This year, Black Business & Professional Network Inc (BBPN) New Brunswick reached incredible milestones, thanks to the unwavering support of sponsors like Canadian Race Relations Foundation, Post Secondary Education, Training and Labour Department of the Government of New Brunswick, (PETL-GNB), Federation of African Canadian Economics (FACE) Coalition, Dream Legacy Foundation, and many Black-owned businesses who stood by us. Together, we organized impactful programs that inspired, connected, and empowered our community.
Highlights of the Year in review
- Empower Black Young Voices: Bridging Perspectives, a virtual Black History Month event for Saint John, NB, featuring keynote youth speakers Ibtihaaj Enitan-Adelakun and Christabel Ugolo.
- The Empower NB Black Youth Anti-Racism Summit 2024, held in Moncton in partnership with Pure Gold Foundation, and representatives (mentors) from Groupe3737, Association Initiatives Afro-canadiennes du Nouveau-Brunswick (AIAC-NB) / Afro Canadian Initiative Association of New-Brunswick (ACIA-NB), PHD Consulting QOMM – Qu’est-ce qu’On Mange à Midi? Kudos to our hosts, Ivan Okello & Esther Ibang. The summit fostered dialogue and solutions among the participants who attended, and some received monetary support from mentors for their projects.
- The inaugural Young Black Changemaker Awards 2024, where 13 exceptional youth, selected by public vote, were recognized for their contributions to Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Artistic and Digital Creativity, Advocacy, and Volunteering Impact.
- Coordinated ByBlack Restaurant Week with Food by Fatou and Orchid’s Caribbean Kitchen, amplifying local Black food entrepreneurs with The Event Amplified and BOTA-NB.
- Partnership with FACE Coalition to organize a tri-city Road Show Event led by Hannah Jackson, Regional Marketing and Communications Officer and assisted by Olaitan Onyebuoha, President (Volunteer) at BBPN. Indeed, it was a fantastic road trip networking with Black Businesses in Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton to listen and learn about their challenges and funding opportunities provided by FACE Coalition.
- Empowered business owners to attend StartUp Canada, fostering growth and impactful feedback.
- Collaborated and hosted the Atlantic BEKH Project led by Dr. Harvi Millar, Sobeys School of Business, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax at UStation, connecting female, Indigenous, and immigrant business owners to share experiences and form partnerships.
- Supported community events like NB AfroFest, UCOF Moncton Fashion Fair, and Touch by Aso Ebi’s Fall Fashion Pop-up, all while representing BBPN at the SBCCI Conference in Halifax.
A special thank you to Black Business Initiative for providing Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative Funding, which enabled us to focus on strategic governance processes, set the stage for the next leadership team’s greater heights, and achieve some critical organizational improvements.
Despite all our successes highlighted above, we struggled to secure grants, as many significant efforts yielded zero or discouraging outcomes. We faced numerous challenges navigating our way, particularly in funding, and heavily relied on our dedicated volunteers, who often worked more than usual, with unending late-night hours. Nonetheless, we remained unshaken, embracing the same resilience that has defined us since we began in 2020.
On this note, we greatly appreciate all our funders, past and present. We proudly share that we turned your generosity into gold — “impacting one project at a time.” No matter how long it takes us to reach our goals, we will never forget how much you have invested in us and how much we’ve invested in ourselves. By fostering collaboration and rallying our community, we emphasize that COLLABORATION IS THE WAY TO INTEGRATE AND ACHIEVE MORE TOGETHER.
This year, BBPN volunteers were recognized for their efforts across Canada. Despite limited resources, human resources, and capital, our impact extended far and wide, proving that in-kind support and grassroots engagement are potent tools for change.
