The Onyx Initiative is empowering Black talent in Canada
March 2, 2026
Coming from Kenya, a country where Black excellence is the norm rather than the exception, Ryan Gontier was struck by the stark lack of representation he encountered in his engineering classes at the University of Toronto.
Used to seeing people who looked like him in positions of academic strength and leadership, he suddenly found himself in spaces where that familiarity was missing.
Seeking a sense of belonging, connection, and community, Gontier turned to LinkedIn, where he discovered the Onyx Initiative and its scholarship program. What he found is more than an organization. It is a network of driven, accomplished Black students and professionals who reflect his ambitions and affirm that he is not alone in navigating the journey in a new country.
He was among Onyx Scholars, employee and community partners and other supporters celebrated at the organization’s third annual gala on February 21.
“Being in a space with other Black individuals who share the same mindset and drive toward success, combined with having a dedicated coach for guidance and support, makes Onyx the ideal place for me,” said Gontier.
Committed to helping young people unlock their potential and thrive professionally, Reginald Oblitey joined the Onyx Initiative in May 2023 as Lead Success Coach. Since then, he has worked closely with many young people, including Gontier, providing consistent mentorship and strategic guidance.
“We have about five meetings each week where I update him on what I am working on,” the international student said. “He offers advice, helps me identify gaps and connects me with key people.”
Gontier’s passion for math and physics was sparked in part by his father, who took him as a child to the Italian-operated Broglio Space Centre off the coast of Malindi.
“Seeing rockets and beginning to understand the physics behind them pushed me to explore math and physics more deeply,” he said. “I was fortunate to win a few awards in those subjects and to study the work of pioneers such as Einstein, Oppenheimer and Newton. Learning about their discoveries and the thinking behind them gave me a deeper appreciation for the foundations of modern science and technology.”
A recipient of the $400,000 Lester B. Pearson Scholarship created to bring exceptional students from around the world to study at the University of Toronto, Gontier is pursuing mechanical engineering.
He and fellow Pearson Scholarship winner Vedant Harlalka co-founded a software company, Auditorium AI, which began as a late-night dorm-room experiment focused on developing lighting technology that responds to music in real time.
“It effectively takes on the role of a live sound and lighting engineer,” said Gontier who was Head of School in his final year at Peponi, a British international school in Kenya. “At entertainment venues, our system controls the stage lighting software in sync with the music, creating a more immersive and intentional experience for the audience.”
For him, the venture is about more than innovation. It reflects a deeper personal drive.
“I want to be independent and make my life my own,” Gontier said. “It is about calling my own shots and being my own boss. I want the flexibility to shape my future on my terms. Programs like the Onyx Initiative have changed my life, and my goal now is to pay that forward.”
For nearly six decades, Jamaican farmworkers who travel to Canada under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program have laboured long hours to support both Canadian agriculture and their families back home.
The money they send to Jamaica helps cover daily expenses, build homes and fund their children’s education. For some families, that sacrifice is now coming full circle, as one farmworker’s child pursues higher education in Toronto
Enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) program at York University, Suelen Fagan is making the most of the opportunity.
As a recipient of the Onyx Scholar Award, she said the honour affirms the dedication and perseverance she has invested in her academic journey.
Beyond the classroom, the third-year student is co-founder and co-president of York University’s Black Business Students Association.
“I am happy that the hard work I put in behind the scenes is being recognized,” said Fagan, a business consultant analyst in the BLK Consulting Group Spring Cohort. “The community I am building on campus continues to grow, and I hope it will help create greater representation in corporate spaces.”
Her vision closely mirrors the mission of the Onyx Initiative which was founded to increase Black representation in business, finance and corporate leadership by equipping students with mentorship, professional development and access to influential networks.
“Wanting to surround myself with like-minded individuals when I entered university, I joined Onyx in May 2024,” Fagan, who graduates in 2027, said. “Through the program, I have established meaningful relationships and built my confidence.”
Onyx Initiative Scholar Award winner Suelen Fagan (Photo by Ron Fanfair)
With a deep passion for business, she said finance felt like a natural choice because it closely aligns with her long-term goals of developing strategic expertise, driving economic impact and earning a seat at decision-making tables.
“I hope to use my expertise in this area to create a broader impact by helping others access opportunities within business and finance,” she pointed out.
Migrating to Canada at age seven, Fagan dedicated the honour to her parents, Lincoln and Joan Fagan, who reside in the Greater Toronto Area. Her father spent about a decade as a farmworker while her mother was a teacher in Jamaica.
“They made sacrifices so that I would be in this position and have supported me along the way,” she said. “I am grateful for that.”
The Education Award was presented to Shane Malcolm who is the Director of Career Development & Experiential Learning at Northeastern University, Toronto campus. Previously, he served as Director of Career Success at the Onyx Initiative where he led the implementation of the Onyx Scholars program.
As one of Canada’s top business law firms, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP supports the Onyx Initiative through its extensive pro bono program. Lincoln Alexander School of Law graduate Shante Brown, who assists charitable and non-profit clients on a pro bono basis and volunteers with Onyx, received the Volunteer Award on behalf of the law firm where she is an Associate.
Victoria Cabral, senior manager, campus & early talent recruitment at BMO, received the Employer Award on behalf of Canada’s oldest bank, and the EDGE Black Youth program was recognized with a Community Award.
Jasmine Grant-Campbell and Humber College social service student Akheenu Shelley, the EDGE West 2024 Debutante and Beau winners, received the award on behalf of the program that develops leadership skills, teaches self-confidence and social graces and builds character.
