Lindork’s Lists – Q&A #1: Rochelle Ignacio (Black-Owned Market Edmonton)

Let’s Dive Into the Q&A with Rochelle:

1. How and why did you get involved with BOM YEG?

   • It all started in such an organic and exciting way. Our sister market in Calgary, BOM YYC, announced their market and Ivan (co-founder of BOM YEG) and I were both interested. Initially we both stated we did not have the capacity to bring this idea to life in Edmonton but before I knew it Ivan had assembled the OG team of 6. I envisioned myself solely supporting Vendor Management however I quickly realized how passionate I was about planning the event as a way to showcase the talent within our community. 

2. What do you love most about the work that you do?

   • I’ve had a tremendous year of growth which I primarily attribute to my work with BOM YEG. The work of BOM YEG has such an incredible impact within the community and we’re reminded of the value our platform brings on a daily basis. The vendors share messages of gratitude which light up my day; the community shows up and supports our initiatives and goes out of their way to thank our team for exposing them to new local businesses; organizations reach out and ask how they can support us. We hosted an e-market on our own platform over the Holidays and the entire team celebrated each sale like it was our very own.

     The level of organization and hard work required to run BOM YEG is not for the faint at heart but the reward of ending your day knowing you’re creating new opportunities and reducing barriers for the Black community is oh so sweet.

3. Can you tell me about the other titles you have, and the work you do around them: Community Builder 🇨🇦 Community Connector 💜 Diversity Consultant 🇹🇹 Safety & Inclusion Specialist ✊🏾Visionary Consultant.

   • BOM YEG is a perfect example of my work as a community builder, I pride myself in creating spaces where people feel safe and comfortable to be their authentic selves.

   • I also help lead a small discussion group called Racial Justice Youth YEG and it’s a virtual space where racialized youth (or in my case youth-at-heart) talk about issues that matter to us without fear of judgement.

     I like to connect interesting humans with other interesting humans.

   • I’m always recommending my network of friends and peers  who are all such talented and caring individuals. I’m a big believer in the saying ‘leave it to the experts’. A successful day for me is one where I can amplify someone else’s voice or help someone get their foot in the door.

   • Enid Rose Collective was started as a consulting firm to house my portfolio related to equity, diversity, inclusion and safety projects. I named my company after my granny and mom to honour the two women who inspire me to show up for my community no matter the costs.

   • Visionary Consultant is one of my favourites as it was gifted to me by a friend. He recognized my unique gift to turn my own and other’s dreams into manageable plans, even when it’s hard to articulate your vision to others. 

4. You received an AC Community Leader of the Year 2020 Award, can you share why you were awarded this, and what it means to get this recognition?

   • I received the African Caribbean Community Leader of the Year 2020 Award from Diversity Magazine. This is a peer nominated award program and I was recognized for my contributions in building spaces and platforms within the community to address Anti-Black racism.

   • In addition to BOM YEG and Racial Justice Youth YEG, I produced my first documentary, Community an Antidote Against Racism, which shares the perspectives of some of the Black Youth who call Edmonton home. To share this award title with Jeanne Lehman and Wunmi Idowu is truly an honour but I can’t take all the credit. I have a community of people behind me who support my work and help turn some of my dreams into a reality.

5. Why do you think it was important for BOM YEG to be created?

   • BOM YEG on the surface is a way to celebrate local vendors and celebrate the diversity of the Edmonton community however on a deeper level we’re finding innovative ways to address inequality gaps and systemic racism our vendors face in launching and sustaining businesses as Black owners. The initiatives the community sees are only part of the work we do.

     BOM YEG representatives have attended meetings with corporate organizations, banking institutions and all levels of government to discuss barriers Black business owners face such as access to funding, venture capital, and policies which disqualify or prevent the BIPOC community from having equal access to opportunities. 

   • BOM YEG was the first BOM branded market in Edmonton however we were inspired by our sister market BOM YYC. We’ve always had a very collaborative relationship with BOM YYC and we share ideas and offer support to one another.

6. What is your reaction to the support BOM YEG has received, and the greater attention being given (finally?) to BIPOC business owners, artists, underrepresented groups. Obviously, much more needs to be done, but is it moving in a positive direction?

   • We were all truly amazed at how the community showed up to support our first market in July 2020. We had support ranging from community members lending us their camping shelters for vendor stalls to cash donations the day of the event to help us feed our volunteers.

   • The community continues to support BOM YEG through donations, showing up to events, buying from the BOM vendor community, taking the time to fill out our community surveys and sharing our content on social media.

   • Our vendors have thanked us for the exposure and business we bring to their brands which at the end of the day is one of the reasons BOM exists, to bring brand exposure to businesses which face barriers to storefront retail locations and market eligibility requirements.

   • We also love sponsors at BOM YEG because it helps us cover our own costs as well as reduces financial costs for vendors. We recently received a donation from ATB Financial, and Jaysi Cuffy, our Communications Business Officer, had a brilliant idea to create a business bursary program for Black majority-owned businesses in Edmonton.

   • I mentioned the program to Sina Zere, one of the BOM vendors who owns Buff Wax Spot, and she financially backed the bursary to create a bigger reward for the 3 winners. I almost cried when she told me this because I was so happy that someone from our own vendor community was recognizing the work we do to make a better life for our Black entrepreneurs. We really go above and beyond for our vendors and we hope this bursary helps some of our emerging brands grow and expand to businesses like Buff Wax Spot in the future. 

   • I would also encourage your readers to continue finding new BIPOC and LGBTQ2+ businesses to support whether it’s on a support (like, share, save, follow) or financial level.

     Are there new local artists you can support? Can you try a new restaurant? Can you find a gift for a friend at a business you aren’t frequently visiting? Challenge yourself to spread out your dollars. 

   • At BOM YEG we’re really happy to support not only our vendors but other underrepresented businesses within Edmonton. For example we love to partner with Glass Bookshop for our local delivery needs as they share some of our own values and focus their collection on Canadian writing with special attention paid to queer and racialized writers. We also hire local Black creatives in Edmonton to capture our events from our DJs, photographers and video production team. 

7. What advice would you give allies, activists, or other entrepreneurs or Edmontonians in general when it comes to how they can support their communities, uplift BIPOC, volunteer or create projects like BOM YEG to make an impact? 

   • Determine who your community is at the onset of your venture and keep them rooted at the centre of all your decision making. 

   • Go out of your way to support BIPOC businesses, BIPOC causes and BIPOC people. Use your platforms to amplify their voices. Use your dollars, if you’re able, to help keep the lights on at their businesses. 

   • If you have a skillset that you’d like to share, reach out and offer support even if it’s casual or on an ongoing basis. We’re currently recruiting for new voluntary roles within BOM YEG and we’d love to talk to anyone regarding the skills they may be able to offer to us.

     We’re here for Edmonton as a community and while our goal is to uplift Black businesses we truly need everyone’s support, including our allies, to create economic justice.