When he arrived in Sudbury at age 16 from Ghana, Charles Bekai was a fish out of water.
Thousands of kilometres away from home, and separated from his parents for the first time, Bekai struggled to adjust to his new life.
But with time and support, he acclimated, completing his degree in computer science at Laurentian University and settling in to his new home.
Now, as the head of business settlement services with the Northern Ontario Black Economic Empowerment Program (NOBEEP), Bekai wants to make it easier for Black immigrant entrepreneurs to succeed here.
“Community is very important as an immigrant, and so we understand the struggles; I've gone through it myself,” Bekai said during an online presentation Sept. 9.
“But I was surrounded by people who were very supportive in helping me move forward. So we want to be a version of that.”
NOBEEP launched in 2022 with $1.15 million from FedNor to support Black entrepreneurs and business owners in order to address the gaps in the Northern Ontario entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Now the organization has launched a new program, the Northern Ontario Business Settlement Service, geared toward supporting Black entrepreneurs from outside Canada who are looking to set up shop in Northern Ontario.
Through the program, clients can access services including market research, bookkeeping, immigration support, advanced business planning, mentorship, business registration, and more.
NOBEEP offers three tiers of membership to choose from, depending on the complexity and needs of the business, Bekai noted.
To ensure a client or business is suited to the North, they will undergo an eligibility assessment, and they’ll only be accepted into the fee-for-service program if it’s a good match, he added.
Chamirai “Charles” Nyabeze, NOBEEP’s executive director, said there are a number of pathways entrepreneurs can take to come into the program: entrepreneurs who are looking to start a new business; a business owner looking to expand into Northern Ontario; or an investor who’s looking to acquire or invest in a business in the North.
The organization is also looking for partners that provide relevant services, such as immigration support, legal and financial advice, strategic planning, coaching, growth and expansion services, and guidance on community integration.
Though the organization doesn’t directly provide funding to help start up businesses, NOBEEP can guide business owners toward funding sources and investment opportunities, Nyabeze said.
Ideally, NOBEEP wants this program to become the one-stop hub for Black business settlement services in the North.
“We are the ones that are going to close the dots, connect you to Northern Ontario,” Nyabeze said.
“So we are the bridge between you — Black entrepreneur, Black investor, Black business owner — and Northern Ontario, giving you access, curated access, customized access, to all the services that you need to be successful in your venture as you move into Northern Ontario.”
While southern Ontario has traditionally been looked upon as the hot spot of the province, Bekai said the North has its own advantages.
Northern Ontario currently has a population of less than 800,000, he noted, and the Black population is less than one per cent of Northern Ontario’s total population.
What this means, he said, is that the North is “underutilized,” with room to grow. It’s abundant in natural resources, boasts affordable housing, has growing industries and supportive communities, he added.
“The North has so much opportunity just waiting to be unearthed, but literally and figuratively,” Bekai said.
“So we want to help you in helping us essentially bring prosperity to Northern Ontario and just contribute to economic development for the North.”
