Black Founders Network

ICON Talent Partners is excited to announce that Sydnie Pottinger (Co-Founder at MOTUS) will be joining us as a guest speaker during our Second Annual Global High School Summer Institute from Monday July 15th to Friday July 19th. A little about Sydnie is below: She is an ex student-athlete and is now a current student at the University of Toronto in the Arts & Science program. She is majoring in Industrial Relations & Human Resources and minoring in Mathematics. She is a Co-Founder of Motus Studios, a high quality & affordable clothing brand run by Sydnie and her siblings. For more information about Sydnie please reference her LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/gsAmvw-F Excited to have Sydnie to join us for the Second Annual Global High School Summer Institute! Again this FREE programming is to support Black, Indigenous, Hispanic and POC high school students in grades 9 to 12 who want to receive the following support and much more! University Application prep, Social Media Branding skills, Networking, Goal setting, Job Readiness coaching, Financial Literacy, Corporate career exposure, Startups & Entrepreneurship etc. If you know a student, parent or community leader who should know about this (FREE) opportunity please tag them to this message, reshare, like, comment etc. The link to sign up for this opportunity is below in order to receive the recordings since the session is now full: https://lnkd.in/gsCgbTKz Please sign up by Sunday July 21st to get on the list to receive access to select recorded sessions. #ICONTalent #UofT #MOTUS #Clothing #BrandDevelopment #StrongerTogether

💊 Drug Discovery is notoriously complex. What happens if critical information is missed and the wrong target is selected? 90% of clinical trials fail. This leads to an estimated loss of $800 million to $1.4 billion, along with missed opportunities to bring life-saving drugs to market. Every day new AI and data management tools are hitting the market, promising to revolutionize drug discovery. The majority claim to accelerate insights and facilitate data driven decisions, but it’s often difficult to understand exactly how they are helping teams accomplish this. At BioBox we have developed a data intelligence platform to help scientists tackle complex data challenges in drug discovery. For a detailed case study of how one of our clients is using the platform to ensure critical data points don't slip through the cracks, check out this article 👉 https://lnkd.in/g_6YhvBR #KnowledgeGraph #GraphRAG #AI #Drugdiscovery

Hey LinkedIn fam, Let’s talk Collision Conf 2024, it was truly transformative! As an early career professional, attending my first major conference was an invaluable experience. A heartfelt thanks to the entire Collision Conf team for their tireless efforts over three impactful days. Special appreciation to the Black Founders Network, led by the remarkable Efosa KC Obano and Faizah B., where I had the privilege of delivering my first pitch at the #AmplifyHer competition where Toni Bodunrin and I were honored with an award for a collaborative venture, alongside other outstanding Black women. I attended numerous panels, with Nobellum, Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce and Black Entrepreneurship Alliance all being particularly impactful, and connected with many professionals who are making significant strides in technology. Reflecting on this experience, I'd like to share two unique networking strategies I established at #CollisionConf that have greatly enhanced my networking skills and can significantly benefit yours as well: 1. Leverage the Power of Follow-up Content: After meeting someone new, follow up by sharing a relevant article, podcast, or book that you discussed during your conversation. This not only shows that you were genuinely engaged but also provides value and keeps the connection alive. 2. Create Networking “Micro-Moments”: Instead of aiming for lengthy conversations, focus on creating memorable micro-moments. A meaningful compliment, a thoughtful question, or even a shared laugh can leave a lasting impression and pave the way for deeper connections later. Thank you, Collision Conf, for this incredible opportunity and to everyone who contributed to making it memorable. Let’s keep growing together! Shoutout to the amazing Lucky Osunbiyi for these beautiful photos 📸 Love Always, Simi💫 #Networking #Collision2024 #BlackFoundersNetwork #NetworkingNuggets #ProTips #ConnectToGrow

My Startupfest experience was different from most. I spent two full days in the Green Room helping founders rehearse their pitch and get in the zone. Back in April I pitched Philippe Telio on the concept of a private space just for entrepreneurs who were going onstage to pitch. This is from that original email: “What success looks like: founders feel welcome, go on stage confident, and leave feeling positive and with some good memories of meeting people and having a great experience.” Judging by the smiles and high fives after pitching, I’d say the Green Room was a success! It’s such a simple concept: treat founders like the VIPs they are and give them a chance to do their best on stage. I hope other pitch competitions do the same. Thanks to Flow, a Deloitte business for supporting the Green Room.

