Craig Wellington

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Black Opportunity Fund

Creating Connections: Building bridges together as Black Business Stakeholders

Craig Wellington is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Black Opportunity Fund, a Black community-led registered charitable organization whose mandate is to deploy needs-informed capital, to promote socio-economic empowerment for Canada’s Black communities. Wellington and the Black Opportunity Fund team are currently preparing to launch a $50 million Private Equity fund to invest in Black founded businesses, as well as a similar sized investment vehicle to create pathways to homeownership for Black Canadians.

Wellington has held progressive leadership positions in public sector and not for profit organizations for more than 30 years. He was recently named to the 2023 list of Top 100 Canadian Professionals.

Craig is also an accomplished diversity, equity & inclusion consultant, who has helped organizations in Canada and the U.S. develop and implement impactful strategies to transform their culture. He is a member of the EDI Advisory Council for the One Child, Every Child, child health research initiative led by the University of Calgary, as well as the Black Community Housing Advisory Table (BCHAT). He also sits on the Board of Let’s Talk Science, and is a former member of the Toronto Chief of Police’s Black Community Consultative Committee.

Black Opportunity Fund (BOF)

Black Opportunity Fund (BOF) is a community-led registered Canadian Charitable organization, that supports a  prosperous, healthy and thriving Black Canada by challenging anti-Black racism in two ways by:

  1. Responding to long-standing underinvestment in Black communities 
  2. Working nationally to strengthen collective actions by Black organizations and leaders, helping them to create new and more impactful ways to support and advocate for our community. 

 

BOF prioritizes initiatives around education and youth, health, women and gender, criminal justice, entrepreneurship, arts, culture and recreation, and food insecurity, that impact the quality of life in Black communities across Canada.  

Upcoming events to highlight:

  • BOF x ByBlacks National Restaurant Week: we are a lead sponsor for the ByBlacks National Restaurant Week, Spring edition 2024 which runs from May 20 to 26, 2024.  ByBlacks Restaurant Week (BRW) is a semi-annual national food festival. During this event, Black-owned Canadian restaurants, caterers, pop-ups, and food trucks offer a Prix Fixe (special) menu or a $10 special discounted by up to 25% for seven days. Join us in this week-long celebration of culinary diversity! There are a number of restaurants in Western Canada participating so check it out: https://byblacks.com/restaurantweek

 

  • BOF x DoorDash #BlackFoodEnergy grant program: BOF has confirmed funding for the #BlackFoodEnergy grant program for Black Restaurants across Canada for the next 4 years. #BlackFoodEnergy celebrates, amplifies and supports Black Chefs and Black-Owned restaurants and the amazing things they are serving up in neighborhoods across Canada. The funding commitment for the extended agreement will be announced in June 2024 along with the launch of the #BlackFoodEnergy grant

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