Category: Media Coverage

Black Opportunity Fund is teaming up with Air Canada to amplify our mission! Keep an eye out for our ad on inflight entertainment, on your next Air Canada flight!

Throughout Black History Month Air Canada will be showcasing a 15-second promo for BOF on all domestic and international flights, highlighting some of our notable impacts and achievements over the past year, ending with a call for donations. This unparalleled exposure provides an exceptional opportunity to amplify BOF’s message to diverse audiences.

Thank you, Air Canada, for your ongoing commitment to advancing equity, and your generous support to amplify our mission and message of empowering Black communities across Canada. Keep an eye out for further announcements on this exciting partnership!

We are pleased to announce that Black Opportunity Fund board member, Eleanor McIntosh, has been appointed as the new Superintendent of Education at the Halton District School Board (HDSB) effective January 29, 2024!

This position is an addition to the senior team, to help the HDSB continue to achieve success in student learning and further the goals of the HDSB Multi-Year Plan.

With her rich experience spanning over two decades, Eleanor has served in various educational leadership roles and has been a dedicated community advocate. She began her career as an elementary math and science teacher and has been a school administrator in the Durham District School Board for 20 years, where she served diverse school communities in five different schools. In addition to working in a variety of settings with a number of specialized programs in Ontario and internationally, Eleanor has served in several key roles. These include Vice-principal, centrally assigned Education Officer, and Secondary School Principal.

Eleanor, who serves as Chair of Black Opportunity Fund’s Education Task Force, has always been an inspirational leader, advocating for inclusive and transformative education. We wish Eleanor success in this newest chapter in her journey, with the Halton District School Board, helping to catalyze student learning and educational excellence.

 

 

The Black Opportunity Fund, in partnership with BLCK VC, came together in September to celebrate the launch of BLCK VC Canada! An exciting milestone for Canada’s growing Black venture community and BLCK VC’s first non-US chapter! Kudos to the many partners who came together to make this happen, including BOF’s Executive Director, Craig Wellington who was a panelist at the event. The establishment of BLCK VC Canada formalizes a community that has been flourishing for several years and will continue to serve as a central hub for even more Black-led and Black-focused venture funds, accelerators, players, founders, and more.

Visit the link to learn more https://www.blckvc.org/

Featured Panelists and attendees

• Frederik Groce, Co-Founder, BLCK VC and Deal Lead, Wellington Management
• Isaac Olowolafe, Managing Partner, BKR Capital
• Kim Furlong, CEO of CVCA
• Sunil Sharma, Managing Partner, techstarts Toronto Accelerator
• Upkar Arora, CEO of Rally Assets
• Craig Wellington, Executive Director of the Black Opportunity Fund
• Abdullah Snobar, CEO of DMZ Ventures
• Wils Theagene, Head of CDPQ’s $250M Diverse Founders Fund

BLCK VC Canada Co-Founders

• Ahmed Ismail, Wellington Management
• Josh Olowafe, CIBC Innovation Banking
• Abdel Ali, Founder of Kiwi Charge (EV Charging Start-up)
• Derrick Raphael, Co-Founder and CEO of ICON Talent Partners

 

BOF is very pleased to announce the kickoff of the artistic process for the creation of a bust of the Hon. Lincoln M. Alexander, that will be placed on permanent display inside the Queen’s Park Legislative Building in January of 2024, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of January 21st being declared annually as Lincoln Alexander Day in Ontario.

Black Opportunity Fund is proud to be supporting this important legacy project and funding the work of award-winning artist Quentin VerCetty. Thanks to the leadership for this project by the #LincBustCommittee led by Rosemary Sadlier OOnt – Champion of Black History Month and @License2Learn with Zeib Jeeva, O.Ont. .

This will be the first statue of a Black person ever displayed at Queen’s Park, and it will be part of the Queen’s Park educational tours. Visibility is Possibility. An interview with me and artist Quentin from his studio, will air this evening on CTV News. September 20th is the date in 1968 when Linc was sworn in as Canada’s first Black member of Parliament. September 20th was also the date in 1985 when Lincoln Alexander was sworn in as Canada’s first Black Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.