Skip to main content
Thursday, November 12, 2026 Canada’s leading platform for small business insights
CanadianSME Business Magazine

No matches yet — press Enter to search everything.

Advertise With Us Subscribe Free
Menu
Subscribe Free
Diversity and Inclusion

True Means of Inclusive Solutions for Underrepresented Entrepreneurs by Innovate Inclusion

CanadianSMEPublished January 10, 2024 · 4 min read
Share
Small Business Canada

Innovate Inclusion is a Canadian not-for-profit organization that promotes the financial success of disadvantaged entrepreneurs by promoting access, doing diversity research, and raising awareness. The founder, Sarah Juma, encountered the inclusion barrier when building her first software firm and navigating the entrepreneurial scene as a Black woman. She was able to create instruments and advancement-supporting tactics because of the shortcomings.


Founded On The Grounds Of Promoting the Underrepresented

She discovered the necessity for creating an accessible network and welcoming locations from conversations with other minority entrepreneurs who had shared similar situations. Innovate Inclusion is a nonprofit organization that promotes the achievement of underrepresented communities in technology and business. Sarah Juma and a team in the spring of 2017 founded the company.

The inability to empower some of the most creative thinkers led to the creation of Innovate Inclusion. They get together with neighbourhood stakeholders and community groups that assist black business owners. With regard to problems, plans, and solutions involving underrepresented entrepreneurs, Innovate Inclusion is dedicated to educating people and fostering awareness.


Programs for Black Entrepreneurs

As the founder of the organization, she has a higher purpose in bringing forward the deprived and disadvantaged people of various communities. She had personally witnessed various restrictive processes during her initial entrepreneurial days, and she made it a point to change the dynamics.  

For the purpose of empowering underrepresented tech talent and businesses, Innovate Inclusion forges deep connections with people and partners. They created their programs for underrepresented Canadian IT talent and entrepreneurs.


Equipment Assist

Innovate Inclusion provides access to a variety of tools, including laptops, tablets, podcasting mics, and cameras, with funding from Unilever Canada.

By giving underrepresented populations access to programs and services that foster personal and professional development, Innovate Inclusion is dedicated to assisting underrepresented communities. Two programs created to provide equity for the Black community are Equipment Assist and Conference Connect, a program that aids entrepreneurs in attending crucial conferences for their business growth.

Advertisement
RBC Canada Small Business

BEMHI

The Black Entrepreneur Mental Health Initiative (BEMHI) was founded on the principle that everyone should have access to mental health treatments. As a result, BEMHI provides entrepreneurs and other key workers with free access to wellness programs and supportive actions that are culturally relevant to their needs.


Conference Connect

Due to financial constraints, minority communities far too frequently lose out on networking opportunities. An exclusive program called Conference Connect gives access to people who might benefit greatly from attending. In addition to offering a free ticket to remove financial obstacles, they also want to build a community that will support one another.

The Operation of Conference Connection:

  • Decide the conference you want to attend
  • Make sure you have the required credentials
  • Complete the relevant form

Co-Create

Their Board of Directors meets annually to talk about the programming requirements of their members. Reviewing the most recent research and analyzing member insights help the dialogue. Innovate Inclusion is aware of the remarkable progress certain community organizations are making because of innovative programming. By promoting activities that have been effectively carried out, they hope to work together. Any new initiatives created by Innovate Inclusion are predicated on community gaps that already exist.


Work on Diversity

Innovate Inclusion has been working extensively on diversity issues as well. They have found that currently, Incubator services made for radicalized entrepreneurs are severely lacking in Canada. Ontario’s top four government-funded entrepreneurship incubators: Communitech (Kitchener), DMZ (Toronto), Invest Ottawa (Ottawa), and MaRS (Toronto), do not represent African/Caribbean Canadian, Latin Canadian or Indigenous communities on any of their Board levels, as their mentors or executive professionals. With programs focusing on diversity  (mainly addressing gender equality) being present in these organizations, they did not point to racial issues or various other aspects of underrepresentation. 

Innovate Inclusion has built a report on the current status of Diversity and has major goals in working on this. Their report was aimed at recommending actions that support the underrepresented entrepreneurs as they face challenges, besides supporting them in growing their businesses with technology support. 

Visit their website to learn more about their actions and programs: https://www.innovateinc.co 


CanadianSME magazine lets you know everything about the SME industry. Subscribe to our magazine and get trending updates and news with small and medium-sized enterprises that are fast becoming successful in the Canadian business world. We provide the best of magazine reading that is rich with relevant industry updates. By subscribing to our magazine, you can be a part of a community that loves to support start-up journeys. 


CanadianSME magazine subscribers gain much from relevant industry news, trends, and updates. It inspires many for innovation and excellence, thus enriching the SME community.The CanadianSME community has readers sharing a lot of respect and love for present businesses and entrepreneurial efforts. By following @Canadian_sme on Twitter, entrepreneurs can remain connected and active with this group. To subscribe to CanadianSME’s magazine and remain ahead of all the present trends and developments in your business, please visit https://canadiansme.ca/subscription/ now.

CanadianSME

With an aim to contribute to the development of Canada’s Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s), Cmarketing Inc is a potential marketing agency and a boutique business management company progressing rapidly in its scope. By acknowledging a firm reliance of the Canadian economy over its SMEs, the agency has resolved to launch a magazine, the pure focus of which will be the furtherance of Canadian SMEs, and to assist their progress with the scheduled token of enlightenment via the magazine’s pertinent content.

View profile →

Related articles

Free every month
CanadianSME Small Business Magazine, November 2026, featuring Ben Osmow, CEO of Osmow's
November 2026 issue out now
Free for Canadian business owners

Get the Magazine and the Tuesday Briefing

Each new issue of CanadianSME Small Business Magazine, plus a weekly email with CRA deadlines and grant intakes.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. See our privacy policy.
Free

By downloading you agree to our terms and privacy policy.
· Reader offer

Enter your email to unlock the code. You’ll also get the Tuesday Briefing — unsubscribe anytime.