Black Canadian Ladies in Motion Expo goals to empower enterprise homeowners in Alberta

When Megan Vernon created her enterprise, The Melanin Studio, she wished to create an area that helped individuals really feel snug whereas getting spa remedies. 

Now, Vernon may also have entry to an area that can assist her develop as an entrepreneur when she attends the first-ever Black Canadian Ladies in Motion Expo in Edmonton this week. 

“It permits us to place our enterprise on a platform, that isn’t solely going to achieve our instant neighborhood however a wider vary of communities in round Edmonton and hopefully Alberta and Canada,” Vernon mentioned. 

The expo is being organized by the non-profit group Black Canadian Ladies in Motion, which has chapters in Edmonton, Calgary and Regina. 

LISTEN | Founder and CEO of Black Canadian Ladies in Motion speaks to CBC’s Edmonton AM:

The group is internet hosting the expo to assist entrepreneurs develop their companies by serving to them community with established professionals, crafting the proper pitch and offering money awards starting from $1,000 to $5,000.

“It is laborious as a result of every entrepreneur has their totally different challenges,” Vernon mentioned.

“We do not have that a lot entry to assets, so that is giving us a platform to have an opportunity and have a spine to face on with the assets that they are providing us.”

Jeanne Lehman, founder and CEO of Black Canadian Ladies in Motion, mentioned the imaginative and prescient for the expo got here after she spoke to different Black girls who wished an area to speak about their challenges and brainstorm potential options. 

Lehman mentioned on Tuesday, in an interview with CBC’s Edmonton AM, she heard entrepreneurs encounter comparable points like accessing capital, navigating begin a enterprise in a brand new nation and being younger mother and father. 

To handle a few of these points, the expo will host a pitch competitors which can present a protected house for budding entrepreneurs to workshop their concepts and probably catch the attention of traders. 

From the conversations Lehman has with different girls, she is aware of that there’s a ardour from these girls to run a enterprise. 

 “I actually need individuals to come back and see what these girls can supply,” Lehman mentioned.

The expo might be held on the Coast Edmonton Plaza Lodge on Friday and Saturday. 

For extra tales in regards to the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success tales throughout the Black neighborhood — try Being Black in Canada, a CBC venture Black Canadians could be happy with. You possibly can learn extra tales right here.