Lystas: Expert Database

Enhancing Support for Young Black Entrepreneurs with YBI

Case Study

Youth Business International (YBI) is a global network of business support organizations focused on empowering young entrepreneurs, particularly those from marginalized communities. In alignment with their commitment to inclusivity, YBI reached out to Catalystas Consulting for specialized expertise in developing a resource tailored to supporting young Black entrepreneurs within their network.

Catalystas Consulting worked closely with YBI to design and develop a comprehensive handbook focused on how business support organizations can more effectively serve young Black entrepreneurs. The goal was to provide clear, actionable insights and best practices for ESOs in supporting entrepreneurs from this specific demographic. In order to understand what to do in this handbook our team of three researchers focused on undertaking research to find challenges and needs as well as opportunities across Europe, North America, and South America. The  overarching challenges we found included: 

Young Black entrepreneurs, particularly those of African descent living outside the continent, face a complex set of challenges in accessing business support. Our research identified several key barriers:

  1. Racial Discrimination and Bias: Black entrepreneurs often encounter implicit and explicit racial bias within entrepreneurial ecosystems. This manifests in limited access to funding, networks, and mentorship. Entrepreneurs of African descent are frequently overlooked by investors or face skepticism about their business acumen due to racial stereotypes.
  2. Limited Access to Financial Resources: Securing funding remains one of the biggest obstacles for young Black entrepreneurs. Our research found that these entrepreneurs often struggle to access capital due to a combination of systemic inequalities in the financial sector and a lack of representation within decision-making bodies.
  3. Isolation and Lack of Support Networks: Black entrepreneurs often feel isolated due to a lack of culturally relevant support. Many business support organizations (BSOs) do not provide tailored services that acknowledge the unique challenges faced by entrepreneurs of color. This results in entrepreneurs feeling disconnected from available resources or lacking the mentorship and networks that others might take for granted.
  4. Sociocultural Barriers: Many Black entrepreneurs are subject to sociocultural pressures, particularly those related to community expectations, racial identity, and societal perceptions of success. These pressures can affect the way they approach business, including risk-taking, leadership, and engagement with mainstream business practices. 

Catalystas took an inclusive, intersectional approach to the research and development process, leveraging expertise from Black entrepreneurs and consultants to ensure that the resource resonated with the challenges and needs faced by young Black entrepreneurs.

Based on our deep understanding of the unique needs of young Black entrepreneurs and the various actors seeking to support them across North America, South America, and Europe, Catalystas Consulting designed a tailored handbook that addresses the specific challenges these entrepreneurs face. Drawing from best practices and insights gathered during our extensive research phase, the handbook synthesizes key strategies and resources to support young Black entrepreneurs.

We took a collaborative approach, engaging with a wide range of stakeholders—including entrepreneurs, business support organizations (BSOs), mentors, and experts from different regions—to ensure that the content was relevant, actionable, and culturally attuned to the diverse realities faced by young Black entrepreneurs. This allowed us to incorporate proven models and frameworks, while ensuring the materials were flexible enough to be adapted to various entrepreneurial ecosystems and regional needs.

By integrating these best practices, the handbook offers a comprehensive guide for ESOs, providing them with tools, strategies, and practical insights to better support young Black entrepreneurs. This resource empowers ESOs to develop inclusive and culturally sensitive support structures that enable entrepreneurs to navigate the systemic barriers they encounter, helping them grow, thrive, and succeed in their entrepreneurial journeys.

Methodology

Our approach consisted of a multi-step process:

