This one-day, live, in-person event attracted several thousands of attendees from Toronto’s diverse small business community

BY PAUL JUNOR

The Small Business Forum 2023, which was held at the Metro Convention Centre on Monday, October 30^th, was a resounding success. This one-day, live, in-person free event attracted several thousands of attendees from Toronto’s diverse small business community. It was hosted by the City of Toronto and involved the following partners: Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Desjardins Business, Live Green Toronto and Ontario Federation of Indigenous Centres

The keynote speaker was Eva Lau, Founder and general partner of Two Small Fish Ventures (TSFV). She started her entrepreneurial journey with the launch of the tech company, Wattpad after leaving Brightspark Labs, a Toronto-based accelerator. As an entrepreneur-turned-interviewer, her story highlights the power of her storytelling platform. She explains how she leverages her experience to assist early-stage transformative tech companies to excel and rise to greatness on an internet scale.

The following were the six sessions that were held during the day with panelists:

Building Smarter, Innovative and Sustainable Businesses

Business leaders and entrepreneurs discussed what it means for them to adapt, optimize and plan for the future in light of global economic and technological changes.

The Power of Partnerships

Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) and not-for-profits share their stories of resilience during difficult times and the benefits of helpful City of Toronto programs and resources.

Genuine Tea: A Starter Company Plus Success Story

Sarah Wilcox, Founder of Genuine Tea discussed her entrepreneurial journey.

Embracing Digital Disruption

Toronto’s tech leaders discuss strategies that helped them welcome digital disruption through adaptability and strategizing to capitalize on recent innovative trends.

Diversity, Resilience and the Lived Experience: Why it Matters

There were discussions about why DEI matters and how it can drive innovation in business.

One of the highlights of the Small Business Forum was the “Nobellum Innovation Pitch: Bring Ideas to Life.” The six finalists were enrolled in the Nobellum Innovation Program. This program offers access to capital, workshops and networking events designed to support Black business owners in the early stages of their entrepreneurial journey. The program aims to support Black innovators as they work to incorporate science, technology, or engineering (STEM) into their business model to create a more sustainable and scalable venture.

It is supported by the University of Toronto Scarborough and its overall objective is to: increase the presence of Black innovators in STEM, providing training on business foundations, technology tools and access to skilled industry professionals over a six-month period.

The six finalists from Black-led startups competed on the Main Stage where they pitched their business ideas to an expert jury and had opportunities to win between $4,000 to $10,000 in prize money. The six finalists were:

Huzefa Dico – Founder of Aro App

This app revolutionizes habit-building with an emphasis on keeping users consistent and accountable for their goals. It gamifies the process to keep users engaged and actively maintain the good habits they want to start.

Syddonia Brown Grizzle Foobric

They created our revolutionary Potato Leather, a vegan, eco-friendly alternative to traditional leather made from upcycled potato waste.

Abdel Ali- Founder, Kiwi Charge

Their vision involves changing the way we think about charging electric cars.

Lyle Williams-Founder, Magnify Access

They work with you to develop solutions that increase usability, reach and efficiency within their organization.

Attah Salufu-Founder, Oasis Lending Group

They provide financial services such as quick and easy access to student financing.

Fadyl Zeba – Founder, Cornacropia

They are involved in revolutionizing traditional ways with the power of technology.

The names of the top four will be announced in the future. Stay tuned! For more information about upcoming events to support small businesses check the website: www.toronto.ca/enterprisetoronto