Sesame Summit 2026 – application open

Black Tech Entrepreneurship in Canada| Selected

Since there’s no way we could shine our light on the entire community of Black entrepreneurial movers & shakers in only 1 month, we’re excited to announce that we’ll be publishing a new dedicated article every month to keep up the momentum by passing the mic as far & wide as possible!

Fantastic Black Canadians that you should know & celebrate.

Read the list here. Listen here.

Celebrating these 8 fantastic Black tech entrepreneurs:

Aisha Addo, Founder @PowertoGirls

#SocialEnterprise #Appdev

  • Powered by Power to Girls the My Power App is the first mentorship and social connection app for girls 12 – 20 .

Alexandra McCalla, Co-founder & COO @AirMatrix

#Transportation #Connectivity

  • “Keep your city skies clear, safe, and under control with the world’s most precise, autonomous drone roads.”

Arsene Toumani, Co-Founder & CTO  @Telos Touch

#Software #Connectivity

  • “Redefining how people work together. Our mission is to bring people closer together to better serve each other.”

Boyd Reid, Co-Founder & COO @Hop In Tech

#Transportation #Connectivity

  • “Hop In provides a logistics software services to offer customized corporate shuttle solutions for the daily commute.”

Manu Kabahizi, Co-founder and CTO @Ulula

#Connectivity #SocialEnterprise

  • “Our mobile tech helps organizations get direct feedback from workers & communities around the world to understand and improve working conditions and well-being.”

Nadia Hamilton, President & Founder @Magnusmode

#Inclusivity #AppDev

  • “Our mission is to create practical tools that improve everyday experiences and enable people with cognitive disabilities to participate in the world in ways that are meaningful to them.”

Renee Raymond, Director @Daya Lens

#MedicalDevices #ImmersiveTech

  • “Daya Lens offers a more accessible way for mental health therapists to facilitate exposure therapy. We develop immersive environments using VR, allowing therapists and individuals the ability to take care of their mental health anywhere.”

Tash Jefferies, Founder @Diversa.work & @Tash Jefferies

#Communication #Consulting

  • “Don’t be afraid to be bold, be visible, embrace your own natural gifts and quirks, and share yourself with the world. The world needs more diversity of voices and people able to be authentic and comfortable with who they are.”
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Entrepreneur Spotlight: Boyd Reid, @Hop In Tech

Why work in tech?
“My goal as a black tech entrepreneur is to develop solutions to provide access for marginalized communities and other vulnerable sectors so that they can have fair opportunity for work.”

How does Hop In contribute to your goal?

“Hop In Tech works with companies by using logistics software to mobilize shuttle services to improve accessibility to work. Those who benefit the most from this service are those without their own personal vehicle which tend to be low income earners and marginalized communities (i.e essential workforce). By bridging the transportation gap with Hop In Tech, I hope to level the playing field when it comes to access to job opportunity.”

How has COVID-19 impacted your work?
“During, the COVID-19 Pandemic, Hop In Tech was a source of safe transportation for essential employees commuting to work. Hop In Tech’s logistics software mobilizes shuttle services to fill the gaps that are left by public transit options. As companies look to return to work, Hop In Tech is making the transition more efficient and more safe with the implementation of symptom tracking and rapid testing to add to their host of Employee Commuting Solutions.”

“During the summer of 2020, Hop In Tech started the COVID Initiative to help support our Front Line Heroes. Since then Hop In Tech has delivered over 100 free meals, provided over 250 km of free rides, and donated over 25,000 masks to front line health care workers.”

Inspired by these 7 fantastic Black entrepreneurship organizations:

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Organization Spotlight: BlackMINT

What is your vision?

“At BlackMint, we see phenomenal value in serving as a resource to Black youth by contributing to the advancement of Black youth in technology related fields, promoting meaningful dialogue and providing services and resources that drive measurable outcomes to overcome the systemic imbalances.”

Why is this important?

“Black people are 3.5% of the Canadian population but only 2.6% of the tech workforce. This needs to change.”

What’s happening now?

  • BlackMINT has formally launched its mentorship program with its first cohort of 25 mentees.
  • The BlackMINT podcast highlights black tech professionals who are doing interesting things in the industry. Check it out.
  • We are honored and thankful to the Black Professionals in  Tech Network (BPTN) for their $10,000 donation which will help us expand our mentorship program to more students.
  • We are currently looking for more black tech mentors and technology partners to help us with out programming (more information available by reaching out directly to us).

