Articles
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- Written by: Meres J. Weche
- Parent Category: Articles
- Category: Business and Innovation
As DEI programs face growing political backlash, Uber’s evolving stance offers a revealing case study. This article revisits a pivotal conversation with Tony West to explore what’s changed since 2021.
Five years ago, on May 25th, 2020, the murder of George Floyd ignited a global awakening about racial justice. Corporations made ambitious promises—many publicly committing to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in ways we had never witnessed before.
In 2021, I sat down with Tony West, Uber’s Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, to discuss the company's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). At the time, West emphasized Uber's dedication to fostering an inclusive workplace and supporting underrepresented communities. He spoke passionately about the company's initiatives to increase diversity within its workforce and leadership, and to ensure equitable treatment for all employees and riders.
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- Written by: News Editor
- Parent Category: Articles
- Category: Business and Innovation
The Conestoga Entrepreneur Collective (CEC) recently released their Five Year Impact Report showcasing the success of Black entrepreneurs in Waterloo Region. The CEC delivers unique programming and support to entrepreneurs in the community and is working in partnership with LiftOff, a community-based ecosystem of Black entrepreneurs in Waterloo Region and Wellington County, to specifically support Black entrepreneurs.
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- Written by: Meres J. Weche
- Parent Category: Articles
- Category: Business and Innovation
Regina Gwynn is a driven entrepreneur, and the force behind the Black Women Talk Tech movement. In this interview with AfroToronto.com, she shares her personal journey and the inspiration behind her groundbreaking work, highlighting the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. She then discusses the challenges women of colour face in the tech industry, emphasizing the need to build diverse and inclusive communities for support and advocacy.
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- Written by: Meres J. Weche
- Parent Category: Articles
- Category: Business and Innovation
Entrepreneurship is a journey filled with challenges and hardships, more so for Black entrepreneurs who frequently encounter systemic barriers when starting their businesses in Canada. A recent study by QuickBooks emphasized these challenges, revealing that more than half of Black business owners in Canada have faced loan denial at least once, and many struggled to compensate themselves adequately.
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- Written by: Meres J. Weche
- Parent Category: Articles
- Category: Business and Innovation
Melisa Ellis, a U of T alumna and founder of non-profit social and technology enterprise Nobellum, speaks about the importance of economic empowerment in the Black community and why she's helping build and support a pipeline of Black innovators and Black-owned businesses in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM).
Did you know that, according to a 2019 Brookfield Institute report, only 2.6% of tech workers in Canada are Black? When Melisa Ellis, a young Black woman in tech and U of T Scarborough alumna, was looking to hire Black talent for projects, she had difficulty finding an available pool of African-Canadian vendors, entrepreneurs, and professionals.
So Melisa set out to build a non-profit social and technology platform called Nobellum to offer much-needed support and a funding ecosystem to help Black students like herself get started in the business world.
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- Written by: News Editor
- Parent Category: Articles
- Category: Business and Innovation
On his trip to Ghana, from May 21-24, 2022, Canada's Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault announced a $20 million fund over four years to support four West African countries—Ghana, Liberia, The Gambia, and Togo—with data systems needed to fight climate change.
Canada's Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, recently travelled to Ghana to announce a $20 million fund over four years to support four West African countries—Ghana, Liberia, The Gambia, and Togo—with data systems needed to fight climate change.
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- Written by: Meres J. Weche
- Parent Category: Articles
- Category: Business and Innovation
An interview with Nadine Spencer, CEO of the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA) about her journey as an entrepreneur and champion for Black businesses and female entrepreneurs.
Nadine Spencer is a Jamaican-born Canadian businesswoman who currently serves as the CEO of the Black Business and Professional Association (the BBPA). She served as the organization's president from 2017 until being named CEO in November 2021. She's also the founder and CEO of BrandEq Group, a global marketing and communications agency specializing in marketing, communications and public relations.
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- Written by: News Editor
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- Category: Business and Innovation
For Black entrepreneur Andrews Baah, being approved for the Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund is a lifeline that allows his business to “spring forward and be successful.”
“This loan means a lot,” says Baah, CEO Of Apollo Staffing Solutions Inc. in Portage la Prairie in Manitoba. “We’re giving employment to numerous nurses and health care aids. And in this pandemic, there’s a need for health care professionals.”
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- Written by: Meres J. Weche
- Parent Category: Articles
- Category: Business and Innovation
An interview with Tony West, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at Uber. We speak about the importance of diversity and inclusion and the launch of Black Business Direct – a new online Black-owned business directory in Canada.
Born in San Francisco, Tony West attended Stanford Law School, where he served as the President of the Stanford Law Review and went on to pursue a stellar legal career from serving as a federal prosecutor and later becoming a partner at Morrison & Foerster LLP.
