Building community and celebrating excellence at the first Black Alumni Conference hosted by the University of Toronto Black Alumni Association

With a crowd of 50 people in attendance, UTM’s Blind Duck Pub became a place where alumni, students, faculty and staff from all three campuses were able to connect, support, and learn together. The energy brought into the room was exciting and collaborative, as people took time out of their weekend to connect with the U of T community. Participants deepened existing relationships and forged new ones, strengthening the community through every conversation . 

The full-day conference featured panels led by alumni with expertise in their fields, breakout rooms providing smaller groups with deep dives into professional development topics, and keynote speakers from leadership positions in their community that were also U of T alum. The audience was able to engage with speakers and panellists, fuelling their curiosity and learning from one another. 

Breaking Ground on a New Tradition: The First Black Alumni Conference 

The Black Alumni Conference was created at a time where Black students and alumni are looking for connections within the community. As the first-ever event to bring together the various members of the Black Alumni population from the St. George, UTM, and UTSC campuses, the conference provided an opportunity for an intercampus and intergenerational gathering. Black alumni from U of T have gone on to have a range of careers, from academics to professionals to entrepreneurs, with the conference bringing them all together to connect and learn from one another. By creating spaces for Black alumni to come together with a shared academic experience, the UTBAA seeks to fill this gap in the Black community after graduating from U of T. 

The conference was organized by leadership members of the UTBAA, with the goal of highlighting the various careers, accomplishments, and ambitions of U of T alumni. By bringing together people from different stages of their professional and academic journeys, the conference aimed to be a space to recognize the Black experience and celebrate Black excellence. 

When asked what it meant to the association to have hosted U of T's first-ever Black Alumni Conference, UTBAA’s Co-President Derrick Raphael said “It was a tremendous honour to be able to bring forth the first Black Alumni conference for the community. It was a great undertaking and an even better achievement. It’s very well deserved. The Black alumni community at U of T is a remarkable group.” 

For many people, this was the first Black-focussed U of T alumni event they had attended, with an attendee sharing “After years of going to U of T classes wondering if there would be other Black people in my class, the Black Alumni Conference was an empowering space with powerful inspiration, connection, community, and a true sense of belonging." 

A key takeaway from the event was the profound impact that the UTBAA is having on different industries, corporate Canada, the innovation sector, academia and government. To many people, this was crucial exposure to the success of the U of T Black alumni community. An attendee said “It felt empowering to hear from and connect with Black alumni who have walked similar paths. It reminded me that success is possible and there is a strong community supporting us."

Keynote Speakers: A Powerful Start & End to the Conference 

Dr. Rhonda McEwen (PhD '10), President and Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University at U of T, delivered the opening keynote, bringing together her research in emerging media and human-machine communication to examine how AI, virtual reality, and social media are reshaping equity, access, and representation. Her commitment to empowering Black communities with technology skills and ensuring future AI capabilities are inclusive of their full humanity resonated with the audience and demonstrated her impact in the field. 

Colleen Ward (BA UTM '94), Senior Vice President of the Enterprise Delivery Office at Scotiabank, delivered the closing keynote. Drawing on more than two decades of leadership across global and Canadian financial institutions to share her experiences, she connected with the audience through her warmth and openness. 

Panel 1: Career Accelerator Conversation with HR and Talent Leaders

Moderated by Sidoné Grange (HBSc UTM '25), UTBAA Class of 2025 President, the first panel brought together HR and talent leaders, including Ig Ajagunna (HBA UTM '23), People Engagement Specialist at Nelson, Lauren Canzius (HBA WDW '06), HR Executive, and Mical Brhane (HBA New '19), Researcher in Global Executive Talent Acquisition at Equinix. They held a candid conversation on navigating career growth in corporate Canada in a complicated job market with unique challenges, taking the time to answer audience questions and provide insight into the process of developing a career in a changing landscape. 