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." You get better by practicing. I truly enjoy meeting new people, learning about their businesses, and sharing my journey with them. 🌟 I recall speaking with one of our investors years ago. At that time, I told him I had no stories to share. He bluntly replied, “Don’t be ridiculous, Gloria. You’ve got tons.” He then proceeded to list the reasons why they invested in us. 📈 Over the years, I’ve come to understand the importance of storytelling and have worked hard to hone this skill daily. It's not just about sharing successes but also about embracing the journey, the challenges, and the lessons learned. This practice has allowed me to see my growth and the growth of others around me. I am forever grateful to our early investors for believing in us and providing the support that helped shape our path. 🙏🏾 There's a common experience many of us share when going on vacation: it often takes until the last week to fully immerse ourselves and truly enjoy the break. 🌴 I’ve learned to jump in and savor every moment from day one. This approach has transformed how I engage in all aspects of life, especially during events and networking opportunities. 🌟 At every event, I adopt the lovable skills of my two-year-old nephew, who walks around smiling and saying hi to everyone and everything he sees. His genuine curiosity and openness inspire me to be present and engaged. Thus, during every networking event, I am ready to be truly present, embracing each interaction with authenticity and enthusiasm. 😊🙌🏾 I wish this same experience for everyone I meet. If their intent is to connect and grow, I hope they can jump in from the start, be fully present, and make the most of every opportunity. It's through these genuine connections and shared stories that we all learn and grow together. 🌟🌱 Stay tuned for more posts about my three days at the startup fest 📲. Alfred Burgesson Lise Birikundavyi, CFA Phil G. Joseph Melisa Ellis Melissa Allen Efosa KC Obano Thierry Lindor  Lucas Francioli Ehi Agbonlahor AMADOU DIENG Hawa Mariam Keita Logan Underwood Tim Meduna A. M. Nouridine Boukari Brian Rowe Dr Syed Hussain Fayaz MD Shakeerah A. Kapilan Satkunanathan ——— P.S -Kindly ❤️Like, 💬 comment, and ♻️ repost and teach your network something new! Thank you. Over 100,000 professional, vetted cleaners on Cleanster are ready to make your Airbnbs, homes, and offices sparkling clean. ❤️Blessings always Gloria Oppong, hit the 🔔 on my profile to get a notification for all my new posts. Daily dose of #inspiration💡#cleaniless 🛁 #success #change #energy #cleanster #cleaning #airbnb #shorttermrental #inspiration #hope #nevergiveup #passion #determination #hustle #motivate #focus #believeinyourself #confidence #nevergiveup #excuses #neverfail #dedication #founders #motivation #mindset #efforts #positiveness #innovation #management

My Reflections, thoughts and lessons from #Startupfest Montréal 2024 Day 1: I gained a lot of insights from fellow accelerators, startups, co-founders about how to grow a community organically leveraging the “start small and grow big” mindset. Thanks for your insights Gloria Oppong, Justina K. Jonah Chininga during the main day event and the off-record dinner respectively. Day 2: This was a pack day, it started with - It started with the #Braindate, discussing deeply on solutions to the barriers facing #IEHPs from non-practice to practice status. We also discussed about the individual and collective impact work our organizations are working towards. Thanks 🙏🏾 Karine-Michèle Dion and Dr Syed Hussain Fayaz MD for contributing to this fire 🔥 side chat - ⁠Next was meeting with Wils Theagene, B.Eng,Msc where he highlighted the importance of focusing on the small impacts, mastering it and expanding it. Thanks 🙏🏾 Wils for supporting Black talent in Montréal - ⁠Later that evening “at the rep matters cocktail”, I was encouraged by the amazing work been done by the Black community across Canada and we learnt more about the power of leveraging the community and building together. Thanks 🙏🏾 Phil G. Joseph and the team Rep Matters for putting this together. Day 3: Was all about gaining insights on - How to lead with Empathy - ⁠Understanding the your “why” both as an individual and an organization - ⁠As servant leaders the importance of presenting our solutions to everyday challenges from a place of strength rather than fear Overall, across 3 days i had the opportunity learn and connect deeply with my potential partners, founders from African Impact Initiatives Osaretin (Osas) Obano Okwoli Mathew Mahlodi Letsie John Mark Bwanika, the BFN team Efosa KC Obano Faizah B. Ehi Agbonlahor Tanika McLeod Munachi Ernest-Eze Toni Agbaje-Ojo my fellow accelerators and smart-start co-founders Andre S. Kareem A. Abdel Ali, MBA, CFA Derrick Raphael Esq. Chukwunonso Nwabufo, MSc, MBA Yvonne Osagie, MBET Josh Lokko special shout out to you all 🙌🏾 Once again special thanks to Black Founders Network University of Toronto Entrepreneurship TD Fasken and DMZ for supporting Black Founders. Very grateful 🙏🏾 to Dr Syed Hussain Fayaz MD founder Oneness Education Foundation for taking out time and accompanying us to Montreal for this event, and to our amazing team working behind the scenes Maryam Musa CHE Candidate, MBBS, MBAe, FRSPH Ifeoluwa Aminah A. Glancy K Sunny and Priya Kandagiri If you are an Internationally Educated Healthcare Professional (IEHPs) in Canada 🇨🇦 Oneness is planning something exciting 🤩 in the coming days. Kindly stay tuned and join the community today if you haven’t done so already click link https://www.onenessedu.org #BFN #OEF #Impact #Community #IEHPs #BreakingBarriers

