Mapping Black Women Entrepreneurs Ecosystem

In collaboration with the Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (BEKH)

Black women are building businesses across Ottawa, often with little institutional support behind them. Future Black Female, in collaboration with the Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub, invites Black women entrepreneurs to a facilitated roundtable to explore how they experience and navigate the entrepreneurship ecosystem, and what would make it work better for them.

This is not a panel or a networking event. It is a working conversation where your knowledge and lived experience lead. Together we will map what support exists, where you sit within it, where the connections and gaps are, and what needs to change.

Who should attend?

●       Black women who own or run a business in Ottawa, at any stage

●       Solo founders, sole proprietors, social entrepreneurs and those building in the digital space

●       Immigrant and Canadian-born women, women with disabilities, and women of all ages

●       Black female youth (16–24) who are starting a business, who join as co-conveners, not observers

What we'll explore

●       Mapping your business ecosystem: the people, services, funders and rules your business relies on

●       Access to capital, procurement opportunities and supplier diversity programs

●       Gaps in business advisory networks and wraparound supports

●       Barriers to digital innovation, and intersectional barriers in business ownership

●       The policies that shape outcomes for Black women-owned businesses

●       Designing the BWES Data Hub so it works as a navigation tool for you

Building on what we heard in Niagara

At our first roundtable in Niagara in August 2026, eight Black women business owners mapped the support around their businesses. They told us that family and community are their strongest support, yet receive no funding; that most support isn't missing but out of reach, locked behind paperwork, eligibility rules and immigration status; and that what looks like a personal struggle is often built into the system. Ottawa is our next step.

Why your voice matters

This roundtable is part of Phase 3 of the Black Women's Economic Security (BWES) project, funded by Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) Canada. What participants share will directly inform:

●       The Black Women's Economic Mobility Index and Data Hub

●       An Entrepreneurship Resource and Support Model

●       Accountability standards and benchmarks for institutions

●       A final policy report and recommendations to government and sector partners

Reserve your seat

This roundtable is free, with 15 seats only  available, and refreshments will be provided.

Please reserve your seat here: Black Women Entrepreneurs Roundtable Ottawa - Oct 28th REGISTRATION – Fill out form

Questions? Contact Ijeoma Michael, Future Black Female, at Ijeoma@futureblackfemale.com.