the agenda
OCTOBER 16-17
2026
saturday
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oct 17
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saturday • oct 17 •
saturday | 11:45 - 3:30
melamoon pitch
After qualifying through five regional competitions across Canada, the country's top five Black entrepreneurs take the stage for one final pitch. Watch Canada's most promising founders compete live as they present their businesses, share their vision, and make their case to win undiluted funding for their business.
PANELS
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PANELS •
Panel 1
saturday | 4:00 - 4:45
the culture investment:
why art matters for your wealth and identity
A conversation on art as currency; how investing in culture builds identity, creates long-term value, and becomes one of the most powerful assets you can pass down.
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Art has always been currency — it's time we started treating it like one. Fresh from a powerful conversation at BLAXPO Montréal, this session comes to Toronto to unpack what it really means to invest in art, not just as something to admire, but as a tangible asset that builds wealth, preserves culture, and creates a legacy that compounds over time. From how art shapes identity and holds the stories of our community, to how it can be woven into everyday life as an accessible and appreciating investment, this conversation reframes the way we think about what we own, what we value, and what we leave behind. Attendees will walk away seeing art differently; not as a luxury, but as one of the smartest moves they can make for their wealth and their legacy.
speakers
Ashley McKenzie-Barnes • Creative Director, Founder - D.PE Agency
Benny Bling • Founder & Creative Director - Black Rabbit Gallery
Diane Gistal • Founder, Executive Director & Curator - Nigra Iuventa
Panel 2
saturday | 5:00 - 5:45
The Collab That Changed Everything:
How Women in Business Are Building Empires Through Partnership
An all-women panel on the strategic partnerships (in the boardroom and in the community) that are helping women build different, move smarter, and take things further than they ever could alone.
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The right partnership isn't just a business decision, it's the move that changes everything. This panel brings together women leading partnership and marketing strategy at major organizations alongside founders whose community-driven companies are built on the power of collaboration, for a real conversation that speaks to both sides of the table. Attendees will hear firsthand what it takes to identify the right partnerships, how to structure them for mutual value, and how collaboration becomes the strategy that levels everything up, whether you're working within a company or building your own. Practical, unfiltered, and led entirely by women who are doing it; this is the partnership conversation that belongs in every ambitious professional's toolkit.
speakers
Gena Sherwood • Lead Client Partner, Community Impact Ambassador, ERG Lead - Blackboard, Pinterest Canada
Rachel Hale • Producer/Perspective Coach - Freelance
Keesa • CEO - HOOPQUEENS
Anastasia Gordon • Social Impact & Partnerships Stratagist - Soulpepper Theatre Company
WORKSHOPS
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WORKSHOPS •
Workshop 1
saturday | 2:15 - 2:45
OPEN DOORS BEFORE YOU KNOCK:
MASTERING LINKEDIN
A hands-on workshop on the LinkedIn strategies that build visibility, attract opportunity, and get you in the room before you even ask.
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The right LinkedIn profile doesn't just represent you, it works for you around the clock. This workshop goes beyond the basics and into the hidden strategies that actually move the needle, from cracking the algorithm to building a presence that attracts the right people, rooms, and opportunities. Attendees will walk away with insider tactics and a clear, actionable plan they can implement immediately, so their profile is opening doors long before they ever have to knock.
speaker
Nicole Antoine • Senior Recruiter - LinkedIn
Workshop 2
saturday | 3:15 - 3:45
side hustle to main hustle:
When Is It Time to Bet on Yourself
A hands-on workshop sponsored by Futurpreneur on knowing when to validate, prepare, and go all in on the business you’ve been building on the side.
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Turning the thing you do on the side into the thing that pays the bills takes more than a leap of faith. Get candid about the money, mindset and moves behind making the transition — from knowing when your idea is ready to navigating the risks, building stability and deciding when it’s finally time to go all in.
