Tribe Network, the Halifax-based hub that supports Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) entrepreneurs, has released its 2024–2025 Impact Report which highlights another year of expanding influence in the country’s innovation economy.
The report says Tribe’s programs helped more than 500 BIPOC founders to develop and scale their ventures in 2024, bringing the total number to 1,300 since 2020. The organization also deployed over $290,000 in non-dilutive capital last year, helping companies in its network create 138 jobs and generate $1.2 million in revenue. Since 2020, these enterprises have created more than 400 jobs.
Tribe Network, founded to build an inclusive innovation ecosystem, provides business training, mentorship, and access to investors for underrepresented entrepreneurs. Its latest report emphasizes that diversity in entrepreneurship drives both social progress and economic growth.
“Tribe Network exists to build new systems where everyone belongs and no one is left behind,” said Tribe Founder and CEO Alfred Burgesson in the report. “Through coaching, capital, and community, we’re not just creating opportunities, we’re redesigning the landscape of entrepreneurship in Canada and beyond.”
Another key highlight of 2024 was Tribe’s investment in education, says the report. The organization awarded $120,000 in scholarships for Black and Indigenous students, part of its commitment to building long-term opportunities for underrepresented communities.
“The data in this year’s report shows that inclusion isn’t just a value – it’s an engine for innovation,” the report states. “When BIPOC founders are given access to networks, capital, and coaching, the results strengthen the economy for everyone.”
Over the past year, Tribe Network expanded its national reach through partnerships with organizations in other provinces, broadening its programming beyond Atlantic Canada. Its initiatives now include accelerator programs for early-stage founders, networking events, and investor-readiness training tailored to the unique barriers BIPOC entrepreneurs face.
The organization also underscored its focus on measuring social as well as economic outcomes — such as community impact, leadership development, and representation in the startup ecosystem — to ensure equitable participation in Canada’s innovation landscape.
Highlights of the report include:
- The organization held 58 events or workshops in 2024, bringing the total since 2020 to more than 130;
- The number of members in the Tribe Network grew by 700 in 2024, standing at 2,000 at the end of the year;
- The number of mentors engaged increased by 50 percent to 150;
- Tribe spent $560,000 on programming and support for entrepreneurs in 2024, bringing the total to almost $1 million since 2020;
- And the startups supported by Tribe raised $1.6 million in 2024, and have raised a total of $4.5 million since 2020.
The organization concludes it has had an economic impact of $25 million since its inception five years ago.
Tribe Network’s annual Impact Report serves both as a performance review and as a call to action for continued investment in inclusive entrepreneurship, the group says. By connecting racialized founders to opportunity and resources, the organization aims to build a more diverse and resilient innovation economy across Canada.
“Our horizon is clear: By 2030, Tribe Network aims to unlock C$1 billion in economic impact through the success of our members, partners, and communities,” said Burgesson. “Our ambition is to build pathways that multiply opportunity and create lasting change.”
