Kendal Egli / en 'Become the unicorn in the room': Alumna partners with 茄子直播 to launch 100 Black-owned startups by 2025 /news/become-unicorn-room-alumna-partners-u-t-launch-100-black-owned-startups-2025 <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">'Become the unicorn in the room': Alumna partners with 茄子直播 to launch 100 Black-owned startups by 2025</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/Melisa-Ellis-crop.jpeg?h=f11b596b&amp;itok=PTLRUcWW 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-04/Melisa-Ellis-crop.jpeg?h=f11b596b&amp;itok=4wVuKIcP 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-04/Melisa-Ellis-crop.jpeg?h=f11b596b&amp;itok=nmGkrle2 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/Melisa-Ellis-crop.jpeg?h=f11b596b&amp;itok=PTLRUcWW" alt="Melisa Ellis"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-02-14T15:58:38-05:00" title="Monday, February 14, 2022 - 15:58" class="datetime">Mon, 02/14/2022 - 15:58</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>Melisa Ellis, a 茄子直播 alumna and founder of non-profit social and technology enterprise Nobellum, says she wants to empower underrepresented students in entrepreneurship and STEM subjects, while giving a lift to Black businesses overall (photo supplied)</p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/kendal-egli" hreflang="en">Kendal Egli</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hub" hreflang="en">The Hub</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">茄子直播</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/black" hreflang="en">Black</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">茄子直播 Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Melisa Ellis</strong>&nbsp;(BA UTSC 2015), a University of Toronto graduate and founder of the non-profit social and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nobellum.com/">technology enterprise&nbsp;Nobellum</a>, is joining forces with 茄子直播 to help launch at least 100 Black-owned start-ups by 2025.</p> <p>鈥淚 know first-hand what it鈥檚 like to be the only Black person working at a tech company,鈥 says Ellis, whose mission to empower underrepresented students in entrepreneurship and STEM subjects also aims to uplift the Black business community at large.</p> <p>鈥淲hen you鈥檙e in the market to hire Black talent, or give business to Black vendors, you realize there aren鈥檛 enough Black entrepreneurs and professionals working in the tech space today. This is why we are partnering with 茄子直播 to build an ecosystem of support and funding for Black students who are just getting started in the business world.鈥</p> <p>Over the next five years, Nobellum will collaborate with 茄子直播 Scarborough accelerators&nbsp;<a href="https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/thebridge/welcome-bridge">The BRIDGE</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/thehub/welcome">The Hub</a>&nbsp;鈥 together with the&nbsp;<a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/for-entrepreneurs/black-founders-network/">Black Founders Network</a>&nbsp;and the broader&nbsp;<a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/">茄子直播 Entrepreneurship</a>&nbsp;community 鈥 to deliver training, mentorship&nbsp;and incubation programs for aspiring entrepreneurs across 茄子直播 who identify as Black.</p> <p>Nobellum has pledged $60,000 to create an accelerator fund, which will be matched&nbsp;by the University of Toronto鈥檚&nbsp;<a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/resource/true-blue-fund/">True Blue Fund</a>&nbsp;for a total investment of $120,000 to help participants advance their business ideas and future-proof their careers.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-04/Malcolm-Wright-crop.jpeg" width="750" height="500" alt="Malcolm Wright"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Malcolm Wright, a 茄子直播 Scarborough graduate and director of operations at Nobellum, says the partnership will help create pathways to a more diverse and inclusive tech industry</em><em>&nbsp;(photo supplied)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The goal is not only to equip Black students with transferrable skills and knowledge, but also to forge and amplify pathways towards a more diverse and inclusive tech industry for Black entrepreneurs nationwide, says&nbsp;<strong>Malcolm Wright</strong>, a fellow 茄子直播 Scarborough graduate and director of operations at Nobellum.</p> <p>鈥淥ften, we鈥檙e scared to ask questions or make mistakes, especially when it comes to entrepreneurship. But if we don鈥檛 ask questions, and we don鈥檛 embrace changes in technology, then our community 鈥 the Black community in particular 鈥 will be left behind,鈥 Wright says.</p> <p>鈥淭hrough the partnership with 茄子直播 Scarborough, we are giving youth an opportunity to find their voice, to be part of the decision-making table, and to be mentored in such a way that strengthens their position in society.鈥</p> <h4>Where tech meets non-tech&nbsp;</h4> <p>The journey to founding Nobellum began during Ellis鈥檚 undergrad at 茄子直播 Scarborough. She says her 茄子直播 experience gave her valuable transferrable skills in project co-ordination, communication, and leadership 鈥 all of which buoyed her confidence to pivot and pursue software engineering after graduation.</p> <p>鈥淚 was beginning to see that it doesn鈥檛 matter what industry you go into:&nbsp;Tech is coming.&nbsp;Whether you鈥檙e in law, accounting&nbsp;鈥 you name it. Managers will be asking, 鈥楬ow good are you with databases? How good are you with SQL?鈥 By adding tech to your skill set, you鈥檙e training to become a leader across different departments. You can become the unicorn in the room,鈥 says Ellis.</p> <p>Beginning this spring, Nobellum鈥檚&nbsp;Innovathon Workshop&nbsp;series&nbsp;鈥 led by 茄子直播 faculty and diverse business leaders, and delivered in partnership with 茄子直播 Scarborough for students in any academic program and year of study who identify as Black&nbsp;鈥 will equip participants with foundational training in business, technology&nbsp;and entrepreneurship. Students will go on to compete in the&nbsp;Innovation Pitch Competition 鈥 鈥渁 remix version of a hackathon,鈥 as Ellis describes it 鈥 where successful teams exit the competition with an action plan, and with seed funding from the Nobellum True Blue Accelerator Fund, to help them transform their idea into an actual business.</p> <p>The event kicks off a year-long incubation period known as the&nbsp;Innovator Bridging Program, which provides students with unprecedented access to mentorship and resources within the tri-campus 茄子直播 Entrepreneurship network, as well as through the&nbsp;Nobel Hub: Nobellum鈥檚 online directory of essential business service providers (legal, tech, marketing, accounting, etc.) from the Black community.</p> <p>鈥淲ith this system, not only are we supporting innovators, but we鈥檙e also taking an intentional approach to socioeconomic development,鈥 says Wright. 鈥淏eing able to have more representation from Black businesses helps us point people in the right direction, which is all about circulating wealth within our target community.鈥</p> <p>Looking forward, the Nobellum team is&nbsp;inviting participation from across 茄子直播 and will meet with students who are interested in learning how they can participate in the upcoming&nbsp;Innovathon&nbsp;series.&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://nobellum.com/register">An overview session is scheduled for Feb. 26</a>, with opening remarks from Professor&nbsp;<strong>Wisdom Tettey</strong>,&nbsp;茄子直播 vice-president and principal of 茄子直播 Scarborough.</p> <p>Future&nbsp;programming is slated for&nbsp;<a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/events/entrepreneurship-week/">茄子直播 Entrepreneurship Week</a>, which runs March 7 to 11.</p> <p>Ellis emphasizes that all students who identify as Black can benefit from the partnership between Nobellum and 茄子直播, no matter how much experience they already have with business and entrepreneurship.</p> <p>鈥淢y recommendation to all students is to take something you鈥檙e passionate about and pair it with tech. Just keep trying different things and you will find your fit. Connect, connect, connect,鈥 says Ellis.</p> <p>鈥淭hat鈥檚 why Nobellum is for me,鈥 adds Kathryn Lawrence, brand director at Nobellum. 鈥淭his really is where tech meets non-tech.鈥&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 14 Feb 2022 20:58:38 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 301157 at