4 articles on the Black entrepreneurship ecosystem in Canada (& it’s areas for improvement):

Edgar Brown’s FYT Brings The Valley Mindset To Canada
Edgar Brown conceives of launching a start-up as process with multiple steps: first a founder needs to immerse themselves in the entrepreneurial culture as he did during his time at university before they can take action by embarking on a business venture.
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‘I don’t want to be a unicorn’: Black founders struggle to raise venture capital
When Lola Adeyemi started a company making chickpea stews and roasted carrot soups like the ones she grew up eating in Africa, she was expec…

Black entrepreneurs in Canada struggle to raise money from venture capitalists
Venture capitalists pour money into companies run by people in their existing networks, which are predominantly white and male

Why Are There So Few Black Entrepreneurs in Canadian Tech?
RBC Disruptors looks at the under-representation black people in tech entrepreneurship and what is being done toward change.
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3 upcoming events for Black entrepreneurs in Canada:

  • Level UP – The Finance Masterclass for Black Business Owners – Every Tuesday, Jan 19-April 13. Register here.
  • Black Can Tech: Excelling in the Tech Ecosystem  – Feb 25. Register here.
  • World-Class User Experiences (UX): Inclusive by Design – Presented by TWG – Feb 25. Register here.
  • 2021 Unity and Inclusion Summit – April 7 & 8. Register here.

Note: This article will be updated as we discover & hear from more Black entrepreneurs! Stay tuned for next week’s article Highlighting Black Entrepreneurs in the United States

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Events 6 days ago

AI is reshaping how people discover information. Search traffic, once the lifeblood of websites, is plummeting as AI tools provide answers and context immediately, eliminating the need to browse to websites for answers at all.  Understandably, companies are responding by going down avenues they can control: newsletters, podcasts, memberships and events. This reality is true for startups as well. You simply can’t rely on Google traffic or algorithms to build trust anymore. You need direct channels, and there are few ways to build trust more powerful than  meeting people face-to-face. Welcome to the ‘post-click’ era Startups have long played by the ever-changing rules set by Google and social media platforms, which are more often than not prone to changing their algorithms and leaving everyone scrambling to adapt overnight.  AI is not only accelerating this instability, it’s almost making Google referral traffic obsolete. Companies need to adapt to this new reality with strategies that let them talk directly to their prospective customers. The media industry, one of the most vulnerable to the changes, is proving to be one of the quickest to adapt. Morning Brew, for example, blends its newsletters franchises with events. In a recent interview, Sam Jacobs, TIME’s editor-in-chief, highlighted how the company went from organizing two to three events per year, to holding the same number of events monthly. Even digital-first players are embracing events. Podcasts like Acquired and All-In now host live events to bring their listeners together. Finimize has built grassroots meetups around its newsletter. The new defense tech media title, Resilience Media, born on Substack, is planning events to connect experts in its niche. Alex Konrad’s new Upstarts ecosystem includes live interviews, an upcoming podcast and curated events. These aren’t just extensions of the content; they’re ways to nurture communities. Startups should copy this strategy. They must consider where their credibility and relationships will be built in this new landscape, especially as visibility is no longer about simply appearing on top of search results or burning money with ads; it’s about building lasting trust in the spaces that matter. Events are singularly effective at doing that. Lessons from after the pandemic If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that being present online is insufficient. Platforms like Hopin promised a future of global, scalable, online events. Even experiments in VR conferences were the subject of occasional hype.  All of that fell short, however. What founders, investors and marketers learned was simple: There is no substitute for shaking someone’s hand, catching their eye, and sharing time in the same space. When the pandemic ended, events came back with a bang. Companies large and small continue to invest in gatherings. Events still carry symbolic weight: just look at Apple’s meticulously choreographed product launches, or how scaleups like Helsing showcase new technologies.  For startups, events can also serve as tools for strengthening internal communications and bonds with their employees and their community. Here’s a great example: Italian travel scaleup WeRoad holds an annual, two-day global gathering of its travel coordinators and staff that strengthens culture and commitment in ways a Zoom call never could. Why startups need to show up Startups live and die on the strength of their relationships. Securing investors, signing first customers, and finding the right partners are all processes that depend completely on trust. These early relationships are crucial. In an AI-driven world where digital discovery is fragmented, saturated and noisy, events cut through the noise. They offer something AI and algorithms never will: human presence. Startups should think of events as essential investments in visibility and credibility. Whether it’s speaking on stage, hosting a breakfast or simply showing up to the right conference — being in the room matters. It’s OK to be selective. It’s OK to pass on events when priorities point elsewhere. And don’t take this to mean the digital realm and AI should be ignored. But in this era where we’re putting AI on a pedestal, founders should not underestimate the power of a physical meeting for establishing contact with investors, talent, or any other important stakeholder.

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New Materials 6 days ago

After a successful first edition, JEC Investor Day 2026 is now returning for its second year with expanded ambitions.

