The Network was pleased to present in continuation from our April 20, 2020, webinar on 25 Years and Beyond our second Black Business Initiative series webinar, Access to Capital Markets: Overcoming Barriers for Black Businesses on September 21, 2021, from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ADT. This event was be moderator by Alfred Burgesson, (BA’19) founder and CEO of Tribe Network, and also featured speakers of Craig Wellington, Executive Director of the Black Opportunity Fund, Matthew Martel (MTEI ‘18), Chief Operating Officer of Black Business Initiative and Dr. Mohammad Rahaman Associate Dean, Strategic Partnerships & Community Engagement, Canada Research Chair (CRC) in International Finance & Competitiveness.
The discussion focused on financing, as this is an essential part of operating any business. Without adequate access to financing, the staying power of the business and its potential for growth is jeopardized. Despite this conventional wisdom, studies show that, all else equal, Black Businesses are facing systematic barriers in accessing capital compared to other ethnic groups. More information can be viewed in the recording.
The Network was pleased to present its second Health and Wellbeing Webinar on March 10, 2022 from 11:30 am -1:00 pm. The webinar focused on the importance of physical health and staying active during the pandemic. As well as the impact of the pandemic has had on our student athletes’ mental and physical health and the effect on our community and local businesses. The conversation discussed how many athletes and businesses are coping with the many changes and transitions including finding innovative ways to stay active and maintain a healthy lifestyle or performance.
The webinar was moderated by Dr. Cheryl MacDonald BA’10, the Associate Director of Outreach at the Saint Mary’s University Centre for the Study of Sport & Health and also who teaches in the Health, Wellness & Sport in Society program. Our panelist included community sport and business leaders of: Jad Crnogorac BComm’98 owner and founder Jadfit, Marisa Colize, Saint Mary’s University Women’s Soccer Head Coach, Keisha Turner BA’12 entrepreneur and higher education professional who founded AthleticYogis.
The Network was pleased to present in partnership with the Office of Diversity Excellence a webinar about Micro-Credentials in the Future of Education on February 3, 2022 from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm AST. This discussion looked at emerging trends in continuous learning and education. It also provided direction and helped us understand the impact of online courses and certificates for professional development, new trends with organizations talent plans, and new educational institution’s programming offerings, and more. During the discussion some helpful links were provided on programs, such as Ryerson ADaPT which is a work-integrated learning program that addresses the gap between employer needs and graduate skills through intensive training. You can also check out some of the Top Mirco-Credentials course offered at or guest speaker Darian Kovcas’ Jelly Academy.
This panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Wendy Carroll, Saint Mary’s University, Sobey School of Business, Associate Professor Management and Academic Director EMBA and EDBA programs. Our experienced panel includesd Dr. Wendy Cukier, Ryerson University, Academic Director and Founder of the Diversity Institute, Academic Director of the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub, and a Research Lead for the Future Skills Centre; Mr. Darian Kovacs, Jelly Digital Marketing & PR and Digital Marketing School; and Dr. Rohini Bannerjee, Saint Mary’s University, Associate Vice-President, Diversity Excellence, and Associate Professor of Department of Languages & Cultures.
The Network was pleased to present a special webinar presenting our first Co-Alumni-In-Residence, Co-Founders of Purple Cow Internet, Bradley Farquhar BComm ’08 and Joe Power BComm ’11 on January 27, 2022 from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm AST. During this showcase we reflected on some of their experiences while being Saint Mary’s University and Sobey School of Business students, and how this education and experience helped chart their path to where they are today. This discussion also dived into conversation to help us learn how they decided to start their own business, and important steps they took in the development of Purple Cow. It provided us insight into the entrepreneurial spirit that they both have and how we can all set big goals for ourselves and our peers as we work together to develop the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders.
This event was moderated by Sobey School of Business Commerce Societies Vice President, Manav Khera. To see information on our Alumni-In-Residence click here. Please view the recording to see the full showcase.
The Network was pleased to present a special webinar presenting our first Executive-In-Residence, Ian D. Smith the Chief Executive Officer of Clearwater Seafoods Limited Partnership. Our discuss on January 13, 2022 from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm AST was moderated and guided by Sobey School of Business MBA Societies 2022 President, Sean Buchanan. During this discussion we explored Ian’s journey to being CEO of North America's largest vertically integrated harvester of wild caught shellfish and crustaceans with more than $600 million dollars in sales in over 55 countries and international harvesting, processing, and distribution operations as well as sales offices in 4 continents. We also dived into his experience leading the organization through a transitional period of ownership and acquisition a year ago, which saw Mi’kmaq coalition together with Premium Brands Holdings Corporation acquired Clearwater in a 50/50 partnership. This transaction was historically significant in many ways and two above all, it was the single largest transaction in the history of Canada’s seafood industry and represents the single largest investment in the seafood industry by any Indigenous group in Canada. In addition, this conversation provided us with an insight on what it’s like to manage and organize a company of this calibre, and what advice Ian would give to our community as we work together to develop the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders.
