Supporting Black Entrepreneurs In Canada: A Q&A With Groupe 3737’s Louis-Edgar Jean-François – Healthcare

Louis-Edgar Jean-François, CEO of national non-profit Groupe 3737,
joined Ravi Latour, BLG partner and co-chair of the firm’s Race
Action Committee, for a conversation in honour of Black History
Month 2025. The discussion touched on how Groupe 3737 is fostering
innovation and entrepreneurship in Black communities in Canada and
how organizations can best support Black talent. BLG has been a
proud supporter of Groupe 3737’s initiatives since 2022 and was
honoured to welcome Louis-Edgar to the firm for this
conversation.

Strength in numbers

To kick off the discussion, Louis-Edgar looked back on his
professional journey and shared some lessons learned early in his
career.

Soon after being hired as a CPA at a large professional services
firm, Louis-Edgar noticed that he was one of only three Black
employees in the office, with the other two working in the mail
room and copy room. This didn’t prevent Louis-Edgar from
finding success within the organization, but he realized his
differences came with extra pressures that his white colleagues
didn’t face. These experiences helped inspire his mission to
support Black Canadians with the tools and guidance he would have
found valuable in his early career.

Recognizing systemic barriers

“Being an entrepreneur is
difficult, and being a Black entrepreneur makes it
harder.”

– Louis-Edgar Jean-François,
CEO, Groupe 3737

Louis-Edgar identified three main systemic barriers that Black
entrepreneurs experience when trying to establish their businesses:
lack of capital, lack of resources and lack of network.

These barriers can show themselves in various ways. A Black
entrepreneur may not be included in networking events involving
sports such as golf or skiing, or may not have mentors who are able
to provide advice on how to manage the challenges that Black
entrepreneurs face, because the mentors haven’t experienced
these challenges themselves.

Louis-Edgar gave the example of a Black entrepreneur whose
business loan application was denied, while a white colleague with
the same qualifications had their loan from the same bank approved.
Groupe 3737 was able to assist the entrepreneur through an appeal,
but it was a stark reminder that there isn’t an even playing
field when it comes to obtaining capital to create a business.

Prioritizing mental health for Black professionals

Groupe 3737 makes it a priority to acknowledge and address the
mental health concerns of Black professionals, which can be
different from those of their white colleagues because of the
systemic and societal barriers that Black Canadians face. These
barriers can add additional strain to a Black professional’s
mental health, which can lead to burnout or other serious mental
health concerns. As a result, Groupe 3737 provides mental health
workshops for the entrepreneurs they support and encourages other
organizations to do the same.

Hiring and retaining diverse talent

The Black community makes up 5 per cent of the Canadian
population, yet only half a per cent of decision makers in
organizations are Black.

While improvements are being seen in the representation of Black
professionals at all levels in Canadian organizations, it’s
important to recognize that Black talent still needs support,
starting with having diverse representation in the hiring
process.

As EDI structures are being eliminated at many organizations in
the U.S., Louis-Edgar emphasized how important it is that Canadian
organizations do not follow suit. Maintaining a commitment to
diversity and inclusion for all employees will help to keep them
from leaving and taking their knowledge and skills to another
organization. Nurturing talent from the early stages can encourage
Black talent to remain at an organization, climbing the ranks until
they are in senior decision-making roles.

Groupe 3737 is a national non-profit founded in 2012 and
based in Montréal, with 12 offices across Canada. Its
mission is to create and develop more businesses, organizations,
jobs and wealth in Canada through the projects of ethnoculturally
diverse individuals, by pooling our professional expertise, that of
our partners and our networks to achieve a significant economic and
social impact. To learn more about Groupe 3737 and support its
work, visit the Groupe 3737 website.

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