Walk away with a clearer understanding of what to validate, what to prepare and what needs to be in place before making the leap.
speaker
Rodrique Lomomba • Senior Program Specialist - Futurpreneur Canada
Workshop 3
saturday | 4:00 - 4:45
Meet Your New Executive Team:
How AI Is Rewriting the Infrastructure of Business
A hands-on workshop on using AI to build the executive team every founder and professional needs: practical, implementable, and built for right now.
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AI isn’t just another tool. It’s becoming part of the team. This session explores how founders and professionals can move beyond using AI for one-off tasks and start building it into the infrastructure of how they think, operate, and grow.
Attendees will leave knowing how to identify where AI can take a real seat in their business, from strategy and marketing to operations and finance; understand what to hand over to AI, what to automate, and what still requires human judgment; and create an AI-powered executive team that increases capacity without simply increasing headcount
speaker
Ashley Wright • CEO - The Wright Success
FOUNDER COHORT
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FOUNDER COHORT •
saturday | 10:15 - 10:30
introDUCTION
speaker
Melissa Allen • Founder & Managing Partner - Captial M Ventures
Session 1
saturday | 11:15 - 12:oo
sell the vision:
The Marketing Tools and Systems That Turn Attention Into Revenue
A session giving founders the marketing tools, strategy, and systems they need to drive traffic, grow their audience, and turn visibility into sales.
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Having a great product is just the beginning, getting the right people to see it is where the real work starts. This session is built for founders who are ready to level up how they show up in the market. Attendees will learn the essential marketing tools and systems that drive real results, how to build a strategy that consistently brings eyes to their brand, and what it actually takes to convert attention into customers and sales. Walk away with a clear, actionable marketing playbook built for where your business is right now, and where you want to take it next.
speaker
Nadine Brown • Marketing Professional and Owner of Hercollective Agency - Joe Fresh
Session 2
saturday | 12:00 - 12:45
found by ai:
How to Make Your Brand the Recommendation
Learn practical strategies to help your brand show up when AI recommends businesses, services, and experts.
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Generic search engines are no longer running the whole show, and your brand visibility strategy shouldn't be stuck in the past either. This session unpacks exactly how to show up, and stay top of mind, as AI tools become the new go-to for finding businesses, services, and resources. Attendees will leave with practical, no-fluff insights on positioning their brand to win in AI search, so they're not chasing the algorithm, they're the one it points to.
speaker
Monique Bryan • Brand Authority Strategist - Monique Bryan Worldwide Inc.
Session 3
saturday | 1:15 - 2:00
built to scale:
How to Go From Solo Founder to Sustainable Business
A workshop on the tools, systems, and strategy founders need to scale their business — from solo operator to sustainable, revenue-generating company that goes beyond them.
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There comes a point in every founder's journey where hustle alone won't cut it anymore; and that's exactly where this workshop picks up. Built for founders who are ready to stop doing everything themselves and start building something that can grow without them at the center of it all, this session gets into the real systems, tools, and strategies that make scaling possible. From making your first hire to hitting the next revenue milestone, attendees will learn what it takes to build a business that is sustainable, structured, and designed to last well beyond the grind that got it started. Walk away with a clear roadmap for what scaling actually looks like at your stage, and the tools to start making it happen.
speaker
Myriam Jean-Baptiste • Owner & Co-Founder - LS Cream Liqueur
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP ACCELERATOR
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EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP ACCELERATOR •
saturday | 10:15 - 10:30
introDUCTION
speaker
Adeela Carter • Founder - Bay Street Fridays
Session 1
saturday | 11:15 - 12:oo
move the needle:
Leading Innovation That Actually Sticks
A workshop on what it actually takes for senior leaders to push past the status quo and drive the kind of bold, meaningful change their organizations didn't know they needed.
