At 13, after seeing the publisher’s address in the front of a schoolbook, Perrin sent her hand-written, illustrated manuscript to Scholastic Publications. Her first rejection letter followed. Far from being discouraged, Perrin was thrilled that her package got through and decided to send them two more books.

He’s unique on Bay Street for more than his skills with a wrench, however. Today, he is one of the few black partners at a major firm. Though Walwyn was the first-ever black associate at WeirFoulds, he has nothing but praise for the encouragement he received in building his career in a field dominated by establishment Canadians.

Petigny first began loving hair as a young girl, and although she has always styled hair, it was only recently that she began creating 100 per cent organic hairdressing products that promote healthy tresses.

Last Saturday, Toronto’s next generation of female entrepreneurs assembled for the Entreprenista Inaugural Luncheon; the newest networking event for female entrepreneurs in the city.

“We’ve built an emporium to accommodate the neglected curvy woman. They’re in their own environment and feeling at ease. They can say, ‘I don’t have to worry. I’m definitely going to find what I want here and I’m not going to be looked down upon. I’ll be looked upon.”

Hailing from Trinidad and Tobago, award-winning stylist Asha McLeod has mastered all kinds of hair textures and even developed her own line of products to make sure her clients’ hair is at its strongest and healthiest. In fact, Jazma Hair Inc. prides itself on knowing its clients’ hair right down to a science.

Two important factors in being successful are education and support. For more than 50 years, the Congress of Black Women of Canada has fiercely advocated for both, with its mandate to provide a forum for Black women to improve their lives and identify issues that affect them, their families and the entire community.

The 18-year-old high school student doesn’t sound like your typical teenager. Instead of boys and celebrity gossip, her conversation is peppered with inspirational phrases like “nothing worth doing is easy” and talk of volunteer work that will see her well into old age. She also tends to shy away from self-praise. “I was always so busy during school that I missed out on a lot of social events,” she says. “I don’t want to blow off my friends, but helping others is obviously more important.”

Dr. Lesmond pursued her studies while working full time and even had to repeat one course that she would eventually end up teaching at Ryerson University. During her time in the field, Dr. Lesmond has noticed that nursing is quite popular among Black women. She believes there are a few reasons for this: “It’s a caring profession and it’s also a career that’s very, very fulfilling.”

For Holland, a 2009 nominee of the Organization of Women in International Trade’s Joanna Townsend Award for an Export Champion, it all started with a Canadian trade mission to Africa in 2002. She says the contacts and information she gathered during the mission proved to be pivotal in developing an international business plan. Another pivotal point came after the trip, when Holland was introduced to the non-profit Canadian and African Business Women’s Alliance (CAABWA), in which she found the mentorship she was seeking.