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Tune in to your leader instincts with lessons from one of Canada’s top business schools.
In partnership with
Business & Leadership Essentials Certificate Program
Designed in partnership with Schulich ExecEd by the Schulich School of Business at York University, this free, 2-month certificate program gives Black professionals & entrepreneurs the business and leadership foundations to succeed in today’s competitive landscape.
Through a series of virtual sessions, you’ll develop your business acumen and flesh out your ideal leadership style. The program’s unique Capstone Project also gives participants the chance to address a specific startup or organizational challenge with their peer group from start to finish.
All participants of this virtual program will be awarded with an encrypted digital credential from the prestigious Schulich ExecEd Centre.
Apply If You’re
Business & Leadership Essentials Certificate (Fall 2024)
When
September 9th - November 11th, 2024
Where
Virtual
Apply From
February 1st - August 1st, 2024
In partnership with
Topics In the Program
Complete a startup and organizational challenge with your peer group until the end of the program.
Format: Live Virtual Sessions
Strategy carves a path forward. Without it, many organizations and leaders fall short of their goals. Be prepared to dig into the essentials of strategy.
Format: Live Virtual Sessions
Sales and Marketing are the foundations of revenue. Together, they can be their best allies. Learn how to use sales and marketing to grow a business.
Format: Live Virtual Sessions
Finance is the language of business. In University, students are evaluated by their GPA. In the corporate world, management is evaluated by the financial results of the organization.
Format: Live Virtual Sessions
This course breaks down what makes a manager great. It looks at the foundations of effective management such as communication, managing emotions and performance.
The BEA Learning Community gives members access to ongoing online content, community events, and more.
“I recommend this program to anyone willing to learn how to better themselves and grow their business. On top of networking opportunities outside of class time, I found a great support system of peers to help each other mentally. I learned a lot about myself as a business owner, and how my emotions can affect my profit, growth and skills. Getting to learn different points of view in a free environment helps us build better opportunities to work together in the community by connecting and supporting each other to ensure growth in our business goals.”
“Joining this program was probably the most powerful professional and developmental experience that I could have had… The collective experience of different minds from the city coming together under one roof was so inspiring. We were all at different points on our career path, so I learned a lot from both the professors and my peers.”
“Being in a supportive space week after week with Black entrepreneurs and end engaged educators was what germinated the seeds that had been planted. Being in the program through BEA helped open our doors to customers in the summer of 2023.”
“BEA is the real deal! There are many programs in our community seeking to help entrepreneurs launch, grow and scale their businesses. BEA makes it happen! Not only do they provide you with the necessary training, skills, and education—they provide the connections that can give you the right opportunity to network and catapult your business to the next level.”
The BEA program allowed me to meet with amazing mentors and business resources that allowed me to "think outside of the box" where my business is concerned. With the help of this program, I can now pivot with confidence and reassurance. A big thank you to everyone involved with BEA. If you have a food or beverage business idea and want to take it to the next level, this is the program to get in.
The BEA team has been incredibly supportive of my early entrepreneurial journey. They've created an amazing community to help local Black founders like myself take their first steps!
Honestly, since joining BEA I've grown exponentially as a founder. Their wealth of resources & amazing workshops have helped me accelerate the growth of our business. I truly believe BEA will be a catalyst to creating the top Black owned startups in Canada!
This program was one of the best programs I’ve come across for my own personal growth in business but also just in confidence and readiness.
When MyPreconUnit.io becomes a household name...literally, and all puns intended, BEA will be the very group responsible for the shift in wealth equity because they believe in me and didn't let me quit.
Learn more details about the program below, or get in touch with us for all other enquiries.
The BEA’s Business & Leadership Essentials Certificate program is a free, 2-month program designed to give Black professionals & entrepreneurs the business and leadership foundations to succeed in today’s competitive landscape.
Participants will join a series of virtual sessions to learn core skills while completing their Capstone Project with their peer group.
At the end of this virtual program, participants will be awarded with an encrypted digital credential issued by Schulich ExecEd.
Issued by Schulich ExecEd, digital credentials are recognized symbols acknowledging that the owner of the credential has successfully completed a program and has acquired all the new skills offered by the program. Your digital credentials are stored in a blockchain-encrypted digital wallet linked directly to you, and cannot be duplicated by anyone else.
Once shared on your online profile or resume, employers and clients can easily and securely verify your qualifications and level of expertise.
Sessions for our upcoming cohort (Fall 2024) will take place on the following dates:
September 9, 16, 23; October 7, 21, 28; November 4, 11, (Graduation TBD).
Applications for our upcoming cohort are due on August 1, 2024.
Applicant interviews will be on a rolling basis, and successful applicants will be notified by August 21.
To ensure successful graduation, participants must:
*Participants are allowed a maximum of 1 absence if the BEA team is notified in advance.
Participants who do not meet the above criteria will not be eligible to graduate or receive a digital credential.
Nothing! All BEA programs are free and non-dilutive (we take no equity).
Our Business & Leadership Essentials Certificate program is open to all Black-identifying individuals over the age of 18, located within Southern Ontario.
Early-in-career employees, business leaders and founders/entrepreneurs looking to quickly develop their business acumen and skills from highly rated instructors.
No, applicants do not need prior university or college credentials.
Participants are expected to contribute a minimum of 5 hours per week to participate in the educational workshops and connect with their mentors. Any additional time they have to complete the work required to push their business idea forward will be up to the participant.
A maximum of 30 applicants will be chosen for the program during each cohort.
Innovation Hub Feasibility Study
Make Innovation Accessible for All. Fill out the survey to provide your insights, perspectives, and recommendations to inform a proposed Innovation Hub that will support underrepresented entrepreneurs and professionals.
The survey closes on August 18, 2023.
