Main Street Founders

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AN EXCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITY FOR BEBC ALUMNI
NEXT COHORT NOVEMBER 2026

You've prepared.
Now it's time to build.

Main Street Founders is an exclusive 18-week incubator for selected BEBC alumni ready to turn what they've learned into what they build next. Not the next unicorn — the next institution.

Start Your Application

See the curriculum ↓

Candace Lauren and Deress Asghedom, Main Street Founders co-facilitators and BEBC alumni

CANDACE LAUREN DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS · FOUNDER, CLGC CONSULTING · BEBC ALUMNI

DERESS ASGHEDOM FOUNDER, VASTER · BEBC ALUMNI · CO-FACILITATOR

WEEKS OF BUILDING

SEATS · LIMITED COHORT

up to $4,000

BACK — MILESTONES + LPC

$5.5M+

SECURED · COUNTING TO $1B

THE NEXT CHAPTER

01 You've strengthened your financial knowledge. FINLIT

02 You've learned how to navigate procurement opportunities. PROCUREMENT

03 You've invested in yourself and your business.

04 Now comes the next chapter. MAIN STREET FOUNDERS

WHY NOW

Across Canada, the conversation is shifting toward building stronger Canadian businesses.

“Canada is building Canadian and buying Canadian.”

PRIME MINISTER MARK CARNEY

But opportunity alone isn't enough. Businesses need the strategy, capacity, customers, systems and confidence to take advantage of it. And we want Black-owned businesses positioned to build, compete and grow alongside it.

THE PROGRAM

This isn't another introductory business program. It's where preparation becomes execution.

Over 18 weeks, you'll work alongside a select group of Black founders to strengthen your business, test ideas, solve real challenges, expand your market, build stronger systems, and create a clear strategy for growth.

YOU'VE ALREADY DONE THE LEARNING. NOW IT'S TIME TO APPLY IT.

Louise Solomon, Main Street Founders program lead and co-facilitator

LOUISE SOLOMON PROGRAM LEAD · BEBC · CO-FACILITATOR

THE INVITATION

Exclusivity & belonging

Alumni access this before anyone else. This is a reward for commitment to the BEBC journey — not an open call. Only 40 spots available.

“You've earned your place at this table. We're holding it for you.”

The window is open

Mark Carney's Buy Canadian mandate signals a real, time-sensitive shift in how government procurement works. This is the moment to position. Businesses who are ready will win; those who wait will watch.

“Canada is buying Canadian. Are you ready to sell?”

A long-term investment in your growth

BEBC has witnessed your wins — small and major. The incubator is the organization doubling down: expert speakers, peer collaboration on larger deals, and mastermind-level community with businesses at the same stage of growth.

“We've seen where you've come from. This is where we take you next.”

THE CURRICULUM · WEEK BY WEEK

Every week ends in something you build.

Two live classes for every implementation sprint. No week closes without a concrete deliverable that feeds your 3-Year Growth Plan.

QUARTER 1 · FOUNDATION & VALIDATION

W0 Founder Readiness & Intake INTAKE

W1 Identity, Mindset & The Founder's Reality Check LIVE CLASS

W2 Know Your Numbers: Business Model & Unit Economics LIVE CLASS

W3 Team, Co-Founders & The Canadian Legal Framework LIVE CLASS

W4 Financial Baseline Sprint SPRINT

W5 The Canadian Capital Landscape: Debt First, Equity Last LIVE CLASS

W6 Validate Before You Build: The Market Lab LIVE CLASS

W7 Capital + Validation Sprint SPRINT

W8 Brand, IP & Protecting What You Build LIVE CLASS

W9 Quarter 1 Review, Mentor Matching & Peer Roundtable $1,000 STIPEND

QUARTER 2 · SCALE, SYSTEMS & CAPITAL

W10 Systems & SOPs: Build a Business That Runs Without You LIVE CLASS

W11 Hiring, Management & Culture at Scale LIVE CLASS

W12 The Expansion Playbook: Franchise, License, or Own LIVE CLASS

W13 Systems Documentation Sprint SPRINT

W14–17 Procurement Access, Valuation & Your 3-Year Growth Plan — final week titles being confirmed

W18 Demo Day: Growth Showcase & Capital Day $1,000 STIPEND

THE INVESTMENT

This program pays you back.

Course tuition

What you pay to enroll — split-pay available

$1,950

BOF milestone stipend

$1,000 per quarter, on completion — two quarters

+$2,000

Licenses, permits & certificates

Reimbursed — incorporation, trademark, certification

+up to $2,000

Your net cost

≈ $0

Plus warm introductions to lenders and investors at Demo Day, and a lifetime alumni network. Often net-positive — you can come out ahead.

GRADUATES IN THEIR OWN WORDS

You won't be the first to walk this road.

Real graduates of BEBC's Procurement and FinLit programs — the same alumni community Main Street Founders is built for.

Uchenna PCRC Graduate PROCUREMENT

Michelle PCRC Graduate · Procurement Business Sprint PROCUREMENT

Courtney PCRC Graduate PROCUREMENT

Anita PCRC Graduate PROCUREMENT

Alabi PCRC Graduate · Procurement Business Sprint PROCUREMENT

Akinyemi PCRC Graduate · Procurement Business Sprint PROCUREMENT

Victoria FinLit Graduate FINLIT

Kush FinLit Graduate FINLIT

EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY AND INCUBATOR TESTIMONIALS TO FOLLOW AFTER COHORT ONE

UPCOMING COHORTS

One cohort now. Four in 2027.

November 2026 Selected BEBC alumni · limited cohort of 40

NOW ENROLLING

Spring 2027 General

WAITLIST

Spring 2027 Defence & Manufacturing — new stream

INTEREST LIST

Fall 2027 General

WAITLIST

Fall 2027 Defence & Manufacturing — new stream

INTEREST LIST

Cohort dates update automatically from the BEBC platform calendar. As Canada pivots to buying Canadian, the Defence & Manufacturing stream is built for Black-owned businesses scaling through government contracts.

From preparation to execution.

From entrepreneur to stronger founder.

From business idea to business growth.

You've prepared for opportunity.
Now build for it.

18 weeks. Selected BEBC alumni. Limited cohort. Applications reviewed on a rolling basis.

Start Your Application

$1,950 · split-pay available · up to $4,000 back

For program-related inquiries and support: programs@bebcsociety.org · 236-237-2457

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