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MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS FILES<\/p>\n
Jenny Steinke-Magnus, executive director of the Manitoba LGBT* Chamber of Commerce<\/p>\n
Steinke-Magnus cites findings from Canada\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Despite the progress that\u2019s been made in recent years, \u201crunning a business can be challenging but even more so when you add on that layer of being queer,\u201d Steinke-Magnus said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Along the way, they can expect to build connections with other queer entrepreneurs, Steinke-Magnus said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are intentionally creating a supportive network of mentors and colleagues for them, and we\u2019re hoping they gain a lot from that intentional community.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Steinke-Magnus is hoping 20 participants and 15-20 mentors will participate in the free program. Ten participants have applied so far, she said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u201cBoth 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,\u201d Ashcroft told the Free Press in an email.<\/p>\n
The partnership will allow the organizations to share resources, reach a wider audience and offer participants a \u201cmore fulsome\u201d experience, she added. \u201cBy collaborating, we hope to create a greater social and experiential change for entrepreneurs than either of us could do alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Manitoba chamber is accepting participant and mentor applications at mb-lgbt.biz\/emerge<\/a> until Sept. 5.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Aaron Epp Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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