TORONTO, Oct. 25, 2021 /CNW/ – Today, the Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce (CBCC) and Uber Canada announced the nation-wide launch of Black Business Direct, the newest national digital directory by a national Black led non-profit organization. The directory will help even more Black-owned businesses to be discovered. Black Business Direct is a free, easy-to-access resource for Canadians to search and support local Black-owned businesses across the country. Black Business Direct is free to join for Black entrepreneurs and already features more than 200 listings with new additions every day. 

”Black entrepreneurs are incredible innovators and make a tremendous contribution to the Canadian economy. The directory will serve as a powerful tool and contribute in an impactful way to the community business ecosystem,” says Christelle Francois, President, Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce. “This incredible partnership with Uber Canada creates the opportunity to support Canadian Black-owned companies to be championed and supported.” 

Black Business Direct is part of CBCC’s ongoing partnership with Uber to support Canadian Black-owned businesses in the community. In the past year, the CBCC worked with Uber to provide $0 Delivery Fees for Black-owned restaurants, along with $500 in vouchers for dozens of Black-owned small and medium sized businesses in Canada.

“Uber is a company that powers movement, which is the essence of liberty. So it’s essential that we continue to channel our global breadth and technology to confront systemic racism and step up as an ally to the communities we serve,” said Tony West, Uber’s Chief Legal Officer. “We are proud to partner with the CBCC to launch Black Business Direct and support thousands of Black-owned businesses across the country.”

The Black Business Direct initiative builds on a shared mission to develop a community-based platform that engages Black-owned business owners. Through ongoing local surveys, along with regional and crowd-sourced lists, the Black community has always worked to create a comprehensive, living repository that promotes and improves access to Black-owned Canadian restaurants, retail shops, vendors, and entrepreneurs. Now, with CBCC’s partnership with Uber Canada, Black Business Direct can grow to support even more businesses coast to coast. 

“A Black business directory is important because it allows for businesses to be seen without getting lost in the shuffle,” says Colin Elvis, Founder, BIPOC Futures. “Some businesses rely heavily on their community to support them but if owners can’t afford to spend on marketing and advertising, it becomes very hard for them to gain exposure. A directory will allow for more voices to be heard and create more opportunities for small businesses to become competitive.” 

“Creating a directory like this is so needed for our community,” says Necole Hines, Founder, Faded Living. “Within the past year, I’ve been noticing that people want to support Black-owned businesses, and have been searching for a way to access lists of Canadian Black businesses. This directory will make it so much easier for people to show their support for Black entrepreneurs.”  Black entrepreneurs that are interested in having their business featured on Black Business Direct can register at blackbusinessdirect.ca.

About the Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce
The Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce is a national, non-profit, bilingual organization. We are a distinctive platform that supports Black businesses, promotes economic growth and prosperity, leads public and private sector advocacy and forms alliances and broad-based coalitions that represent the economic interests of our members and stakeholders.

About Uber Canada
Uber’s mission is to create opportunity through movement. Co-founded by Calgarian entrepreneur Garrett Camp, we started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get access to a ride at the touch of a button? More than 10 billion trips later, we’re building products to get people closer to where they want to be. By changing how people, food, and things move through cities, Uber is a platform that opens up the world to new possibilities. For more information, visit uber.com.

SOURCE Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce

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