Entrepreneurship

Connections

Connections is all about celebrating and fostering Black innovation and innovators. In partnership with the DMZ Incubator at Toronto Metropolitan University and the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, this highly competitive program is a three-month track-based coaching program that puts ambitious and enthusiastic Black founders on the fast track to success and prepares them to participate in the DMZ Incubator. Customized to meet each innovator’s unique needs, Connections offers support and expertise, and addresses the barriers Black-owned companies are up against. A $5,000 business grant is given upon acceptance into the program.

Founders focus on one of five tracks to help them achieve their objectives for that quarter and participate in biweekly program lead meetings, biweekly expert-in-residence mentorship meetings and various workshops.

Tracks

• Fundraising: Get access to investors, mentors, pitch deck advice, grant writing support and more
• Sales: Learn about branding, marketing, sales processes, pricing strategies, customer relations, etc.
• Legal & Finance: Get support in financial models, business operation processes, creating agreements and more
• Product: Learn how to build a robust tech stack and metrics-backed product strategy
• Growth & Hiring: Get tips on leading and scaling your team, how to access subsidiaries and grants, etc.

Participant Spotlight: Tony Colley

Tony Colley is the Toronto-based founder and CEO of Be One to Give, an on-demand delivery app that takes surplus prepared foods from hotels, universities, conference centres and other venues and redistributes it to food-insecure communities. He’s also a former participant in Dream’s Connections program, which he learned about through his affiliation with the DMZ, an entrepreneurial incubator at Toronto Metropolitan University that works with tech startups around the world. “I was a current member of the DMZ and had just won our demo day in the inaugural cohort of their Black Innovation Program in the social impact stream. Our program lead suggested I apply for the Connections program, as it served as a value-added extension to the former,” he says.

Colley says Connections was successful in that it allowed him and his team to continue their strategic business learnings, plus work with mentors and meet experts in their field. And when it comes to his advice for other entrepreneurs who are considering participating in the program, his feedback is definitely positive: “Go for it,” he says. “The DMZ is a great network to be part of and they help with foundational success in building your business. You’ll have an opportunity to meet your fellow Black entrepreneurs and learn ideas and strategies from others that may be applied to your business.”

Last Word: “To the DMZ, Dream and the Connections program, thank you for your mentorship and support.”