spaces to share ideas, build partnerships, and look for new opportunities.
Across the country, the Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (BEKH) has been part of many of those conversations.
Since launching in 2021 under the Government of Canada’s Black Entrepreneurship Program (BEP), the BEKH has focused on research that reflects the realities shaping Black entrepreneurship in Canada. Through a renewed partnership with the Government of Canada and Carleton University, Carleton University will continue serving as the national anchor institution for the BEKH, working alongside the BEKH Regional Hubs, researchers, Black-led organizations, community partners, and Black entrepreneurs across the country.
That national reach is reflected in the BEKH’s network of Regional Hubs. While Carleton University serves as the national anchor institution, the BEKH’s work is shaped by partnerships and conversations happening in communities across Canada.
The network includes Regional Hubs based at Simon Fraser University, the University of Alberta, the University of Northern British Columbia, Saint Mary’s University, and Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), with support from Concordia University. Together, the hubs connect the BEKH to local organizations, entrepreneurs, and communities while contributing research that reflects the different realities shaping Black entrepreneurship across the country.
For the BEKH, research is not only about collecting information. It is also about making sure the work stays connected to the people and communities behind the data and leads to something practical.
That connection continues to shape the way the BEKH approaches community engagement. Over the past several months, the organization has continued showing up in spaces where entrepreneurs are already gathering, learning, and building relationships.
At DEFY 2026, the BEKH connected with other national knowledge hubs, including the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH) and the 2SLGBTQIA+ Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (REKH), helping strengthen relationships across organizations working to support more inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystems in Canada.
The BEKH has also joined FACE Coalition’s Melamoon cross-country tour, which brings together Black entrepreneurs, founders, and creatives through pitch competitions and networking events taking place across Canada. Following its first stop in Montreal, the tour will continue to Halifax, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Toronto, with the BEKH attending events along the way to connect with entrepreneurs and introduce them to tools and resources designed to support their growth, through the Black Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Map (BEEM). Built using insights gathered through the BEKH’s ongoing research into Black entrepreneurship ecosystems, the BEEM is designed to help entrepreneurs discover organizations, funding opportunities, support services, and networks across Canada.
At community events, the platform has become a practical way to connect entrepreneurs to resources that match their needs while also helping the BEKH better understand the challenges entrepreneurs continue to face across different regions and industries.
For the BEKH, community engagement is not separate from the research. The conversations happening in conference halls, networking events, pitch competitions, and community gatherings continue to shape the questions being asked, the partnerships being built, and the kinds of support entrepreneurs are looking for across the country.
As the BEKH continues its work across Canada, the focus remains on staying connected to entrepreneurs and communities, listening to the conversations already happening on the ground, and helping ensure that research continues to support real people, real businesses, and real opportunities.
Entrepreneurs and organizations interested in connecting with the BEKH, exploring the BEEM, participating in research, or learning more about upcoming community engagements can visit www.bekh.org and www.thebeem.ca.