by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors
September 8, 2025
An entrepreneur who built Canada’s largest Black business directory
Written by Noel Walker
Toronto pulses with Caribbean Carnival energy each summer—steel pan rhythms echoing through downtown streets, elaborate masquerader costumes dazzling crowds, and the enticing aromas of jerk chicken and roti drifting from food vendors. Yet beyond Caribana’s week-long celebration, the city’s multicultural foundation thrives year-round through Mexican cantinas, Jamaican neighborhoods, and iconic landmarks like the CN Tower, which draw millions of international visitors annually. Within this vibrant ecosystem, Roger Dundas has built something transformative: ByBlacks.com, Canada’s premier Black media platform and business directory that is reshaping how Black Canadian stories are told while connecting over 4,000 verified businesses nationwide.
Since launching ByBlacks.com in February 2013, Dundas has transformed his digital startup into a nationally recognized media powerhouse, earning three national ethnic press awards and recognition from the Prime Minister. The Toronto-based publisher has become synonymous with authentic Black Canadian media by maintaining editorial standards that prioritize cultural integrity over mainstream appeal.
“It’s interesting that they have done that grouping,” Dundas says of BIPOC categorization in media and business. “I kind of understand it, but because Black people have been discriminated against the most, it’s sometimes unfair to bunch us with other people that are getting privileges and benefits that we are not accessing. To me, an underrepresented business owner is a Black business.”
Building Canada’s Largest Black Business Infrastructure
Dundas’s business philosophy drives ByBlacks.com’s dual approach: authentic storytelling paired with practical community resources. The platform features only Black Canadian writers, ensuring that every piece maintains cultural relevance while covering topics ranging from politics to parenting across Canada’s diverse Black communities.
“We are covering all stories. It doesn’t matter your background, sexual orientation, or religion. Once you are Black, you’re open to having your story told if it aligns with our mandate,” Dundas emphasizes.
This editorial commitment extends to the platform’s cornerstone feature: the Black Business Directory, now housing over 4,000 verified listings spanning restaurants, professional services, healthcare providers, and cultural businesses. Dundas describes it as Canada’s largest Black business directory, with his team conducting monthly “broken link checkers” and periodic cleanups, ensuring only active, digitally present businesses remain listed.
The directory’s impact transcends simple listings. It functions as an economic engine circulating Black dollars within communities while serving as a cultural bridge for Toronto’s multicultural tourism industry.
“A lot of people reach out to us to find a restaurant in Winnipeg or Vancouver, a hairdresser in Hamilton,” Dundas explains. “People often comment on the fact that they want to go to a Black dentist and they’re able to go on the site directory and find just that, whether it’s an accountant, realtor, mortgage broker, etc.”
This infrastructure sets Toronto apart from other multicultural destinations. While many cities offer surface-level cultural experiences, Dundas’s verified directory ensures visitors have access to authentic Black-owned businesses year-round, and not just during festival seasons. The platform’s sophisticated maintenance ensures that tourists consistently find current, operating businesses offering genuine local experiences.
Restaurant Week: Strategic Crisis Response
When COVID-19 devastated Canada’s restaurant industry in 2020, Dundas identified an opportunity within the crisis. Recognizing that many Black-owned restaurants operated takeout-focused models, making them pandemic-resilient, he launched ByBlacks Restaurant Week in May 2021.
“COVID started in 2020, restaurants were being decimated, but here’s something where discrimination actually helped: Black restaurants, because most Black restaurants were take-out only,” Dundas explains. “They didn’t really have the dining expense to begin with, so they were mostly take-out restaurants, and during the pandemic, they were able to block off their places with proper COVID precautions and shields, and just sell.”
With 20% of directory-listed businesses being food-related, Restaurant Week became both a community support initiative and a tourism marketing tool. The annual May event, starting the Monday after Mother’s Day, accommodates diverse business models from high-end establishments offering three-course prix fixe menus to patty shops providing “$10 specials.”
Dundas designed the initiative with Toronto’s demographics in mind. Since Black Canadians comprise less than 13% of the city’s population, according to 2021 census data, its success relies on attracting a broader market.
“We’re only 4% of the population. So you need to get that 96%, to actually come buy your food or get them to at least try it, and if they like it, they’ll be back. The mission for Restaurant Week is to get people purchasing Black food, period. Eat Black Food is the statement on our marketing,” he emphasizes, explicitly targeting Toronto’s multicultural resident and visitor base.
Dundas’s approach extends beyond media and business listings into systemic community support. His 2019 partnership with One Vision, One Voice created culturally relevant online resources for Black families navigating child welfare systems, addressing discrimination while providing practical support during family crises.
“Racism is entrenched across all Canadian institutions, making platforms like ByBlacks.com a necessity rather than a choice,” Dundas notes.
Beyond formal partnerships, Dundas provides business consulting to tons of Black entrepreneurs, offering guidance on digital presence, resource access, and business strategy. This mentorship creates a pipeline, strengthening the entire directory ecosystem.
Cultural Authenticity as Business Strategy
ByBlacks.com’s competitive advantage lies in refusing to homogenize Black Canadian experiences. Whether covering Toronto’s Caribbean Carnival scene, African immigrant entrepreneurship stories, or Nova Scotia’s historic Black communities, every narrative receives equal editorial treatment.
“We refuse to limit coverage to specific ethnic subgroups, celebrating Blackness in all its diversity and complexity,” Dundas states.
This inclusive approach maximizes both audience reach and business directory utility while maintaining cultural integrity.
Expansion Plans and Legacy Building
Dundas positions ByBlacks.com for significant growth, with aspirational priorities that include launching podcasts to bridge generational community gaps and exploring potential expansion into the U.S. and UK Black communities.
“To build a legacy not just of media, but of empowerment, representation, and genuine cultural celebration,” Dundas explains as his ultimate vision.
The platform’s success metrics validate this approach: consistent directory growth, national media recognition, and measurable economic impact through increased Black business spending. Dundas has created sustainable community-serving media that grows stronger through authentic cultural representation.
As Toronto continues to attract global multicultural tourism, platforms like ByBlacks.com provide authentic cultural infrastructure, making the city genuinely welcoming to diverse visitors.
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