News/Press

BOF & Air Canada Collaborate!

Supporting Black Communities Nationwide

10 February 2024

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!

Black Opportunity Fund board member Eleanor McIntosh appointed as new HDSB Superintendent of Education

22 January 2024

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.

BLCK VC Canada

14 November 2023

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 donation propels the creation of the Hon. Lincoln Alexander’s bust at Queen’s Park

27 September 2023

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.

BOF partners with University of BD and Hogan Alley on Health Survey

17 December 2021

University of British Columbia and Hogan’s Alley Society have teamed up to help increase vaccination rates within the province’s Black community. A health survey that includes Black Opportunity Fund as one of the co-partners of the report, shines a spotlight on the numbers.

Dr. Ato Sekyi-Otu, BOF board director and co-chair of the BOF Health Task Force, in The Hill Times

17 December 2021

Black Opportunity Fund continues to work hard to combat anti-Black racism in the Canadian healthcare system. BOF board director and co-chair of the BOF Health Task Force, Dr. Ato Sekyi-Otu, shares his insight on this in The Hill Times.

Episode 29 — The BOF’s Craig Wellington on serving the intersection of Canada’s Black communities

7 October 2021

VIBEtalks – In Conversation: Craig Wellington, Executive Director – Black Opportunity Fund

7 October 2021

The Black wealth gap in Canada

21 July 2021

Black Opportunity Fund co-founders Dennis Mitchell and Charmain Emerson were interviewed for this story about the challenges of accessing Black capital and creating wealth within the Black community.

Black Opportunity Fund partners with UBC to empower next generation of Black leaders

29 June 2021

Today we celebrate the 1st anniversary of the Black Opportunity Fund with a new opportunity in education. Through partnership with The University of British Columbia, we’re proud to announce our first scholarship program to help support Black Canadian students begins today.

We have a long road ahead in addressing racism

26 May 2021

Intentionality is crucial to building a more inclusive society. Hear more on this from BOF co-founder, Colin Lynch, in a recent interview on The Close with BNN Bloomberg.

Opinion: Federal budget a good first step for Black communities

5 May 2021

Craig Wellington, Executive Director of BOF, comments on the recent federal budget and measures intended to help Black communities in National Post.

CTV News Interview with Martine St-Victor, co-founder of BOF

28 April 2021

Martine St-Victor, co-founder of the Black Opportunity Fund, was recently interviewed on CTV News by Mutsumi Takahashi about entrepreneurship in black communities.

Building Solidarity and Collaboration to Support African, Caribbean and Black Women Entrepreneurs During COVID-19

19 March 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified disparities in our socio-economic and political systems that have impacted women entrepreneurs around the world. Black women entrepreneurs are facing an even greater burden—largely due to systemic inequality, discrimination, and lack of access to needed supports.

Charmain Emerson, member of the BOF board of directors, participated in one of the round tables, that were hosted by the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA), Casa Foundation, de Sedulous Women Leaders, and the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH) to discuss the state of Black women entrepreneurship in Canada.

This report sheds light on the state of Black women entrepreneurship, summarizes the discussions held during the virtual roundtables, and shares the recommendations derived during the roundtable discussions.

Podcast – Community empowerment through the Black Opportunity Fund

18 March 2021

Black Opportunity Fund co-founder, Ray Williams, sits down with Meres Weche for a podcast interview on his show, Afropolitan Dialogues by AfroToronto.com. Click here to Listen to the podcast interview.

Addressing vaccine hesitancy among Black Canadians

13 March 2021

Elise Stolte: Black, Indigenous and other seniors in grave danger as variant COVID-19 strains grow

13 March 2021

How can I describe the tragedy unfolding? There’s a train barrelling down the tracks toward a small group of Edmontonians and they’re not jumping out of the way.

I’m writing, of course, about the COVID-19 vaccine and the threat of a variant-driven third wave. Every day, 11,000 more Albertans are getting their doses of life-saving vaccine. But Black, Latin American and Indigenous Albertans are least likely to be among them.

Nationwide town hall hosts Black Canadian medical experts to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy within Black communities

13 March 2021

With concern growing that Black Canadians are reluctant to get the COVID-19 vaccine despite being disproportionately more likely than other groups to contract the disease, health care workers knew they had to address their community directly.

Canada’s economy can’t afford to leave the Black community behind

25 February 2021

OPINION: This country will not be able to “build back better” if we don’t tear down the barriers preventing Black Canadians from contributing to economic prosperity

By Colin Lynch – Published on Feb 25, 2021

Giving back is a priority for accomplished business leader

21 January 2021

We have 51 co-founders of the Black Opportunity Fund. Here’s a spotlight on Colin Lynch, who was recently appointed to the inaugural Board of Directors.

Momentum grows to tackle racism, inclusion issues in CRE

5 January 2021

A Dec. 17 webinar — introduced by KingSett chief operating officer Anna Kennedy, moderated by REALPAC chief executive officer Michael Brooks and featuring a five-person panel — focused on the Black Opportunity Fund, the BlackNorth Initiative and actions that can be taken by companies to advance the cause.

Black businesses are struggling during the pandemic — and feel left out of funding

15 December 2020

Nadine Sparks, owner of Unity Wigs & Hair Services in Dartmouth, N.S., was just getting her business off the ground prior to the pandemic. She was gaining clientele, establishing her name in the community and things were really starting to come together.

Sparks has not been approved for any government funding during the pandemic, and her salon isn’t the only Black-owned business in that situation.

Black Opportunity Fund continues to be in the spotlight

5 November 2020

Investors across Canada are eager to learn more about the fund. Dennis Mitchell breaks it down in an interview with the Uncommon Sense Investor at Davis Rea:

Black Business in Canada

1 November 2020

We’ve heard from hundreds who attended the Black Business in Canada Town Hall on October 28th, that systemic discrimination in the banking industry, is a major hurdle faced by Black entrepreneurs when it comes to securing capital.

CBC producer, James Donne, took a closer look at this issue and acknowledged Black Opportunity Fund as one of the solutions to tackling this problem.

Bloomberg Canada

14 October 2020

The Black Opportunity Fund was created to combat anti-Black racism in Canada. Co-founder, Colin Lynch, tells BNN Bloomberg exactly how it plans to accomplish its mission.