About Manitoba
Our Story
About CBEE Prairies Manitoba
CBEE Prairies Manitoba is a regional chapter of the Coalition for Black Economic Equity (CBEE Prairies), a Black-led nonprofit advancing economic justice and entrepreneurship across the Canadian Prairie provinces. Established to serve the unique needs of Manitoba's diverse and growing Black community, CBEE Manitoba operates from Winnipeg with programs reaching communities across the province — including Brandon, Thompson, Steinbach, and Portage la Prairie.
Our work is guided by the conviction that economic equity is not a gift to be given — it is a right to be built. We support Black Manitobans through entrepreneurship development, youth leadership programming, newcomer integration, digital inclusion, community wellness, cultural enterprise, and policy advocacy. Every program is community-driven, culturally responsive, and designed for lasting impact.
Our Mission
Our Vision
Our Values
Community First
Every decision we make begins with the needs, voices, and aspirations of the Black communities we serve.
Equity and Justice
We address systemic barriers head-on and advocate for structural change that creates lasting opportunity.
Sustainability
We build for the long term — creating infrastructure, mentorship pipelines, and systems that endure.
Collaboration
We work in coalition — co-designing, co-delivering, and co-governing with our community partners.
Integrity
We operate with transparency, accountability, and the highest ethical standards in everything we do.
Cultural Pride
We celebrate the diversity, heritage, and cultural wealth of Black Manitobans as assets, not deficits.
Manitoba's Black Community — Context
Manitoba's Black population is one of the fastest-growing and most diverse in Canada. Driven by immigration from across Africa and the Caribbean — including significant communities from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Eritrea, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Kenya, Cameroon, and the Caribbean nations — Manitoba's Black community brings extraordinary entrepreneurial energy, professional talent, and cultural richness to the province.
At the same time, Black Manitobans face persistent and well-documented barriers to economic participation — including systemic racism in hiring and lending, gaps in access to business capital, underrepresentation in professional networks and decision-making spaces, and the compounding challenges of newcomer settlement. These barriers are not the fault of individuals — they are structural, and they require structural responses.
CBEE Prairies Manitoba exists to be part of that structural response — providing the programs, partnerships, advocacy, and community infrastructure that help Black Manitobans overcome barriers, build businesses, develop leaders, and create generational prosperity.
OUR BOARD
Manitoba Board Members
Bridget Formeky
Volunteer Director, CBEE Manitoba
Board Member 2
Volunteer Director
Board Member 3
Volunteer Director
Board Member 4
Volunteer Director