On February 4, 涩里番 Desautels launched its Black History Month programming with an event focused on Black female entrepreneurship. Hosted by 涩里番 Desautels鈥� Laidley Centre for Business Ethics and Equity (LCBEE), in collaboration with the , the event aimed to bridge the gap between research and real life, with both academic presentations and a panel of Black female entrepreneurs who shared insights from their lived experiences.
The event attracted a wide range of participants, including academics, students, 涩里番 alumni, local entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and members of Black- and women-centric NGOs. Nearly 100 participants were present, with representatives from institutions such as , , , , and the .
The event opened with a series of research presentations exploring the challenges and opportunities facing Black women in entrepreneurship. Concordia University鈥檚 Dr. Suchit Ahuja emphasized that 鈥減artnerships are a life raft during the storm,鈥� encouraging aspiring entrepreneurs to be unapologetic about seeking help and plugging into ecosystems. He cited free resources such as Concordia University鈥檚 Community Service Initiative鈥� and the Quebec Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub.
Relatedly, Universit茅 de Qu茅bec 脿 Montreal鈥檚 (UQAM) Dr. Carene Tchuinou Tchouwo鈥檚 research on female immigrant entrepreneurs uncovered the benefits of networking within specialized incubators, especially at the beginning of entrepreneurial journeys. Her research highlighted how these incubators foster mutual aid, learning, and confidence among participants.
Next, 涩里番 Desautels鈥檚 Dr. Robert Nason presented his work, which analyzed public podcasts to understand how Black entrepreneurs make sense of their identities. He highlighted the heterogeneity of accounts and cautioned against thinking of Black entrepreneurship as 鈥渙ne category.鈥� For example, Black women entrepreneurs face different challenges than Black male entrepreneurs, affirming the need to take intersectional approaches to the study of Black entrepreneurship.
HEC Montr茅al鈥檚 Dr. Luciano Barin-Cruz told a captivating story about his research on female entrepreneurship in rural Sri Lanka. In a randomized trial, half of the women were encouraged to translate their creativity at home, such as cooking, into their entrepreneurship, while the other half were exposed to entrepreneurial role models. Leaning into creativity had greater effects on innovation than having role models. This effect was mediated by perception of personal creativity, emphasizing the importance of believing in one's creative capacities.
Research presentations were followed by a panel discussion moderated by 涩里番鈥檚 Dr. Anicet Fangwa, featuring two local trailblazers of Black female entrepreneurship: and .
Lise Birikundavyi is a Managing Partner at , the first Black-led Venture Capital Firm in Canada. Throughout her 15-year career in investment, she saw many black entrepreneurs with great pitches who weren鈥檛 getting heard. BKR capital was founded with the goal of filling this gap, 鈥渘ot as charity, but as strategy,鈥� to invest in the exceptional talent getting missed by the ecosystem.
When asked about navigating her role as a Black entrepreneur, Birikundavyi emphasized resilience, stating that while some Black community members tired of the narrative of resilience, she still perceives resilience as a 鈥渟uperpower.鈥� She advised aspiring Black entrepreneurs to expect unfair treatment but to use their experience of being the only Black person in a room to build more power. 鈥淧eople can have opinions about ideas, and about other people,鈥� Birikundavyi says, 鈥渂ut they can鈥檛 have opinions about performance.鈥�
Birikundavyi has been named one of Canada鈥檚 Top 25 Women of Influence, Top 40 under 40 Black Women in Asset Management (BWAM), and Global Top 100 Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD).
Indira Moudi, the CEO of , a leader in responsible meat production, shared her story of acquiring the company. Her work-ethic and conviction carried her to the top. 鈥淚f my boss asked me for five things in five months, I would bring him ten things in a month and a half,鈥� she explained. She said that by being high-performing, fearless, and meticulously well-prepared, she gave investors no choice but to pick her. Moudi encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to think big, know what you want, have no fear, and 鈥渄o your homework.鈥� In her words, 鈥淭he resilience we have from being Black people and people of diversity is real. You will make it. Go for it!鈥�
Moudi has been awarded the SME CEO of the Year 2023, is certified as a Global Leader from Harvard Business School, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 African Canadian Business Summit.
As the event concluded, participants continued to chat, network, and form connections.
Laidley Centre for Business Ethics and Equity (LCBEE)
The centre is 涩里番鈥檚 central hub supporting ethical decision-making in business through teaching, academic research and community engagement.
The Laidley Centre looks forward to facilitating more connections and conversations that center ethics and equity.