  1. Research and Data Collection: Catalystas Consulting conducted 62 interviews and 8 focus group discussions with young Black entrepreneurs, mentors, and experts from North America, South America, and Europe. These discussions provided valuable insights into the specific barriers these entrepreneurs face in starting and scaling their businesses. A key theme that emerged was the lack of targeted support and representation within the entrepreneurial ecosystem, particularly for entrepreneurs of African descent living outside the continent.
  2. Tool and Resource Design: Based on the findings from the research phase, Catalystas Consulting developed a tailored handbook. This resource is built on best practices, strategies for engaging young Black entrepreneurs, and frameworks for addressing the specific challenges they face in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The handbook includes actionable tools, case studies, and practical examples to guide ESOs in their approach to supporting these entrepreneurs.
  3. Collaborative Input and Development: Catalystas Consulting worked closely with YBI, Hatch UK, and various other Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) to refine the handbook. This collaborative approach ensured that the content was both relevant and practical for ESOs working in different global contexts. The design process included frequent consultations with YBI members to ensure alignment with their existing tools and resources, integrating their feedback into the final version.
  4. Pilot Testing: The handbook was piloted with selected YBI ESOs and their members to gather feedback. This process helped refine the materials, ensuring their relevance and practical utility. The pilot testing provided valuable insights into how the resource could be applied in real-world scenarios, making the final product more robust and effective.
  5. Final Product: The final version of the handbook is now available on YBI’s online learning portal. This resource The final version of the handbook will beis accessible to all YBI members, allowing them to provide more tailored guidance and resources to young Black entrepreneurs. It includes a mix of practical tools, case studies, and real-world examples that guide ESOs in providing the support needed for young Black entrepreneurs to thrive.

Key Findings from the Research

Through our research, we identified that young Black entrepreneurs are not a homogenous group, but rather a diverse community with varied needs and aspirations. The handbook addresses this by offering tailored guidance to ESOs on the following:

  1. Culturally Competent Mentorship: We found that culturally relevant mentorship plays a crucial role in the success of young Black entrepreneurs. While traditional mentorship programs are often helpful, they fail to address the unique challenges that Black entrepreneurs face, such as navigating systemic racism and the need for community support. The handbook outlines how ESOs can facilitate mentorship programs that acknowledge these specific needs and foster stronger mentor-mentee relationships.
  2. Creating Inclusive Networks: Black entrepreneurs often lack access to the business networks that help accelerate growth. Our research highlighted the importance of building networks that are both inclusive and representative of the communities these entrepreneurs come from. The handbook provides strategies for ESOs to create or facilitate more inclusive networking opportunities and collaborations, ensuring that young Black entrepreneurs are well-connected to the right people and resources.
  3. Adapting Business Support Services: Many BSOs offer one-size-fits-all services that fail to meet the specific needs of young Black entrepreneurs. Our research showed that support services need to be more adaptive and culturally relevant. The handbook includes recommendations for ESOs on how to modify existing services—such as training, financial support, and business advice—to better cater to the challenges faced by young Black entrepreneurs.
  4. Addressing Racial Bias in Investment: A major finding from our research was the challenge of accessing investment. Black entrepreneurs are often overlooked by investors who fail to recognize the potential of businesses led by entrepreneurs from marginalized communities. The handbook provides strategies for ESOs to help entrepreneurs overcome these barriers, including advice on building compelling business plans and accessing alternative sources of funding.

The handbook has become a central resource in YBI’s learning portal and is actively used by ESOs within the YBI network. By providing a focused approach to supporting young Black entrepreneurs, YBI can now offer more tailored guidance and resources, helping to foster greater inclusivity and success for these entrepreneurs. Furthermore, the toolkit eqipshas equipped ESOs with the tools they need to address key challenges, such as lack of mentorship, financial exclusion, and limited access to networks.

Scope of Work

Catalystas provided the following services for our client

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Amélie Desjardins

Associate
Montreal, Canada

Amélie is a French-Canadian strategic development consultant with over 15 years of international experience on all continents, with the past six years focused on Asia Pacific and East Africa. Former social entrepreneur, regional NGO exec, researcher and lawyer-by-trade among other titles; she is a diverse professional currently based in Nairobi, Kenya. Amélie has worked in consulting on and off for 11 years across a range of industries and sectors, and has notably provided multiple market penetration and M&E analysis services, as well as risk assessments on the topics of forced labor and child labor in supply chains in Africa and in Asia.

Amélie completed her law degree in Quebec, Canada, and holds a Masters in International Law gained in Beijing, China. She has worked with organizations including the Thomson Reuters Foundation as Asia Pacific Manager (2019-2021), where she managed a portfolio of 250+ human rights research and advisory projects, prior to which she co-founded a social enterprise in the renewable energy sector in Rwanda, on the border of the DRC.

Amélie is proud to dedicate her time to driving social change through economic development and sustainable growth projects concretely in Southeast Asia and East Africa, and globally virtually. Amelie loves travelling, eating, and getting out of her comfort zone.

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