The program looking to help Black founders build against the odds

As a graduate of urban planning with a specialization in local economic development, Olu Villasa spent years learning how access gets divided across a city.

Today, he channels that knowledge into supporting historically underserved entrepreneurs as Program Manager of the Black Entrepreneurship Alliance (BEA).

“We want new blood, new folks, new ideas, new innovation.”

Olu Villasa, BEA

Canada’s startup economy has long struggled with representation.

Less than two percent of venture capital funding goes to Black founders, and over three-quarters of Canadian Black founders say their race makes it harder to succeed.

For entrepreneurs in neighbourhoods like the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)’s Jane and Finch or Rexdale neighbourhoods, the barriers are even higher. 

The organization provides curated programs, mentorship, non-dilutive funding opportunities, and a network to Black and racialized entrepreneurs and professionals in the GTA. 

“There hasn’t been a single comprehensive incubator program in these communities,” Villasa said. “We saw that problem and said, ‘We need to fill in that gap.’”

The BEA was co-designed by York University’s YSpace, the Black Creek Community Health Centre, TD Community Engagement Centre, and Schulich ExecEd. 

According to YSpace’s Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, David Kwok, the idea for BEA began with a conversation about creating dedicated support for the Black community, which quickly came together when a 2021 funding call and a partnership opportunity at the Black Creek Community Health Centre. 

From there, YSpace built programming that went beyond tech entrepreneurship to include upskilling and intrapreneurship.

“We know Black Creek has a high population of Black individuals with various needs; so we collaboratively built this to meet Black individuals where they were and focus on their needs and how we support them where they are at,” Kwok added.

Launched in 2021, BEA became the first entrepreneurship program in Jane and Finch, built to serve Black and racialized founders and professionals. Currently, the organization runs its programs virtually and out of York University.

According to Villasa, the BEA’s work is inseparable from geography. Much of his work is rooted in studies of innovation deserts and the uneven geography of innovation in the inner-suburb peripherals of the city, which document the lack of innovation infrastructure in underserved communities. “We don’t have a OneEleven or a MaRS in these areas,” Villasa added.

The alliance now offers fully funded programs across the GTA. Early-stage founders can access mentorship and bootcamps, while more advanced entrepreneurs can join food and tech accelerators or investor readiness programs. Through partnerships, the BEA also provides training for Black professionals who want to work at startups.

Villasa calls the initiative a “highway towards innovation.” The goal is not to replicate the work of downtown accelerators, but to create a first stop for people who might never have entered those spaces before.

“You start with us, but you’re not going to end with us. We want to initiate the uninitiated. We want new blood, new folks, new ideas, new innovation,” he said. 

The BEA has already supported 136 incorporated ventures and over 500 first-time founders. One of those ventures is Swiirl, which offers a marketplace that turns communities into creative agencies, and where brands can invest in campaigns that drive social impact.

The BEA first connected with Swiirl’s co-founder, Kay Boamah at Collision 2022. “I applied, got in, and from there, everything started to build,” Boamah told BetaKit in June, when Swiirl announced a campaign with Shooting for Peace and Toronto Raptors Jermone Williams.

Earlier this month, the BEA received $2.4 million in funding from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario to expand the alliance’s support for businesses and professionals. Villasa said the funding puts the alliance on track to address broader community economic development activities across the Northwest Toronto region and neighbouring municipalities.

For Villasa, whose career began in urban planning, the idea of a physical hub feels inevitable. This vision is now taking shape as the Element Centre, BEA’s future dedicated hub in Northwest Toronto. The Alliance has already secured a pilot workspace at York University’s Keele Campus and is developing its fundraising and pre-sale membership campaigns.

“The Element Centre is not just about building a space,” Villasa added. “It’s about building a landmark for inclusive innovation and economic empowerment for generations to come.”

PRESENTED BY

The BEA is a Black-led initiative advancing Black entrepreneurs and professionals. Learn more about our future innovation hub, the Element Centre.

Photos provided by BEA.