Panel 2: Being your Own Boss or Side Hustle: How to Leverage Resources, AI and More

Facilitated by Randa Ali (HBSc UTM '19; MScSM UTM '23), UTBAA Chief of Staff, the afternoon panel explored entrepreneurship, side hustles, and the use of AI as a professional tool. The panel featured Malcolm Wright (HBA UTSC '15), Co-Founder and Chief Partnerships Officer at Nobellum, Kareem Abdur-Rashid (HBSc UTM '20; MSc '22), Founder of Kare Chemical Technologies, and Natalia Thawe (HBSc 2009; MSc 2012), Founder and Principal Lawyer at Thawe Intellectual Property Law. This panel imparted the importance of protecting intellectual property, fostering strong partnerships and relationships to maximize success, and the process of leveraging scientific expertise in business enterprises. 

Breakout Rooms: A Deeper Dive into Professional Development

Three concurrent breakout sessions gave attendees the chance to go deeper on the topics that mattered most to them. Lauren Canzius (HBA WDW '06) led Developing Your Professional Brand, guiding participants through an exercise in identifying the values and presence that define how they show up at work. IG Ajagunna (HBA UTM '23) hosted Decoding Your Compensation, helping attendees understand the full value of what they earn beyond base salary. Attendees noted the emphasis on understanding RRSP contributions was a lesson they were glad to have received. Njeri Fraser (BASc '19), the UTBAA Director of Marketing, facilitated the Business Owner's Corner. The session was dedicated to highlighting UTBAA member businesses and exploring how alumni entrepreneurs could collaborate, cross-promote, and leverage the association's network to grow. The audience responded emphatically to these sessions, with lively participation and collaboration in small groups. At the end of this breakout, participants exchanged information and expressed interest in a directory of businesses founded by members of the UTBAA community to support. 

Community & Connection

The event facilitated meaningful connections across generations and campuses. Alumni who had graduated decades apart found common ground through shared U of T experiences and were amazed at the transformations of the campus over time. Current students made contact with alumni working in fields they aspire to enter, reflecting the event's goal of bridging student life and professional life.

When asked what this event meant to him as the Co-President of the UTBAA, Derrick Raphael said “The event marks a huge milestone as this was one of the primary events that the UTBAA wanted to have when we started to receive Pillar Funding a few years ago and to finally have this event come to life marks the completion of this goal as well as laying the foundation for what is to come!” 

The Co-President also shared that he made a meaningful connection with a current UTM undergrad who voiced interest in getting involved to increase the presence and impact of the UTBAA on the campus. He emphasized that “this interaction demonstrates the event’s power to increase engagement between students and alums, as they build community through the UTBAA.” 

Several attendees shared that the community connection was the most valuable part of their day. One expressed “I left the event energized and connected to my alma mater. I've been searching for this connection for many years and now I have it. I can't wait for the next UTBAA event." Another attendee shared “I found a true sense of community built on shared experiences, mutual support, and a collective commitment to excellence."

Looking Ahead 

For those unable to attend this year’s conference, the UTBAA team says “Don’t worry! We have plans for more opportunities to bring together the community.”

With the Black Alumni Conference as the flagship event of the year, the UTBAA plans to maintain this momentum through smaller events such as cultural and holiday parties, social events, mentorship programs, and virtual career panels. These events contribute to supporting all members of the Black community affiliated with U of T, including recent and senior alumni as well as current students. 

The UTBAA recently announced its debut Black alumni mentorship program, a longer-term initiative to connect recent graduates with more experienced alumni to provide guidance and serve as sponsors and guides of professional development. These initiatives endeavour to enable fellowship and knowledge sharing between early career and senior professionals, providing empowerment and support in the Black alumni community. 

Many attendees also look forward to future UTBAA programming after experiencing the conference, with one sharing “I can confidently say I’ll remain involved with this community for years to come. I’m genuinely excited to attend many more events and continue growing within such an uplifting network.” 

The next event is the Alumni Panel & Mixer: Black Excellence Through Generations on Saturday, June 20th from 2-4PM at Hart House. 

Keep up to date with the UTBAA’s future events and programming on LinkedIn and follow them on Instagram.