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The leaders who leave a mark aren't the ones who maintained — they're the ones who moved things forward. This session is for executives ready to use their seat at the table to build something worth talking about, challenging the way things have always been done and implementing ideas that take their organization somewhere new. Attendees will dig into what innovation really looks like at the senior level, how to bring fresh thinking into organizations that resist change, and how to go from managing the present to architecting the future.
speaker
Sabaa Quao • Entrepreneur - Arima, Wealthie, Filminute
Session 2
saturday | 12:00 - 12:45
Uncomfortable Conversations, Unstoppable Teams:
conflict done right
A workshop on handling conflict, navigating difficult conversations, and keeping your team moving, without losing your cool or your credibility.
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Nobody told you the higher you climb, the messier it gets, but here you are. This session gets into the real, practical tools senior leaders need to manage competing personalities, address conflict before it derails the team, navigate salary negotiations, and lead difficult conversations with confidence and clarity. Attendees will walk away with concrete frameworks for keeping teams motivated through friction, maintaining culture under pressure, and handling the high-stakes situations that come with leading at this level; because the best leaders don't avoid the hard stuff, they handle it well.
speaker
Edwina Doyle
Session 3
saturday | 1:15 - 2:00
say less, mean more:
Communication Strategies for Effective Leadership
A workshop on the practical communication skills that make senior leaders impossible to ignore — in the boardroom, on the stage, and everywhere in between.
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Your ideas are only as powerful as your ability to get them across; and at this level, how you say it matters just as much as what you say. This session is built for senior leaders who are ready to show up more powerfully in every room they walk into, whether that's speaking to their team, presenting to the C-suite, or representing their organization on a bigger stage. Attendees will leave with practical, immediately applicable communication strategies for public speaking, high-stakes conversations, and cross-functional influence, along with the mindset shifts that make sure their voice is not just heard, but remembered.
speaker
Chloe McKenzie • Senior Vice President, People and Culture - Salt Experiential Commerce Inc.
live podcasts
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live podcasts •
Live Podcast 1
saturday | 11:30 - 12:15
clock in, level up:
Why the Most Ambitious Professionals Think Like Founders
A live podcast conversation on what it takes to stay relevant as a professional, think like an entrepreneur, and turn the job you have into the career you actually want.
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Showing up and doing your job isn't enough anymore, and the professionals who know that are already ahead. This live podcast conversation digs into what it really means to bring an entrepreneurial mindset to your career, how to build visibility and value in your current role, and how to know when you're doing too much or not enough. Attendees will also learn how the work they're doing right now can become the portfolio that lands them their next big opportunity.
speaker
Pauleanna Reid • Celebrity Ghostwriter & Founder - WritersBlok
Live Podcast 2
saturday | 12:30 - 1:15
the cost of holding it down:
Success, Pressure & the Things Black Men Only Learn by Living Them
Success doesn’t come with instructions. A live podcast about the lessons Black men learn while navigating ambition, identity, relationships, fatherhood, money, and everything that comes with making it.
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Success can change your life. But nobody really talks about what comes with it.
The pressure to provide. The expectation to stay strong. Building a career while building a family. Navigating money, relationships, fatherhood, identity, and rooms where you may be the only Black man — all while becoming someone others depend on.
The Cost of Holding It Down goes beyond “How did you become successful?” to unpack what success can demand from Black men along the way: the sacrifices, expectations, difficult decisions, and lessons you often don’t understand until you’re living them.
Through honest stories, mistakes, and turning points, this conversation gets into the things Black men don’t always get to talk about publicly.
Because holding it down can look like success from the outside — while feeling completely different when you’re the one carrying it.
speaker
Sabaa Quao • Entrepreneur - Arima, Wealthie, Filminute
Troy Crossfields • Filmmaker, Actor & Men’s Mental Health Advocate - Crossfields House Productions
Live Podcast 3
saturday | 2:00 - 2:45
make the introduction count:
A Live Podcast on Communicating Your Brand, Your Value, and Your Vision
A live podcast on how to communicate your value, your vision, and your brand so clearly that the employers, funders, and opportunities you need can't help but find you.
