With the mandate of collecting data on the state of Black entrepreneurship in Canada and helping to better understand the lived experiences of Black entrepreneurs, the team of researchers at our Central Regional Hub at University of Alberta embarked on the mission to review the existing research on the subject.

The Central Regional Hub of the Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (BEKH) is embarking on a large scale-qualitative study, aiming to shed light on the experiences of Black entrepreneurs in Canada. The primary objective of this study is to provide a more nuanced understanding of the Black entrepreneurship community by employing evidence-based personas as a methodology.

The University of Alberta with Dr. André McDonald and Dr. Philomina Okeke-Ihejirika at the helm, will lead the Central Regional Hub of the BEKH to develop innovative research projects in collaboration with community partners and other academic institutions in the Prairie region.

In partnership with the Dream Legacy Foundation, the Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (BEKH) will be a national data and knowledge platform focusing on the state of Black entrepreneurship in Canada. Its community-focused research and knowledge mobilization activities will conduct research and identify barriers to success to ultimately help Black entrepreneurs across Canada grow their businesses to the fullest potential.