Ottawa’s First Black Business Expo 

One of its kind: Ottawa’s First Black Business Expo

by Lydia Jean-Francois

24 April 2022

As a city rich in culture and diversity, Ottawa has an impressive number of black-owned businesses and services. Many as they are, finding them is not as easily said. While looking to spend their dollar with black-owned businesses, members of the community aren’t readily able to find the resources they are looking for. Not for lack of availability but rather a lack of visibility.  This was a shocking realization for business entrepreneur and community leader, Cassandra Auguste-Rene, as she launched her own venture, It’s Time Event Management. Auguste-Rene gathered a group of seven ambitious women and the team put together a one of its kind event: Ottawa’s First Black Business Expo.

The It’s Time Event Management team decided to organize the expo with one main goal in mind: gathering a large group of black-owned businesses and service providers and inviting the community to experience black excellence all under one roof. On April 24^th, Ottawa’s First Black Business Expo, hosted at Tudor Hall, highlighted over 60 black-owned businesses and service providers as well as black-led community organizations. The public was welcomed and treated to a vast array of services including fresh cold-pressed juices, Caribbean cuisine, pastries, wellness products, reflexology sessions, realtor services, law services, floral services, event planners, photographers, printing shops, and many more. The community was welcomed by host Peggy Civil and treated to music by DJ Velvet and DJ J-One.

“Seeing all this black excellence under one roof is the result of an idea that started months ago”, said Cassandra Auguste-Rene, founder of It’s Time Event Management, “the community answered the call and came in full force to support the 60 + businesses and services. It’s truly heartwarming.” As we walked through the large room with Auguste-Rene, the members of the community shared their congratulations and thanked her as well as her team for creating a space to highlight and promote black-owned businesses and services. Business owners were not only able to meet and showcase their products to the public but also to each other. The expo offered them the opportunity to network and make connections with fellow business owners.

In addition to the services available for the public to discover and enjoy, the Black Business Expo’s main stage was home to the Black Wall Street podcast hosted by DJ Prosper and Don Ayiti. They welcomed to the stage community leaders such as Bettyna Belizaire as well as business owners. The duo discussed the ups and downs of entrepreneurship with new local food delivery service City Flavas.

When we asked Cassandra Auguste-Rene what her and her team had in store for us next, she responded, “so much more! The expo will definitely be a yearly event and we have a few more projects in the works as well. We want to thank the community for the warm response, and we intend to continue hosting events for the very community we live in.”

Ottawa’s First Black Business Expo was the event our community needed. From the accolades on social media to the mainstream media coverage, the It’s Time Event Management team truly organized a special event.