Startupfest was really a great experience. It was my first time! Main highlights: 😁 My Well Self was selected as one of the companies to be showcased as part of BDC's Thrive Lab Impact Showcase. I had 3 minutes to pitch the heart, mind and wallet of the company. 😁I pitched as one of 10 finalists selected for the $100k Black Entrepreneur Investment Prize. We did not win the prize but this opportunity was a win in itself. It was great to share the stage with inspiring fellow entrepreneurs like Jonah Chininga and Etienne Laurent. THANK YOU to the BDC team - Anne-Marie Christoffersen-Deb and Anna Ciprick - you both have been amazing in this journey. Sony Nguyen and Sevrine Labelle - thanks for your kind words and support as well! Wonderful to see the Black Founders Network team and current/past cohort founders routing and supporting one another. And lastly, I wouldn't be here without the core team! Yogeshwar Khadilkar Cornelius Udeh Rose Anne T. Blessing Ekpo Ganiat Sule - you all make me shine. #mywellself #hsa #abby #wellbeing #bdc #blackfounders #womenintech #impact

This year’s Startupfest taught us that representation compounds over time, when we are intentional    Thinking of my first one years ago, to where we are today, it’s beautiful to see what can happen when we provide access & build capacity. This time we had the largest number of Black and African founders at Canada’s startup festival, and saw the highest number of us finish as finalists for major prizes (100k best of the fest, 100k women in tech, and audience choice). The judges also saw very strong participation in the 100k Black entrepreneurship prize    BIG congrats to the finalists & winners! Nanette, Thierry, Tanika, Kareem, Abdel, Karine, Jonah, Brenda, Etienne, Collins. Your camaraderie and collaboration while competing, showed everyone that we are truly stronger together. And it echoed the spirit of the orgs working collaboratively to support you. Huge gratitude as well to Sevrine, Anne-Marie and BDC, for stepping up to match the 100k Black entrepreneurship prize for Nanette! (who also won the audience choice award). Building as a Black founder is hard, and building as a Black woman is even harder. This makes her wins more special - and it’s important for us to do more in addressing this reality as an ecosystem    And finally, huge gratitude to the Startupfest team (Philippe, Keon, Pamela, Katherine), our incredible partners (Phil G., Alfred, Louis-Edgar, Lise, Shane, Tamara, Craig, Wils), and our founders from Black Founders Network & African Impact Initiative - for making last week special. There's still a lot of work to do.. but I'm super grateful to God for His guidance so far, and I'm trusting Him to help us keep improving

Startupfest is what it is because of our dedicated partners who contribute to the world-class content and unbeatable energy. Thank you to every partner who made this year possible: Collaborating Partners (continued) Pinch Talent FBL S.E.N.C.R.L. Société de comptables professionnels agréés Black Founders Network Groupe 3737 Raison d'art Enjoy The Work The Society Library MaRS Discovery District Invest Ottawa Flow, a Deloitte business Community Partners Broadsign Artsake ABP Digital Moment | Moment numérique Latitude Nord Solotech Inc. YogaTribes Stager Depot Fülhaus Pagato That's a wrap on our 14th edition! Keep sharing your stories and photos from #Startupfest, we love seeing them!

Black Founders Network has been crushing it at Startupfest in Montreal! 🚀 4 of our #BFNAccelerate founders (powered by BOF) pitched and made the finals, for various $100K prizes! If you are at #startupfest, please join us to cheer them on as they take the final stage today: - $100K Best of the Fest Prize (10:45am) Kareem A. (Kare Chemical Technologies) - $100K Black Entrepreneurship Prize (1pm) Tanika McLeod (Onecliq.io | Marketing Co-Worker / AI Content Tool) Abdel Ali, MBA, CFA (Kiwi Charge) Brenda A. (My Well Self ) BIG shout out to Black Opportunity Fund, for making it possible for us to be here! And BIG congrats to our finalists! The BFN family will be there rooting hard for you 🏆 #BuiltByUsForUs #BlackFoundersNetwork #BlackEntrepreneurship #BlackBusiness