LGBT* chamber starts entrepreneur program

WINNIPEG — A new program aims to support LGBTTQ+ entrepreneurs in Manitoba.

The Manitoba LGBT* Chamber of Commerce is accepting applications for Emerge, the queer entrepreneur development program it’s launching next month. The six-month program is designed for members of the LGBTTQ+ community to gain essential business skills and strategies, and to build a supportive network of mentors and colleagues in the process.

The program is the first of its kind for the chamber, said executive director Jenny Steinke-Magnus. “There’s really some unique challenges that queer entrepreneurs face, so we wanted to address those challenges and offer this tailor-made program for queer entrepreneurs in Manitoba.”

Steinke-Magnus cites findings from Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC) that shows one in four LGBTTQ+ entrepreneurs have lost business opportunities because of their identity. Two in five have difficulty obtaining financing for their business because of their identity, and one in three have been unable to access mentoring and coaching.

Despite the progress that has been made in recent years, “running a business can be challenging but even more so when you add on that layer of being queer,” Steinke-Magnus said.

Emerge participants will have access to workshops, networking events, group discussions and regular one-on-one meetings with mentors aimed at increasing their confidence and knowledge to start or grow their businesses.

Along the way, they can expect to build connections with other queer entrepreneurs, Steinke-Magnus said.

“We are intentionally creating a supportive network of mentors and colleagues for them, and we’re hoping they gain a lot from that intentional community.”

The program is based in Winnipeg, but participants from rural Manitoba will be able to take part in video, phone and email check-ins with mentors and will have access to workshops via livestream and video recordings.

Steinke-Magnus is hoping 20 participants and 15-20 mentors will participate in the free program. Ten participants have applied so far, she said.

The chamber is funding the program using a portion of the $300,000 grant it received in February from the federal Department of Small Business, through its 2SLGBTQI+ Entrepreneurship Program.

The program cohort will begin Sept. 24 with a launch event presented in partnership with Creative Manitoba. The event, which is open to the public, will feature special guest Albert McLeod, a knowledge keeper and the lead consultant at 2Spirit Consultants.

Creative Manitoba chose to create a relationship and partner with the chamber for the launch of Emerge because the two organizations share the same goals, said Arlea Ashcroft, Indigenous programs manager at Creative Manitoba.

“Both organizations want to provide a safe space of learning, encouragement and empowerment for Two Spirit and LGBTQIA+ people on their journey to becoming self-sufficient entrepreneurs,” Ashcroft told the Free Press in an email.

The partnership will allow the organizations to share resources, reach a wider audience and offer participants a “more fulsome” experience, she added. “By collaborating, we hope to create a greater social and experiential change for entrepreneurs than either of us could do alone.”

The Manitoba chamber is accepting participant and mentor applications at mb-lgbt.biz/emerge until Sept. 5.

There are more than 100,000 LGBTTQ+ owned and operated businesses in Canada, per CGLCC. These businesses employ more than 435,000 Canadians and generate more than $22 billion in economic activity.

» Winnipeg Free Press