Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business, Dream Legacy Foundation (DLF) and the Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (BEKH) is a critical national network of research hubs involved in community-based research, with a mission to improve the lived experiences of the Black community. Through collaboration with a network of multidisciplinary researchers and in linking these with community-based researchers and practitioners and by adopting a regional communitybased strategy, the BEKH will co-create and co-generate research that will deliver important knowledge, insights, and outcomes that resonates with the local regional needs of Black entrepreneurs, community members and organizations across Canada.

Research Background: The proposed qualitative study is designed to generate a more comprehensive understanding of Black entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in Canada through the creation of evidence-based personas. It aims to mobilize this knowledge within the entrepreneurship ecosystem and to train the next generation of Black social scientists. The study entails the development of a detailed map of Black business ecosystems across Canada and the identification of critical gaps where Black entrepreneurs face significant challenges. This research will be made publicly accessible and will benefit the Black entrepreneurship ecosystem in Canada. The study employs a “Persona Methodology,” utilizing fictional characters to embody the core traits, behaviours, attitudes, and worldviews of a particular group of people. This approach allows for a “thick description” and a more accessible understanding of the community, rather than relying solely on quantitative analysis.