No more ‘old boys club’ for the region’s business environment
I gave a welcome to the room as the new Chair of the Board. I looked
out at the crowd and saw a sea of opportunity and diversity. Each table
boasted a variety of students, entrepreneurs, both new and established,
minorities, immigrants and women. As the first African Nova Scotian and
only the fourth woman to hold my current position with the Halifax
Chamber, I swelled with pride.
Nova Scotia’s economic climate for minorities and women has never
been stronger. Leaders in our region like the Black Business Initiative,
ISANS and the Centre for Women in Business create opportunities for our
marginalized communities to succeed in their ventures.
The Black Business Initiative is launching their TD Spark Mentorship
Program aimed at creating a networking, mentorship and leadership
training platform for African Nova Scotian and other racially visible
minority post-secondary youth.
ISANS’ Immigrant Women Entrepreneurship Program (IWEP) provides
valuable training in business skills. This 48-hour certificate program
offers a flexible approach for immigrant women to gain hands-on
knowledge of starting and running a business.
The Centre for Women in Business joined forces with RBC to create the
RBC Alliance of Young Women Entrepreneurs (AYWE). This initiative
encourages students to think in an entrepreneurial mindset before
graduating. Students represent a key asset to the region and programs
like AYWE show them the possibility of creating a life for themselves in
Nova Scotia.
My experience in the province as a black woman in business has shown me
the gaps in our business community. We have a plan to fill those gaps.
The Halifax Chamber membership is growing and increasingly becoming more
diverse, and one of our strategic goals is to increase our membership
to reflect our changing demographic. This doesn’t mean increase by
numbers only — this is a chance to ensure that we not only reflect the
varying industry sectors found in our city, but we are inclusive in
reflecting the changing face of our businesses in Halifax. From business
sector to ownership, we want a membership wholly representative of our
rich and varied diverse community.
The Halifax Chamber cannot do it alone. We need a business community
that is actively recruiting members of underrepresented groups with
varying backgrounds. Whether it’s mentoring a minority and/or
immigrant-run start-up or working with a group of students on a case
study, local leaders can step up and create an inclusive environment.
It is important to note that an inclusive environment not only comes
through one’s recruitment strategy, it can be driven through one’s
procurement strategy. Buying goods and/or services from diverse
businesses not only helps to build the economic fabric of our city, it
grows and strengthens Halifax’s SME business community. Ultimately,
inclusive procurement is a way to engage with a new, growing and varied
set of suppliers that have started business right here in our city.
Our province is not growing at the rate we need. Our aging population is
(rightfully) slowing down and our students continue to move out of
province for lower taxes and bigger opportunities. Let’s encourage an
entrepreneurial ecosystem for all Nova Scotians with accessible funding,
training, mentorship, procurement opportunities and support. Let’s
celebrate our strength in both diversity and community. Let’s make Nova
Scotia the global centre of mosaic entrepreneurial talent.
