A celebration of Black excellence: The 2025 Black Career Conference
Ever since its creation in 2020, the Black Rotman Commerce (BRC) club has taken strides to ensure inclusivity and opportunities for the Black community at RC. They’re an organization dedicated to supporting Black students professionally, academically, and socially, with the goal of advancing Black representation in the business world. Their events and initiatives focus on professional development, mentorship, and building connections, while fostering a supportive community for Black students within the program.
Olivia Omoruyi, BCom ‘26“My favourite part of BRC are the people! There’s a lot of niche experiences in business as a person of colour that I am privileged to be able to share with those who truly understand or have even experienced first-hand.”
One of the largest events BRC hosts is the Black Career Conference (BCC). It provides an opportunity for the black community to connect and network with established corporations during recruitment season. This conference aims to help Black students, graduates, and entrepreneurs gain insights from Black professionals that work in different industries, from banking and finance to creative and cultural industries.
Bridging the gap between students and professionals
The BCC is mutually beneficial to both students and organizations. Top corporations hiring interns for the summer come to the conference interested in the Black student talent pool, while students receive the opportunity to speak with industry leaders, recruiters, and mentors who are genuinely interested in supporting their careers. “More than that, it offers a space to build confidence, gain new perspectives and for attendees to see themselves represented in spaces they may have previously felt excluded from,” Husni Arwo (BCom ‘25), President of BRC, adds.
BCC is comprised of two components: a pitch competition and the conference day. The pitch competition is a space where Black entrepreneurs have a chance to feature their start-ups to win prize money of $20,000 towards their venture. The marquee conference day featured industry-specific panels, keynote speeches, and networking opportunities with 11 corporate sponsors. As Husni shares, “it felt like a celebration of Black excellence and a reminder of what’s possible when we come together as a community”.
BRC members reflect on the BCC
For Husni, the highlight of the conference was being a panelist for the “A World of Careers at TD” panel discussion. Having multiple internships with the company allowed him to share his perspective. It was meaningful to see how students really resonated with his story and insights, emphasizing the impact shared experiences has in motivating the next generation of leaders. His favourite part was seeing how students were building connections, asking for advice, and networking, fulfilling the purpose of BCC.
Husni Arwo, BCom ‘25“There’s something really powerful about being in a space where everyone is genuinely invested in each other’s success.”
For Olivia Omoruyi (BCom ‘26), Vice President of BRC, the best part of the conference was collaborating with her peers on the conference team. After committing countless hours planning, it was fulfilling to see BCC come to life. She noted how BCC was a transformative space for both students and professionals. “Over the past two years, I’ve built meaningful connections with company recruiters from this event, and many students I know have successfully secured jobs through it”.
Meanwhile, Abdullahi Hassan (BCom ‘26), Conference Lead of BRC, thoroughly enjoyed the panel sessions, which provided students with valuable insights from Black leaders in various fields of business. In particular, he mentioned the inspirational keynote addresses given by the Black Founders Network and RBC. They presented stories of resilience and success that connected deeply with attendees. He explained how BCC helped to “facilitate meaningful connections, provide mentorship opportunities, and navigate pathways to success”.
Overall, this year’s BCC was a remarkable achievement, not only its turnout but also in its ability to create an environment both welcoming and empowering. Through a variety of panels and discussions, industry leaders inspired the Black RC community to strive for excellence, sharing their own astounding stories of breakthroughs in their career paths. As we celebrate Black History Month this February, we honor the achievements, resilience, and contributions of the Black community. Stay connected with @blackrotmancommerce on Instagram for upcoming events and initiatives from BRC!
By Anika Kulathu (BCom ’27) | February 6, 2025
