Black-owned businesses front and centre at entrepreneur event

An event in Kanata celebrated Black-owned businesses in the capital and helped support the next generation of business owners. CTV’s Kimberley Johnson reports.

Businesses are on display in Ottawa as Black History Month comes to a close.

An event in Kanata worked to help connect people in the community to one another in the hopes of supporting the next generation of businesses.

The “Building our Future: Celebrating Black Innovators, Founders and Leaders” event at the Brookstreet Hotel was hosted by Invest Ottawa, Wesley Clover and Kanata North Business Association.

Viviana Ufodike set up a stall at the event after attending as a visitor last year, she said she jumped at the chance to once again return.

She owns La Africana restaurant on Bank Street, which specializes in dishes from across Africa, and says authenticity is important to her.

“The homemade food, the taste, the flavour of growing up (with) what you’re used to. We didn’t want anyone to miss that.”

Originally from Nigeria, she says she worked hard for a year to get her business off the ground.

“I’m passionate,” she says. “I’m dogged. I push, I don’t take no for an answer, and that’s why I could succeed.”

But even with that spirit, Ufodike says it wasn’t easy. She says as a Black, female, immigrant entrepreneur, she faced serious barriers.

“All I hear is, ‘Oh, women don’t really make it,’ in terms of pushing forward to start up your business. And even as a coloured person, it even makes it worse for you,” she says.

“’You need you need someone to support you.’ I kept hearing that. And for me, like I said before, I don’t take no for an answer.”

Her stand at the event has the goal of expanding her business and inspiring others to do the same.

“I am inspired to be here today,” she says.

Friday’s event aimed to bring together Black-owned businesses from across the city—everything from technology sectors to clothing—to help people connect and support one another. It was also put on to round out the end of Black History Month.

Agnes Appiah owns an MC and hosting business, she says those here help provide important perspective, advice and mentorship.

“The thing I like the most is definitely connecting with my fellow entrepreneurs that that look like me, and just grabbing knowledge from everyone,” she explains. “I think events like this, what it does is it actually encourages us and builds up our confidence to know that we’re not alone.”