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Events 1 week ago

TechCrunch Disrupt? Overrated. Web Summit? A $4,700 mistake I’ll never make again. I’ve burned $18K learning which startup events actually matter for B2B SaaS founders trying to close deals—not just collect business cards. Here’s what nobody tells you: the biggest events aren’t where B2B deals happen. Why “Best Startup Event” Lists Are Useless for B2B Founders Every January, tech blogs publish the same recycled garbage: “50 Must-Attend Startup Events!” They rank by size and buzz. What they don’t rank by: where your buyers actually show up with budgets. I learned this after exhibiting at a 70,000-person mega-conference. Spent $4,700 on booth space, flights, and hotel. Had exactly zero conversations with our target market. The attendees? Mostly consumer startups and the press are looking for the next Uber. According to Cvent, 81% of trade show attendees have buying authority—but only at industry-specific events. Generic “startup” conferences are networking theater. If you’re serious about finding the right startup event strategy, you need to think differently. The 5 Best Startup Events Where I’ve Actually Closed B2B Deals SaaStr Annual – Where SaaS Deals Actually Happen 13,000 SaaS professionals in San Mateo every March. APIDays – The Technical Depth You Need If you’re building APIs, this is your room. 2,000-3,000 API architects who can actually read your docs. Paris is the flagship, but they run 10+ cities globally. What makes APIDays different: it’s deeply technical. No marketing fluff. €3,000 gets you in, and European buyers are way less saturated than US markets. Big Data & AI Paris – Enterprise Buyers With Actual Budgets 15,000 enterprise CTOs and data engineers. I closed two partnerships here worth €400K combined—with French banks and telecom companies that had active Q4 budgets. The French government subsidizes AI adoption, so budgets are real. But your networking tactics need to adapt. Less aggressive, more relationship-focused. €800 for a pass and 3,200€ to exhibit as a startup, totally worth it if you’re targeting European enterprises. Track it on Sesamers so you don’t miss early bird pricing. MicroConf – Where Bootstrapped Founders Share Real Numbers 200-300 attendees max. Everyone’s profitable or trying to be. Zero VC hypergrowth bullshit. I’ve learned more in hallway conversations here than at conferences 50x the size. The attendees are other founders who share actual numbers—not vanity metrics. Churn rates, CAC, payback periods. This is how you measure real ROI from events. Worth every cent if you’re bootstrapped. Industry-Specific Trade Shows – The Secret Weapon Here’s the move nobody talks about: skip tech conferences entirely. Go where your buyers congregate. Healthcare SaaS? Hit HIMSS. Fintech? Money20/20. HR tech? HR Tech Conference. I watched a founder close a $400K deal at a healthcare event while competitors were posting selfies at Web Summit. These cost $3,000 avg, but attendee quality is 100x better. According to Statista, B2B trade shows hit $15.78B in 2024. This strategy works because you’re fishing where the fish actually are. The 3-Filter System I Use to Pick Events Filter 1: Who’s actually attending? Can you name 20 people who match your ICP? If not, wrong event. Use Sesamers to check historical attendee data before buying tickets. Filter 2: What’s your actual goal? Raising money? Go to investor-heavy events. Closing customers? Industry trade shows. Different goals need different event selection criteria. Filter 3: What’s the all-in cost? Ticket + flights + hotel + meals. If it’s over $3K, you need $30K in pipeline to break even. Most events don’t hit that unless you’re strategic. Events I Skip (And Why You Should Too) Web Summit: 70,000 people is networking hell. Consumer-focused despite the B2B claims. Pass unless you need Series A+ PR. CES: Consumer electronics show. Your B2B SaaS buyers aren’t here. I see founders at CES every year wondering why they’re not closing deals. Now you know. TechCrunch Disrupt: Great for press and VCs. Terrible for enterprise buyers. Worth it for launch PR, not pipeline. How I Track Everything Without Losing My Mind I track every event in a spreadsheet: cost, conversations, pipeline generated, deals closed. After three years of data, the pattern is crystal clear. Niche beats broad. Quality beats quantity—industry-specific crushes general tech. The best startup events for B2B SaaS are never on TechCrunch’s homepage. For API companies: APIDays and API World are superior to generic conferences. For AI/ML: Big Data & AI Paris provides European enterprise access that’s nearly impossible to achieve otherwise. Geography matters—European buyers at European events are way less saturated than US markets. Stop Wasting Money on the Wrong Events You have limited time and budget. Most founders can hit 3-5 events per year max. Choose wrong and you’ve burned $15K and 15 days for zero ROI. Choose right and one event generates $500K+ in pipeline. Use Sesamers to find events filtered by your industry and target attendees. See which ones similar founders recommend. Track ROI data. Set reminders for early bird pricing. Never waste another $4K on an event where your buyers don’t show up. Because the smartest way to pick events is learning from founders who’ve already tested them—and can tell you which ones actually matter. Ready to find your next high-ROI event? Start tracking on Sesamers and build your calendar based on data, not FOMO.

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