Sheridan partners with Afro-Caribbean Business Network to host first Federal Black Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Conference

Sheridan’s Pilon School of Business (PSB) and EDGE Entrepreneurship Hub are proud to host the Afro-Caribbean Business Network’s (ACBN) first annual Federal Black Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Conference at the college’s Hazel McCallion Campus in Mississauga, Ont. Sheridan will host the last two days of the conference, from June 16-17.

Over 200 Black community leaders, entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals are expected to attend the exciting event designed to foster dialogue and help the community continue to elevate economically and socially by solving complexity through collaboration. 

The conference will be both virtual and in-person, with participants able to stream portions of the event. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with industry leaders, access exclusive networking opportunities, learn strategies for building a sustainable business, and enhance their influential growth. The event will also feature performances by local Black musicians and spotlight a local Black caterer.

Many Sheridan faculty members will be in attendance including Dr. Anne-Liisa Longmore, Dean of the PSB, who will provide an opening address, and PSB Associate Dean Dr. Brian Chama, who will be speaking at the event.  

“The opportunity to continue to build on our growing partnership and relationship with ACBN is an honour,” says Dr. Longmore. “The conference will provide a powerful venue for Black community leaders, entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals to connect across networks, share best practices and experiences, identify ways to collaborate, and learn with – and from – one another.”

This conference builds upon the two-year collaborative research project between Sheridan and ACBN to identify the needs of Black entrepreneurs and develop meaningful recommendations and resources to help build their business capacity. The partnership includes data collection led by a Sheridan student researcher from the PSB, the development of a best practices guide for business owners, and the creation of training curriculum and a mentoring program.

“ACBN has worked tirelessly to support and champion Black entrepreneurs in our region and EDGE has been a proud collaborator since the early days,” says Renee Devereaux, Director, Entrepreneurship & Changemaking at Sheridan EDGE. “We're thrilled to be part of this milestone conference as aligned organizations across the country gather to address complexity and amplify success.”   

Sheridan is proud to continue collaborating with entrepreneurs in the Halton and Peel regions, and beyond. Sheridan EDGE is creating a thriving community of impact entrepreneurs who are tackling community challenges locally and globally. See how EDGE is supporting Black-owned ventures and underrepresented small business owners.

Register for the Federal Black Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Conference.