About Futurpreneur Canada

Futurpreneur Canada has been fuelling the entrepreneurial passions of enterprising young Canadians since 1996. We’re the only national, non-profit organization that provides financing, mentorship and resources to aspiring business owners aged 18-39. More than 13,000 young Canadian entrepreneurs, spanning every province and territory, have successfully launched their business with Futurpreneur’s support. Their main street businesses help drive Canada’s inclusive economic prosperity in communities from coast to coast to coast.

Futurpreneur is a founding member of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance, the Canadian member of Youth Business International, and the Canadian host of Global Entrepreneurship Week.

Our Purpose (why we exist): To drive inclusive Canadian prosperity by fueling the success of young enterprise.

Our Mission (what we do every day to achieve our purpose): To provide early-stage financing, mentorship and other resources to help aspiring diverse entrepreneurs age 18-39 launch successful businesses that contribute to sustainable economic development in their communities and for Canada.

Our Values (how we work – our core principles & commitments): We are mission-driven, collegial & collaborative, diverse & inclusive, and accountable & transparent. 

Here is the opportunity:

Futurpreneur is seeking a bilingual Director, Black Entrepreneurs whose sense of purpose, mindset and lived experience will help our team attract and support the success of young Black entrepreneurs and Black-focused community partners for Futurpreneur. In other words, we are looking for a self-starter, who is a resourceful and business savvy leader to engage and inspire our team to make an impact.

The successful candidate will play a key role in leading a multi-region team of Business Development Managers and will work with cross-functional colleagues to build and oversee our national support for young Black entrepreneurs. You will also be an active participant on the Futurpreneur Canada Leadership Team, comprised of key national and regional leaders. You will build and maintain relationships with three primary external stakeholder groups: our young Black entrepreneurs and mentors (our clients); our Black community partners; and our funders and partners, both corporate and government.  

Your primary focus will be to strategically plan, develop and enhance Futurpreneur’s program for young Black entrepreneurs and build meaningful relationships designed to increase lead generation and participation in Futurpreneur’s Start-up program for both Black entrepreneurs and volunteer mentors. As the Director, you will maintain and strengthen our robust community network of community and strategic partners and influencers in the market. As an established leader with a strong existing network, your keen awareness of the market and the needs of young Black entrepreneurs will enable you to lead your team, so they can successfully achieve their business development objectives, and help young entrepreneurs realize their dreams of starting a business.

As the main point of contact for this initiative, you will actively collaborate with your cross-functional colleagues in marketing & communications, client & mentor experience, corporate & public affairs, client service, programs, regional team leads and most importantly, the Diversity & Inclusion Council. You will report to the Regional VP of British Columbia, Quebec and Atlantic Canada.  

What you will do:

Leadership, Coaching and Team Management

• Strategically plan, develop and implement Futurpreneur Canada’s support programs for young Black entrepreneurs
• Manage, coach and develop your team to achieve optimal performance and contribute to achieving Futurpreneur goals in helping Black entrepreneurs launch successful businesses
• Build a positive team culture aligned to organizational vision, values and strategic priorities including our diversity & inclusion commitments

Business Development

• Build a national pipeline of aspiring of young Black entrepreneurs and mentors and support your team in converting these Black Entrepreneurs and Mentors into prospective Futurpreneur clients
• Collaborate with regional team colleagues across the country to create a differentiated Futurpreneur client experience for prospective young Black entrepreneurs and mentors
• Track progress against business targets on an ongoing basis, working with colleagues to achieve KPIs and program objectives including our diversity & inclusion commitments
• Actively promote Futurpreneur Canada through regular and assertive outreach, speaking and participating at national and local events or conferences in support of Black entrepreneurs
• Recognize synergies between prospective Black-led and Black-focused community partners and Futurpreneur program offerings and execute plans to help both parties support young Black entrepreneurs

Marketing Engagement  

• Attend events and represent Futurpreneur’s program for young Black entrepreneurs
• Using knowledge of the national and regional markets and the Black entrepreneur support ecosystem, identify and market Futurpreneur’s unique selling propositions and differentiators for the national market and tailor marketing content for local relevance
• Collaborate with Marketing & Communications to identify opportunities for role model campaigns, services, social media and other distribution channels that will lead to an increase in demand from young Black entrepreneurs

Community and Strategic Partnerships

• Prospect, foster and cultivate strategic relationships with Black Community Partners with complementary interests in supporting young Black entrepreneurs
• Lead our young Black entrepreneur support nationally, with priority on Montreal and Toronto
• Collaborate with corporate & public affairs colleagues to develop and maintain key corporate partnerships and government relationships, leveraging local insights and building/maintaining the right relationships

This is a permanent, full-time position located in Montreal or Toronto working a flexible schedule depending on timing of business development events. Periodic travel will be an important component of this job, post COVID.

In addition to salary, Futurpreneur offers a comprehensive benefits package, health spending account, RRSP matching plan, learning and development opportunities, and 4 weeks starting vacation.

What you have:

• Individuals in this role may have a University degree and/or several years of progressive work and/or lived experience driving pipeline and customer experience in a sales, business development or economic development position, including experience leading a business development team
• Strong network and sense of purpose, entrepreneurial mentality and/or lived experience working with Black Entrepreneurs and community organizations
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the challenges faced by young Black entrepreneurs and Black-led and Black-focused community organizations
• Strong ability to work with senior level executives and others to drive business goals, plans and execution
• Strong leadership skills with a demonstrated ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams to achieve shared outcomes, as well as with external stakeholders in a wide variety of business disciplines
• Outstanding interpersonal skills with strong written and verbal communication skills
• Bilingual in English and French (oral and written) is a must
• Self-motivated, problem solver with can-do and will-do attitude
• Ability to deal with ambiguity and adaptable to change
• Experience working in the not-for-profit sector or social finance is an asset
• Alignment with Futurpreneur’s values and commitment to the mission/purpose of the organization
• Be a role model for Futurpreneur’s organizational culture by creating a positive impact at every touchpoint with people.