The BEKH to Establish Canada’s First National Research Panel of Black Entrepreneurs

The Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (the BEKH) is establishing a national research panel of Black entrepreneurs, creating a new opportunity for entrepreneurs to shape the evidence that informs programs, funding, and policy decisions affecting Black-owned businesses across Canada.

The research panel will follow a group of Black entrepreneurs over time to better understand how businesses grow, adapt, and sustain themselves in real economic conditions. The initiative builds on Canada’s first national quantitative and qualitative studies on Black entrepreneurship, completed by the BEKH in 2024, which established a foundational picture of the scale, diversity, and characteristics of Black entrepreneurship nationwide.

“We completed the first-ever national quantitative study, and it gave us important information,” said Dr. Gerald Grant, Lead for the BEKH. “But without continuity of data, we are often making assumptions that are not always correct. A research panel allows us to see trends over time, draw stronger conclusions, and make better decisions about where support and investment can have the greatest effect.”

Unlike one-time surveys, a research panel returns to the same entrepreneurs at regular intervals. This makes it possible to examine how access to capital, networks, markets, and supports influences business decisions and outcomes across different stages of growth.

“What this allows us to do is focus on individuals and follow how their businesses change,” said Dr. Muna Osman, Senior Research Scientist at the BEKH. “It helps us understand how different trajectories unfold and which conditions tend to precede certain outcomes, rather than only seeing where businesses are at one moment.”

For Black entrepreneurs, participation in the research panel is not only about contributing data. It is about ensuring that decisions affecting Black-owned businesses are informed by real experiences rather than assumptions. The findings will be used to improve how funding programs are designed, how support organizations coordinate services, and how policymakers understand what actually helps businesses succeed over time.

“If we want better outcomes for Black entrepreneurs, we need better evidence about how support actually works overtime.” Dr. Grant said. “That means building systems where entrepreneurs help shape the data that informs programs and investment.”

The research panel will be developed using Black entrepreneurs who are registered on the Black Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Map (BEEM). Entrepreneurs on the map currently have the benefit of connecting to resources, mentorship and financing opportunities, and other Black entrepreneurs across the country.

“Having entrepreneurs connected through the BEEM allows us to build a panel that is representative and engaged,” Dr. Grant said. “It also means entrepreneurs are not just participants in research, but part of a broader ecosystem that benefits from shared knowledge and coordination.”

The BEKH will share additional details in the coming months on how entrepreneurs on the BEEM can take part in the research panel. In the meantime, Black entrepreneurs interested in contributing to this national initiative are encouraged to register their business on the BEEM to increase visibility, connect with available supports, and be considered for future research opportunities.