Founding President, Zwart Communication and The International Black Economic Forum
Kerlande is the founding president of the International Black Economic Forum (IBEF), which is the recipient of Startup Canada’s 2018 Regional and National Award for Entrepreneurial Support. IBEF aims to be a laboratory for economic innovation in order to accelerate wealth creation in Black collectivities. Kerlande also started and manages Zwart Communication, a communication agency that specialises in multicultural marketing.
Prior to these ventures, she was a political advisor in the office of the mayor of Montréal for social development, social economy and youth issues. She has worked for more than ten years in economic development, employability and women’s entrepreneurship. Among other things, she created and managed marketing programmes for women entrepreneurs and developed partnerships for the creation of a women’s entrepreneurship fund.
Kerlande sits on many boards and forums and is currently a member of the International Women’s Forum. She is interested in issues relative to economic development, international development, gender equality and social innovation.