When Gloria Oppong found out she was not only a finalist for the DMZ Black Innovation Summit, but also the only woman, she felt both honored and humbled.
Little did she know she would win the contest and take home a whopping $30,000 prize.
The DMZ, a technology hub at Toronto Metropolitan University, hosted its fourth annual Black Innovation Summit earlier this week, a competition in which 10 Black tech entrepreneurs pitched their startup ideas to fellow entrepreneurs, industry executives, and stakeholders in hopes of winning grant funding for their businesses. The competition will award a total of $50,000 in grant funding, with first place receiving $30,000, second place receiving $15,000, and third place receiving $5,000.
Following a day of networking, roundtable discussions and keynote speeches from Black leaders in the tech industry, Oppong accepted the award for his company, Cleanster.
Her platform connects property managers with top cleaners and was born out of Opon’s need for cleaners after giving birth to her third child. Her friend and eventual co-founder, Derrick Agili, had a platform that connected freelancers with various services, including cleaning. But despite the growing demand for cleaners, they noticed a lack of a livable wage, so they shifted their focus to cater solely to that vertical.
Oppong’s goal with Cleanster is to take the stress out of finding cleaners for property managers and allow cleaners to set their own rates and get paid on the day of their services.
Originally, Opon had 12 years of experience in microbiology, so technology was out of reach for her, but after working on Agili’s previous projects, she realized that the worlds of science and technology are not so far apart.
“That’s where my love for the technology world really started to take off,” she told Now Toronto on Wednesday. “I have a background in process, structure, analytical skills and science, so I realized I could leverage technology to enhance anything.”
In addition to winning first place, Oppong also received an additional $5,000 as the People’s Choice Award winner.
With his newfound wealth, Opon plans to expand his company to California in the near future.
“This prize money will go a long way,” Opon said. “I’m very grateful.”
The Black Innovation Program, which launched in 2019, was launched in recognition of the disparities in access and opportunity for Black entrepreneurs in the technology sector, according to program manager Yinka Adesesan.
““Through the programs, community building and networking events that we host, we strive to foster a network that allows individuals to leverage a competitive advantage in their business,” Adesesan said. “Beyond access, there are additional resources provided on an ongoing basis that are critical to keeping businesses afloat and giving them a chance to succeed and be great.”“
According to Statistics Canada, Black-owned businesses will account for just 2.1 per cent of Canadian businesses in 2023, but Black-owned businesses were the most likely to report a very optimistic future outlook for the next 12 months compared to all business owners.
““We have a lot of Black talent that isn’t being recognized as a Black tech company, so we see this as an opportunity for us to tap into a demographic that has a lot of potential,” Adesesan said.
“It will add a lot of value to the economy.”
Although this year’s competition has concluded, Adesesan encourages Black entrepreneurs, both aspiring entrepreneurs and promising startups, to apply for the various opportunities DMZ offers within its Black Innovation Program.
