HALIFAX, NS — Tribe Network and IGNITE Atlantic announced a partnership aimed at creating seamless pathways for Black and racialized founders across Atlantic Canada — connecting Halifax-based support with rural innovation hubs in Cape Breton, New Glasgow, and Yarmouth.
The partnership brings together two of the region's most active entrepreneurship organizations: Tribe Network, which provides community, coaching, and capital to Black and racialized founders in high-growth sectors across Atlantic Canada, and IGNITE Atlantic, a rural innovation hub that supports entrepreneurs and startups in communities across the region.
Together, the organizations will work to ensure that Black and racialized founders, wherever they are, have a trusted place to land, access resources, and connect with the people and programs they need to grow.
"This partnership is about driving productivity and economic impact for our province, by ensuring support is in place for our high growth, innovation driven, Black and racialized founders," said Savior Joseph, Founding Chair and now interim CEO of Tribe Network. "When a high performance founder starts their journey in rural Nova Scotia, we want that experience to feel connected and supported. No one should fall through the cracks because of geography. Our partnership with Doug and his IGNITE team will ensure extensive support is provided to our rural based entrepreneurs to drive scale and impact.
“At IGNITE, we are focused on building strong, inclusive innovation ecosystems in rural communities,” said Doug Jones, CEO of IGNITE Atlantic. “Partnering with Tribe Network allows us to extend that impact by ensuring Black and racialized founders have access to the right support at the right time, no matter where they are located. This is how we drive meaningful growth and unlock the full potential of entrepreneurship across our region.”
Kick-Off Event, Cape Breton, Spring 2026
To mark the partnership, Tribe Network and IGNITE Atlantic are hosting a community launch event at IGNITE's Cape Breton location (500 George St., Suite 200) on May 21st. The event will bring together founders, community members, and ecosystem partners for an evening of networking, introductions, and conversation.
Register now at: https://luma.com/wnu6vqjk
About Tribe Network
Tribe Network is a community of Black, racialized entrepreneurs and innovators building businesses across Canada. Through access to coaching, capital, and community, Tribe helps racialized founders develop the skills, networks, and resources they need to succeed and thrive in key growth sectors. Learn more at tribenetwork.ca.
About IGNITE Atlantic
IGNITE Atlantic is a rural innovation hub dedicated to building vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystems in communities across Atlantic Canada. With locations in Cape Breton, New Glasgow, and Yarmouth, IGNITE surrounds entrepreneurs and founders at every stage with programming, mentorship, workspace, and access to funding.
Learn more at igniteatlantic.com.
Media Contact
Ekow Korsah
Digital Innovation Lead
Tribe Network
(902) 499-4890
Ally MacKenzie
Digital Innovation & Communications Coordinator
IGNITE Atlantic
(902) 417-0598