EDGE West 2024 Beau and Debutante Akheenu Shelley & Jasmine Grant Campbell with her mother Tracy Grant who is the co-ordinator of the West program (Photo by Ron Fanfair)
Dr. Siyabulela Mandela delivered the keynote address at the event, urging Onyx Scholars to look beyond individual success and focus on building, investing and creating pathways that uplift entire communities for generations to come.
The great-grandson of Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first Black president, reminded the young people that the opportunities they enjoy today were hard-won.
“The world we inhabit was not handed to us on a silver platter,” he said. “It was built through sacrifice, relentless struggle and the resilience of those who fought selflessly for justice, freedom and liberation for their generation and the generations to come. Now that we have access to education and spaces our forefathers and foremothers could not enter, we must recognize our responsibility. We must strengthen the foundation they laid and continue building toward the future they envisioned. We are the living realization of their dreams.”
Reflecting on his family legacy, Mandela acknowledged the burden it can carry but said perspective transforms it into purpose.
“It is a heavy responsibility,” he acknowledged. “But it becomes lighter when you remember that our freedoms were secured through profound sacrifice, often by unnamed heroes. Understanding the cost they paid shifts the burden from pressure to purpose, turning it into a call to action to build a legacy that lives and grows beyond the pages of history.”
Just as Canada shared a deep and historic bond with Nelson Mandela, that connection now extends to his grandson.
After his release from prison in 1990, the global icon made one of his earliest international visits to Canada, underscoring the deep bond between him and the Canadian people. Four months after he walked free from 27 years of incarceration, he came to Ottawa to address Parliament and personally thank Canadians for their unwavering support for the anti-apartheid struggle and sanctions against South Africa.
“Canada is definitely one of my favourite countries because of its contributions in the advancement of justice and human rights,” Mandela pointed out. “I am reminded at this moment of John Peters Humphrey, who crafted the first draft of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1945. For me, he was an inspiration for why we do this work today, advancing an agenda for human rights, peace and reconciliation. Later, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney played a leading role in advocating for sanctions to dismantle the apartheid regime. Canada is one of those countries I hold dear in my heart.”
With far too many Black and racialized students missing out on professional opportunities in corporate Canada due to a paucity of social networks and mentorship, husband and wife Wayne and Nigela Purboo started the ground-breaking Onyx Initiative six years ago after the unprecedented social unrest following George Floyd’s murder in Minnesota in May 2020.
“We planted a seed of conviction, a belief that the systemic barriers facing Black talent in Canada were not insurmountable, provided we had the courage to build a new bridge,” said Wayne Purboo. “As we stand here tonight, that seed has not merely grown. It has blossomed into a thriving ecosystem of excellence. We are no longer speaking of a vision for the future. Tonight, we speak of the reality of today. 2025 was the year we moved beyond hope and into the definitive proof of the numbers.”
As of October 2025, the Scholar community has grown to 1,700 active members, marking a 54.5 percent increase over the past five years.
However, as Purboo pointed out, numbers only tell half the story. The real insight, he said, lies in the depth of their engagement.
The job board recorded 7,778 role clicks, nearly tripling the activity of the previous year, and finance roles saw a 277 percent volume surge, an increase from approximately 1,000 roles to more than 4,440 in a single year.
“Furthermore, as we have scaled our reach, we have also refined our efficiency,” Purboo noted. “Since our inception, we have reduced the cost per scholar from approximately $2,500 in 2020 to just $900 in 2025. We are proving that equity is not only a moral imperative but a sustainable and scalable model for success.”
The Onyx Initiative is sustained by a network of over 30 active corporate partners, including BMO, TD Bank, Scotiabank, PWC and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.
“They have done more than just sign a subscription,” added Purboo. “They have transformed their internal cultures and embraced a recruitment landscape where the terms ‘internship’ and ‘co-op’ are used interchangeably to ensure that no qualified student is left on the sidelines due to a technicality. These partners are the architects of a more accessible Canada.”
Nigela Purboo said the Onyx Initiative is moving Canada beyond charity-based models.
“We are moving towards a true meritocracy,” she pointed out. “This shift strengthens our social health and ensures that every Canadian is judged by the content of their character and the calibre of their skills, rather than the colour of their skin. As we celebrate these milestones, our mission for the year ahead is clear. We are not merely filling roles. Instead, we are building a generational pipeline of Black executives and innovators.”
Onyx Initiative co-founders Wayne & Nigela Purboo with Dr. Siyabulela Mandela (Photo by Ron Fanfair)
The young scholars have access to personal and professional development courses via a curated LinkedIn Learning Path. They engage in executive fireside chats with successful business leaders and take part in employer discovery sessions with recruiters and decision-makers from some of Canada’s largest firms.
In addition, they can access a job board with hundreds of co-op placements, internships, and full-time opportunities offered by Onyx’s partners, and a LinkedIn group exclusively for scholars to engage with each other, share insights, information, advice, or inspiring personal stories.
“The Onyx Initiative is more than just a program,” said Jania Husbands-Jackson who works in commercial real estate. “It supports and provides us time to figure things out, helping to light a path to a future I never though possible.”
Part of Onyx’s unique experience is participating in webinars and interactive sessions focused on resume writing, honing interview and pitch skills, mental health and well-being, and transitioning into the workforce.
“Onyx provided me with the critical framework to translate my passion for cultural stewardship into tangible and systemic impact,” said Yanaminah Thullah, a curator and community builder. “I am now equipped to build institutions that centre equity and amplify marginalized narratives.”
The Onyx Initiative stands as a powerful testament to what intentional mentorship, community and opportunity can achieve. By equipping Black students and young professionals with the tools, networks and confidence to thrive, it is shaping individual success and building a legacy of generational impact.
