U of T Black Founders Network Accelerator first cohort bringing innovative solutions to industries
August 9, 2022
Lifelong learning is an integral component of every physician’s journey.
Though a certified plastic surgeon and lecturer in the University of Toronto’s (U of T) Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Bimpe Ayeni felt the need to expand her learning by formulating a skincare product line – Blair + Jack -- for men.
She and her husband, Ade Ajayi, are among the first cohort of 11 early-stage startups in the three-month Black Founders Network (BFN) Accelerate Program that is open to companies from the U of T community with at least one Black-identifying founder.
The cohort comprises a variety of startup companies bringing innovative solutions to industries, ranging from clean tech and drug discovery to beauty and wellness.
Tired of her husband complaining of razor bumps after shaving, Ayeni designed the day/night formula.
“These bumps are common and I wanted to know what caused them,” she said. “We all have normal skin bacteria, but some of that bacteria misbehave in men because the skin has not been prepared properly. Why is that so? There is a lot of inflammation happening and some acne-causing bacteria. I went back to the literature to see what has been used historically that is safe and works well for those issues.
“I knew that if I combined something to manage the acne-forming bacteria and decrease the inflammation and swelling, that would stop the process early and be a really effective way in managing these bumps during the day. Part of the issue at nighttime is exfoliation or just removing the skin layers. By letting cream get to the layers where it can work, I knew that had a good chance of working.”
The day formula comprises benzoyl peroxide that is used to treat mild to moderate acne and hydrocortisone that is an over-the-counter inflammatory for skin treatments.
“That combination limit the skin bacteria, swelling and just helps with the pores,” said Ayeni who is the head of plastic surgery at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket.
Confident she was on the right path, Ayeni contacted Dr. Miranda Tawfik who is a friend and compound pharmacist.
“I asked her if she could mix it in a way that would not be chalky and harsh,” she said. “She was up to the challenge and sent me some samples. We also did stability testing to find out what will happen if you leave it on a counter or in your car for a long period. We know that the products are safe and effective for three years.”
Ajayi was happy to be the ‘guinea pig’ in the experimental stage.
“I look fresh now because of my wife,” said the financial services executive. “Every after shave treatment on the market I went through without having any success. I grew a large beard just to try to hide the bumps. There came a point four years ago when I asked my wife how she could treat others and not do the same for me. After she came up with her treatment that was in the fridge for six months, I did not touch it until I shaved my head one day and decided to try it before going to bed. When I got up the next morning, the bumps had gone down and I blurted out, ‘This thing works’. My wife looked at me as if to say, ‘You didn’t think it would’?”
Because of shaving, men of all ethnicities can get razor bumps, but it is more common among Blacks..
“Anyone with course or curly hair texture is at risk of having this,” said Ayeni who was born in Montreal to Nigerian immigrants. “Women as well depending on where they shave. Blair + Jack can be used by any male, regardless of race.”
The product line bears the first names of their young children.
“In our culture, twins are revered and we just love the idea of having them out there,” she said. “Also as parents, we get to sort of experience a second childhood seeing things through our children’s eyes. Now they can read and they see their names on the packaging, they get very excited. This is something that will not stop with us. It is a legacy project.”
The products have to be approved by Health Canada scientists before going to market.
To be chosen from 71 applicants is an honour that Ayeni doesn’t take lightly.
“As an entrepreneur, the work most times is done late at night after your main job and a lot of that is not known,” the middle of five siblings said. “So to have something like that recognized by your peers and people who you look up to makes me feel validated for the long hours I put into this project.”
Dr. Bimpe Ayeni and her husband Ade Ajayi (Photo by Ron Fanfair)
Ayeni comes from a family of physicians.
Younger brothers Omodele and Buki are plastic surgeons at Southlake and another brother, Olufemi, is a professor and Academic Head of Orthopedic Surgery at McMaster University. The former New Jersey Nets assistant team physician is also the Hamilton Tiger Cats and Forge FC medical director.
Their father, Dr. Femi Ayeni, came to Canada in 1973 to study medicine at McGill University.
Graduating with honours from U of T eight years ago, Melisa Ellis is excited to be part of the program supporting Black entrepreneurs.
“The fact that I get to be an alumna and participate in this program as an entrepreneur is life changing,” she said. “Doors are open that will allow me to have access to networks and knowledge transfer in these spaces. I have already learned so much just by showing up and being there.”
Ellis founded NobelHub that connects startups and existing businesses with the most essential services they need to grow and scale their ventures. Initially focused on the Black community, it is a one-stop shop offering essential services, including legal, accounting, marketing, technology development and business planning.
“This is a space where Black startups can go to for access to service providers that they need to build their business,” the software engineer and product manager said.
NobelHub grew out of Nobellum that is a non-profit social and technology enterprise she co-started two years ago.
“There was a need for non-technical and technical people to connect and build their teams,” she said. “We are focused on the most basic and essential services that startups need as a foundation.”
Nobellum has collaborated with U of T to help launch at least 100 Black-owned STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) startups by 2025.
“We are doing this because they have to go somewhere for support,” said Ellis. “Who is going to be their accountant and lawyer? You can’t just leave them to do these things on their own.”
While working in project management after completing her Bachelor of Arts Degree, Ellis discovered information technology.
“As an Assets Manager, I was tracking what the IT people were doing and logging their hours,” she said. “They had a lot of flexibility and I asked myself, ‘How is this happening and I am their manager’? I told myself that is the lifestyle I want to have and I switched to IT.”
Melisa Ellis (Photo contributed)
Ellis quit her job and entered Sheridan College Institute of Technology two-year Software Engineering Diploma program. She graduated in December 2018.
The other BFN Accelerator participants are AfterData AI, Aworie Health, Elev, Fyyne, HDAX Therapeutics, NORM, Reeddi, Woo Your Boo and Yuko AI.
U of T’s Victoria University President & Vice-Provost Dr. Rhonda McEwen helped create the BFN.
Dr. Rhonda McEwen (Photo contributed)
“We have all these little incubators, but we didn’t have one that is exclusively focused on Black entrepreneurs,” the leadership council member said. “The first cohort comprises an incredible group of people with a vision for business. Now they have come through the support network, we are trying to get them connected to people who can help them accelerate their business in the next phase.”
The three-month program culminates with a Venture Demo Fay in the fall when the 11 startups will share their progress and pitch once again to an audience of investors along with business and university leaders.
