BBGSA’s Black Excellence Summit showcases entrepreneurship, education, art, activism and career insight

The Black Business Graduate Students Association held its Black Excellence Summit on Tuesday, with the aim of uniting and elevating the Black professional community. 

The Summit hosted open networking, two musical performances, a panel discussing personal branding, a keynote speaker, a community exposition and marketplace with vendor booths, and a tea bar and snacks, explained co-presidents Alexis Stackhouse (external link)  and Morgan Blackett (external link) . 

“Morgan and I were on a mission with our last event – a true tribute to Black Excellence in every way we could think of,” Stackhouse said. “From entrepreneurship to education, art to activism, we wanted to incorporate something from as many sectors as possible. Our goal was to create an atmosphere that showcased how we can all uplift one another within this incredible community we've built.”

The event, which was sponsored by the Canadian Association of Urban Financial Professionals, the Afro Caribbean Business Network, the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub, the DMZ and Alterna Savings, brought together about 75 attendees, vendors, performers and graduate students.  

“We are so appreciative of the sponsors and partners that have supported BBGSA and made the Black Excellence Summit possible,” said Blackett. “When we talk about uniting and elevating the Black professional community, that can only be done with the help of others who believe in that mission.”

Chibuzr (external link) , an alternative artist born in Lagos, Nigeria, sang about celebrating the solitary path of self-discovery, of embracing one’s flaws and challenging oneself to become the best version of you. 

Certified Bad Guys (CBG) (external link) , an afro fusion-centric group, helped to get the energy going in the space with their performance of “Young Fly Rich.” [YFRAN]

Personal branding panel

A diverse group of speakers shared their insights and experiences on a panel discussion focusing on personal branding and where they got to where they are today. Panelists included Eboni Morgan (external link) , a Black student support facilitator in the Tri-Mentoring Program at TMU, Maurice Davis (external link) , founder and CEO of branding management company Davis Copeland Inc., and Xavier King (external link) , CEO of fashion line Beyond Space. 

Personal branding is very much your journey to learning and discovering more about yourself, explained Eboni Morgan, author of A Year of Black Girl Magic and a Black student support facilitator at TMU.

“Personal branding is figuring out your core, who you are despite what you look like on the outside first, determining that at the core and the outside will always follow,” she said.

“Personal branding is about recognizing that your personal brand is what sets you apart and what makes you different,” Davis said.

“I think it's hard to have your identity in the time that we're in right now,” said King, who outlined his personal cross-border career journey in fashion. 

The panel also discussed raising your voice in the workplace, how to craft personal brands that remain adaptable across different sectors, and how people can align their personal brand with the core values of a company or industry that they're interested in. 

Panelists suggested a key factor is making sure that the company aligns with an individual’s core values before they even go into it. “I think there's a lot of people who might go into a certain job or a role and feel as though they have to sort of mold themselves or change to fit the bill in some ways,” Morgan said. 

Entrepreneurship journey keynote 

The keynote speaker of the evening was Ryan O’Neil Knight (external link) , executive director of Afro Caribbean Business Network and the Founder and Director of Global Partnerships at Detailing Knights. 

Knight spoke on the value and challenges of entrepreneurship, with the belief that entrepreneurship can be taught. He explained after challenges with school, getting in trouble with the law, and drifting for a decade, entrepreneurship changed his life.

“It took me 10 years to finish a three-year diploma at Sheridan College, and I only finished because I started this business,” Knight said. “I truly believe that entrepreneurship saved my life because in those years that I was drifting, I could have went down any path. But when I was introduced to entrepreneurship, I remember my father telling me, "you have the potential to start a business.”

And, that’s exactly what he did, Knight outlined, starting by knocking on doors, building a team, growing his business, suffering setbacks and rebuilding. He also discussed his company’s challenges and how to overcome them, by installing systems, having funding, finding support, resources and community and how entrepreneurs can feel like they belong. 

Reflecting on his final BBGSA event, BBGSA President Morgan Blackett said it was an honour to have Ryan O’Neil Knight as the keynote speaker for the Black Excellence Summit. 

“Ryan has been a great supporter of BBGSA over the last year,” Blackett said. “The biggest takeaway for me was the importance of creating systems to teach others so your organization is not solely dependent on a few individuals.” 

The next chapter

This was Stackhouse and Blackett’s last event as the leaders of the BBGSA. Going forward, the co-presidents will hand the responsibilities of the BBGSA to a new executive board. They encourage all Black graduate students interested in student leadership to apply.

“My experience as the president of BBGSA was the highlight of my MBA career. It was so rewarding creating a safe space for Black graduate students to come together and connect them with opportunities,” Blackett said.

The Black Business Graduate Student Association (BBGSA)’s mission is to improve the experience of Black graduate students at Toronto Metropolitan University. It works to provide mentorship and social networking for students, with events like the Black Excellence Summit, panels, workshops and social events throughout the year. 

For more information about the Black Business Graduate Student Association (BBGSA) or to join, check out their Linktree (external link) .