Building generational wealth together; Afro-Caribbean Business Network Hosts Fifth Annual Legacy Symposium

BY PAUL JUNOR

It was an enriching, inspiring and motivating day at the Fifth Annual Legacy Symposium hosted by the Afro-Caribbean Business Network on Saturday, March 2^nd, 2024, which was held at the Hazel McCallion campus of Sheridan College.

In attendance were business owners, Black entrepreneurs, startup up individuals and business investors. It was in 2017 that six business owners came together with the goal of launching a business network for the Black community that would bridge the economic gap for Black entrepreneurs. Since then, ACBN has lived up to its vision to be leaders in unifying and educating African and Caribbean entrepreneurs to grow their business in a successful and sustainable way. The Facebook page of the ACBN Foundation states, “This pivotal event aims to foster inter-generational partnership, share invaluable skills and knowledge, and promote sustainable growth within the Black communities.”

The day’s proceedings were conducted by Ryan Knight, Co-Founder of ACBN. After land acknowledgement was read by Renee Devereaux and Muthana Zouri several government representatives and community partners addressed the audience.

Allison Williams describes her non-profit organization Black Women’s Collective from her experiences of dealing with the intersectionalities of being a Black entrepreneurial woman.

Peter Trevor Wilson delivered a keynote presentation on “Wealth Creation.” He spoke about different kinds of wealth such as: nutrition, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Wilson is the author of two books: “Diversity at Work: The Business Case for Equity,” and “The Human Equity Advantage, Beyond Diversity to Talent Organization.” This innovative and creative management model focuses on human equity that promotes latent differentiation from a positive psychology perspective, which significantly improves employee engagement.

There were breakout sessions which focused on conversation on wealth creation. The titles and presenter of each session are:

• Building a Solid Business for Wealth Creation (Chris-Beth Cowie)
• Preparing for Succession planning (Nicola Harris)
• Conversation on Estate and Legacy Planning (Minelle Williams)
• Intergenerational Collaboration for Business Success (Debra Nurse)

Craig Wellington (Executive Director of the Black Opportunity Fund) talked about the importance of this charitable organization whose mission is to combat the impact of anti-Black racism by funding Black-led organizations and nonprofits.

Chris-Beth Cowie (Founder of Empowered 4 X Inc), and CEO of and host of the show BiGrams is a: social entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and purposeful presenter. She lives up to her mantra, “Make a Difference” through her philanthropic endeavors. Her engaging and interactive presentation was informative, educative and instructive.

Renee Devereaux (Executive Director at EDGE), which is the entrepreneurship hub at Sheridan College, talked about the RISE program. Applications are currently opened at the website https://edge.sheridan.college.ca/rise. Patrick College presented on the importance of community development. He shared his drive for community upliftment. Dr. George Fraser: motivational speaker, author, consultant and entrepreneur delivered the keynote address. He spoke on “The Power of the Human Connection to Facilitate Succession Planning.” Dr. Fraser focuses on the importance of building relationships and connecting on a deeper level to build trust, bring authenticity and to leave a legacy.

Shirley Joseph: podcast and radio host, producer, entrepreneur, social media manager and digital community builder spoke about, “Marketing Your Business With a Solid Creator/Influencer Strategy.” As the founder and creator of Black Canadian Content Creators, she credits Black Canadian creators for their: creativity, ingenuity and authenticity.

It was great to see the different Black business owners and entrepreneurs in one space taking advantage of networking opportunities and building relationships with each other. The entrepreneurial path can be a lonely one fraught with many: challenges, obstacles, setbacks and failures. By focusing on essential aspects of business such as: obtaining finance, attracting the right customers, building teams and optimizing business opportunities this legacy symposium was a success.