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Knowing your worth is one thing, being able to communicate it is where the real power lives. This live podcast gets into the art of showing up and speaking up in a way that makes employers, funders, and collaborators truly understand who you are and why they need to be in your corner. From networking with intention to building a personal brand that speaks for you before you even open your mouth, attendees will hear practical, real-world insights on how to make every introduction, every pitch, and every conversation count. Whether you're climbing the corporate ladder, looking for funding, or simply trying to make the right connections, this session is about making sure the right people always know exactly who you are and what you stand for.
speaker
Tychon Carter-Newman • Communication and Performance Coach - Tychon Carter Coaching
Erin-Ashley Talucci • Confidence & Performance Coach
Live Podcast 4
saturday | 3:15 - 3:45
from content to credibility:
How Authenticity Creates Opportunity
A live podcast sponsored by 1Milk2Sugars on creating content that feels like you — and gets brands to notice, trust, and choose you.
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Everyone is creating. Not everyone is getting chosen. Your content is more than what you post — it’s your reputation before you ever enter the room.
So what makes a brand stop scrolling, remember your name and want to work with you?
Go behind the scenes of what brands and agencies are really looking for — from originality and storytelling to audience connection, engagement and authenticity. Learn how to build credibility, create stronger brand partnerships and turn your creativity into opportunities that grow with you.
Live Podcast 5
saturday | 4:00 - 4:45
own the block:
How to Find the Funding to Buy Your Next Property
A deep-dive session on finding the money for your down payment, navigating today's housing market, and building a real estate portfolio that creates lasting wealth for your family.
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The housing market is tough right now, but the path to homeownership isn't closed, it just looks different than it used to. This session goes beyond the surface to give attendees a real, practical breakdown of how to find the money for a first or second home down payment, with creative strategies tailored to different financial profiles and situations. The conversation will also go deeper into what it actually takes to grow a real estate portfolio, the steps most people don't know to take, and how owning property becomes one of the most powerful tools for building generational wealth. Whether you're trying to get your first set of keys or ready to expand what you already own, this session will leave you with a clear picture of your next move, and the confidence to make it.
speaker
Bethany King • Broker of Record, Founder - King Realty Co.
ROUNDTABLES
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ROUNDTABLES •
Roundtable 1
saturday | 2:15 - 3:00
close the gap:
The Moves That Set You Apart Before and After Graduation
A roundtable on the real moves, AI tools, and key decisions that turn graduation into a launchpad, not a waiting room.
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Graduation is just the beginning, and the students who land strong are the ones who start preparing the right way. This roundtable gets into the decisions and missteps that leave most graduates feeling lost, the AI tools that can give job seekers a real edge in today's market, and the practical steps students can take right now to set themselves up for what's coming. From navigating the current job market to knowing what employers are actually looking for, attendees will leave with a clear, actionable plan for turning their degree into a career, on their own terms.
speaker
Jermaine Murray • TheJobfather - JupiterHR
Ehi Agbonlahor • CEO - Anutio
Roundtable 2
saturday | 4:00 - 4:45
for the community:
Nonprofit vs. Social Enterprise
A roundtable sponsored by FACE on choosing the right model, securing the funding, and building an impact that lasts.
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Impact is the goal. But what’s the model that gets you there?
This conversation breaks down nonprofit and social enterprise models, from funding and revenue to impact, sustainability and growth. Understand how each model works, where the money comes from, and the trade-offs that come with each path.
Walk away better equipped to decide which model fits your idea, how you plan to fund it, and what you need to build an organization that can grow without losing sight of its purpose.
speaker
Tiffany Callender • CEO - FACE Coalition
speed networking
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speed networking •
Professional
saturday
2:15 - 2:45
Locomotive Hall
Founder
saturday
3:45 - 4:15
Locomotive Hall
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