African entrepreneurs often arrive in Manitoba with business experience but without the local connections needed to succeed, according to Afri Inspire Concepts founder Jacinta Uramah-Eze. Her organization hopes to help bridge that gap through its upcoming Business Growth Summit on July 18.
Jacinta Uramah-Eze, an entrepreneur and immigrant to Winnipeg from Nigeria, sat down with U Multicultural’s Community Hour to discuss the upcoming summit.
Uramah-Eze became inspired to found Afri Inspire Concepts because she noticed that African entrepreneurs who immigrated to Winnipeg generally lacked the connections needed to get their business off the ground, despite the business experience and expertise they already possessed.
“Most of the entrepreneurs are not starting from scratch, they’re previous business owners,” Uramah-Eze said, “they’ve had this idea for years and years and now [they’re] trying to execute and just lack the connections and networks that they need to really solidify their business structure.”
Founded by Uramah-Eze, Afri Inspire Concepts presents itself as a platform supporting Black and immigrant entrepreneurs in Manitoba through a mix of business programming, vendor markets, retail opportunities and networking.
“Afri Inspire Concepts is a business growth and economic development platform. We are here to provide connections, networking opportunities, share resources with Black and immigrant entrepreneurs,” Uramah-Eze said.
Previously, Afri Inspire Concepts organized the Black Diamonds Market, a marketplace and networking event connecting Black entrepreneurs with customers, sponsors, potential partners and community organizations. They also hosted a holiday kiosk at St. Vital Centre in 2025 which ran from November 10 to December 27, 2025.
The stated purpose of the summit is to provide a platform for local vendors and entrepreneurs to share their experiences, discuss challenges they’ve faced while building businesses in Canada and to connect them with the resources they need to build long-term success.
Uramah-Eze said creating connections is at the heart of the summit, adding that many aspiring entrepreneurs are simply unaware of the opportunities and resources already available
“I lived this experience, starting a business here in Manitoba and was totally isolated. It was a scary feeling,” Uramah-Eze said, “running your business all by yourself.”
Uramah-Eze noted that knowledge of the Canadian regulatory environment and knowledge of what resources exist was a chief stumbling block for African entrepreneurs in the Canadian market.
Events slated to take place at the summit include an entrepreneur reflection panel, a vendor showcase, networking events and professional headshot opportunities. The event will also include a panel discussion with African-Canadian entrepreneurs who have successfully navigated and made connections in Winnipeg’s market.
“The business growth summit is one like no other. It is one that is going to bring resources and stakeholders from the business community in Manitoba together to really talk about the challenges that Black entrepreneurs face.”
Businesses involved in the summit are already as varied as real estate services, cleaning service, food services, makeup, content creators, and more.
The Afri Inspires Concepts Business Growth Summit will take place at the Riverwood Community Centre from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on July 18, 2026.
Graham McDonald, U Multicultural Journalism and Media Arts Centre
