Canada has a hiring bias problem. It’s time to look beyond it and flip the narrative. It's time to show the world who Black youth really are, and what they’re capable of. Because when Black youth thrive, Canada thrives.

Canada has a hiring bias problem. It’s time to look beyond it and flip the narrative. It's time to show the world who Black youth really are, and what they’re capable of. Because when Black youth thrive, Canada thrives.

MEET THE Alumni. READ THEIR STORIES.

Every CEE alumnus has a unique story, and one shared goal - to show the world what they, and Black youth, are capable of. Dive into their stories and see how CEE helped them find their niche, and fine tune their career skills, in programs as diverse as their backgrounds - Film & Entertainment, Tech, Finance, Trades, Hospitality and more.

Nancy

Nancy

Lemi

Nancy

Lemi

Nancy believes in following your heart, but also taking your brain with you. That’s how she’s lived her life so far. By constantly challenging herself, she’s comfortably taken on, and thrived in, multiple roles from fashion stylist and business tech blogger to marketing strategist and talk show host.

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Timera

Timera

Boateng

Timera

Boateng

Timera graduated from CEE as an Underwriting Associate in the insurance industry and hasn’t looked back since. Whether it’s internships or her university program, she’s excelled in everything that comes her way, winning awards, and hearts, along the way. She knows her way around numbers and is on the path to becoming a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) one day.

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Jason

Jason

Blackwood

Jason

Blackwood

Jason’s ties with CEE go right back to the start as one their first students a decade ago, turning into one of their early success stories. He’s an entrepreneur and founder of the Grandslammer$ apparel brand, an author and true believer in the power, and reward, of doing the grind. Not just because it shows him what he’s capable of, but also because it inspires others to do what seems impossible. In fact, Grandslammer$ produced all of the Who I Really Am hoodies featured in this campaign.

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Tafara

Tafara

Gwata

Tafara

Gwata

Tafara knows his stuff, but you wouldn’t know it when you hear his modest take on himself. Graduating from CEE’s Production Accounting program, he’s now a Fashion Comm. student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and an RBC scholarship winner. As if that’s not enough, he’s also a mentor at Kerr Street Mission, and an aspiring fashion designer and teacher.

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Linda

Linda

Tachie-Mensah

Linda

Tachie-Mensah

Linda knows all about the importance of being in the moment, as well as capturing one. It’s something that has helped her build a thriving photography studio in Toronto. She often credits CEE for having her back when she was discovering her own strengths. That’s also why she’s still giving back when she can, by helping CEE students find their future paths.

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Mike

Mike

Regis

Mike

Regis

If you needed one word to describe Mike, you wouldn’t find it. That’s because he prefers to be seen as a multifaceted individual who tells authentic stories. CEE helped him build on this self-belief and be the unstoppable force he is today, as an up-and-coming producer, director and storyteller.

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Shannon

Shannon

Joseph

Shannon

Joseph

For Shannon, CEE felt like that rare place where she could have the time, and build the confidence, to discover her future career. With their support, she was soon training as a Visual Effects (VFX) artist, and even landed an internship with the team at HBO’s Handmaid’s Tale for a few months. What makes CEE special, she says, is that they’re deeply committed to helping Black youth thrive.

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Selina

Selina

McCallum

Selina

McCallum

Not long after Selina joined CEE’s Visual Effects (VFX) program, her friends noticed she had a glow about her. She can now tell you why. It was the joy of knowing that she had discovered what she was passionate about – telling people’s stories as a photographer, videographer and documentarian. Today, with a few docs under her belt already, Selina’s well on her way to writing her own future.

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Denzel

Denzel

Janes

Denzel

Janes

Graduating from CEE’s film & entertainment, or “E-trades” program, Denzel soon broke into the film industry as a film grip, something he never imagined would be possible for him. Today, he’s still thoroughly enjoying himself in the business, while also working as a kids’ hockey coach. He loves being a creative nomad and is now experimenting with photography.

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WHO WE ARE

The CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals is a Toronto-based non-profit providing free career skills training to Black youth alongside holistic support that includes social workers and therapists on staff. To date, more than 1,000 Black youth have graduated from our programs over the 10 years we've been in operation.

JOIN US. SUPPORT US. WORK WITH US.

Whether you’re exploring career options, or thinking about your next career move, there’s a place for you at CEE. As a non-profit, we also welcome donations, even if time is all you can spare. And if you’re an employer, you can post job positions for our skilled alumni.

IT’S TIME FOR THE WORLD TO SEE BLACK YOUTH FOR WHO THEY REALLY ARE: BRILLIANT. QUALIFIED. READY.