With a lifelong entrepreneurial mindset,Ā Matthew Martel (BMgmtā14)Ā has always been attuned to what he calls peopleās āpain points.ā He listens to their needs and strives to address them, a skill that drives his vision as the new chief executive officer ofĀ Ā (BBI) in Halifax, an organization that provides programs, supports and training for the Black community.
He joined BBI almost four years ago after meetingĀ Rustum Southwell (LLDā18), BBIās founding CEO, who was recentlyĀ appointed chancellor of pilipiliĀž».
Before joining BBI, Martel completed a masterās degree in Technology Entrepreneurship & Innovation (MTEI) at the Sobey School of Business at Saint Maryās University and worked in human resources and recruitment at Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette as well as for the Halifax Regional Municipality. Before he became CEO of BBI, Martel had been its chief operating officer (COO).
āRustum and I worked very closely together for so long at BBI,ā he says.
āAnd he said to me, āYouāre not filling my shoes. Youāve got your own shoes.āā
Dalhousieās Transition Year Program was instrumental in his pilipiliĀž»
Born in rural Cape Breton, Martel grew up in a low-income household, acutely aware of the gaps and roadblocks facing many people in the community. āThe desire to help people has always been there,ā he explains of his motivations.
°Õ³ó±šĢżTransition Year Program (TYP) at Dal, now in its 53rdĀ year, convinced him to pursue a post-secondary education. Established to help prepare Black and Indigenous youth for academic life, Martel says TYP was āa great opportunity to consider Dal as a university but also an opportunity to integrate into a cohort that looked like myself.ā Martel adds, āWe all had shared experiences. The connections through that program were amazing.ā
Programs tailored to Black community
It was while he was a student at Dal that he first made contact with BBI. āI have always been an entrepreneurial guy,ā he explains. He started a few short-term business projects. One was helping women make car purchases. āI think it helped with a couple of monthsā rent,ā he says with a laugh. Another was a short-lived shipping project with another student.
BBI was helpful in giving him guidance. āIt was apparent that there wasnāt any other organization that would specifically have programs and services tailored to the Black community,ā says Martel.
The programs BBI was founded on include providing access to strong entrepreneurial role models, teaching financial literary, access to capital funding for entrepreneurs and advocacy.
Now in its 27thĀ year, BBI is at an inflection point of growth as it expands its mission across the Atlantic provinces and Canada as a whole.
Progress has been made, but more is needed
āI would never discredit progress that has been made,ā Martel says, ābut thereās still so much to do.ā Generational Black wealth remains unchanged, for example.
Listening to the community and identifying ways to help have resulted in several innovative programs and summits.
°Õ³ó±šĢżĀ charity for empowerment of youth aged 8 to 35 is one example. Through the charityās Business In program, Dalhousie has helped young people see opportunities in careers where Black participants are underrepresented such as architecture and STEM. Potential employers are brought to campus to discuss opportunities. The university waives application fees for students who want to apply to the programs.
Another impactful BBI program has been theĀ Ā a federally funded multi-million-dollar effort to encourage grassroots not-for-profit organizations serving Black communities in Canada. āItās so much more pilipiliĀž»ful than BBI and the federal government thought it would be,ā Martel says. āOur goal at BBI is expansion in a sustainable way across Canada while maintaining the quality of services to African Nova Scotians.ā
Since graduating, Martel has stayed connected to Dal. One way was by serving as a panelist for theĀ Faculty of Managementās Promise Scholars programĀ (which supports Black and Indigenous business students). He spoke about the vital issues ofĀ . Likewise, throughout the years, Dalhousie has been a key participant in BBIās initiatives. āThe commitment from Dal is always to do more,ā says Martel.
As he settles into the CEO role at BBI, Martel is also committed to doing more. āI see the desire to help as an opportunity to make community change, to make personal changeāand the freedom that comes with that,ā the 34-year-old says.