Black Screen Office

What Black Screen Office does

Black Screen Office (legal name: Black Screen Office / Bureau de l'écran des Noirs, French acronym BÉN) is a Canadian non-profit organization headquartered in Toronto that advances equity for Black Canadians in the country's screen industries. Founded in 2022 with the Rogers-BSO Script Development Fund launching in 2021, BSO operates as an advocacy, workforce-development, and research body rather than a technology company. Its core programs span five accelerator/mentorship tracks (Global Market Accelerator, BSO-CMPA Black Producers Accelerator, BSO-DGC Black Women Directors Accelerator, Executive Pathways Accelerator, and Office Hours Mentorship), two funding vehicles (the Rogers-BSO Script Development Fund with $1.65M deployed since 2021, and the CRTC-certified Black Screen Office Fund), an annual BSO Symposium (400 attendees in 2026, $279–$339+HST per ticket), and three research initiatives (Being Seen, Being Counted, Being Heard).

The organization is not a registered charity and cannot issue tax receipts; its revenue base is composed of corporate sponsorships (Rogers, Bell Media, Paramount+, Crave, Game TV, CMPA, DGC), federal and provincial grants (Canadian Heritage, Canada Council for the Arts, Canada Media Fund, Telefilm Canada, Creative BC), and foundation support (RBC Foundation, Inspirit Foundation, TD Ready Commitment, Black Opportunity Fund, Entertainment Partners). BSO is governed by a board including co-chairs Richard Jean-Baptiste and Haydn Wazelle, with Joan Jenkinson serving as CEO and Co-Founder among a group of co-founders that includes Maya Annik Bedward, Damon D'Oliveira, Jennifer Holness, and others. Its customer base consists of Black Canadian creators, directors, producers, writers, and executives working across film, television, and digital media, and its programs have produced measurable outcomes including alumni placements at HBO and Netflix writers' rooms, four optioned scripts, one licensing deal, and 60 French/English projects funded.

The competitive position rests on a near-monopoly mandate as Canada's only dedicated anti-Black racism advocacy body in screen industries, reinforced by CRTC certification of BSOF, original industry-wide research (Being Seen/Counted/Heard), and unparalleled access to broadcaster and trade-association gatekeepers. The organization operates with a lean 7-person staff and is approximately 3 years old, positioning it as an early-stage but rapidly scaling non-profit infrastructure play within the Canadian screen ecosystem.

Name

Black Screen Office

Legal name

BLACK SCREEN OFFICE / BUREAU DE L'ÉCRAN DES NOIRS

Website

https://bso-ben.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Black Screen Office is a Toronto-based non-profit that advances equity for Black Canadians in screen industries through accelerator programs, mentorship, funding, research, and an annual symposium, partnering with broadcasters, streamers, and government funders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Screen Industry Diversity Advocacy

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

akta.pro primary industry

Racial & Ethnic Justice Organizations (BPAGAFAC)

Keywords

• Screen industry equity
• Black Canadian filmmakers
• Diversity in media
• Screen industry advocacy
• Film industry research

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: BSO is a non-profit organization that operates on donations and funding from partners and supporters. The organization is not a registered charity, so no tax receipts can be issued for contributions.
2. Symposium Revenue: Annual BSO Symposium generates revenue through ticket sales ($279-$339 + HST), sponsorships from industry partners including broadcasters, streamers, and production companies.
3. Program Administration: The Rogers-BSO Script Development Fund is administered by CISF (Canadian Independent Screen Fund for BPOC Creators), with Rogers investing $1.65 million since 2021.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Black Screen Office is a Toronto-based non-profit organization that advances equity for Black Canadians working in screen industries through programs, research, advocacy, and funding opportunities. The organization runs career development initiatives, an annual symposium with policy framework and business exchange, mentoring and writing programs, a legal clinic, an international series incubator, health and wellness services, and a research lab.

Product overview

Black Screen Office (BSO) operates as a non-profit advocacy organization offering a portfolio of accelerator programs, funding initiatives, mentorship opportunities, and research resources designed to advance Black Canadians in screen industries. The core programs include the Global Market Accelerator, BSO-CMPA Black Producers Accelerator Program, BSO Black Women Directors Accelerator, Executive Pathways Accelerator, and Office Hours Mentorship Program. Financial support is provided through the Rogers-BSO Script Development Fund and the CRTC-certified Black Screen Office Fund. The organization also conducts annual BSO Symposium events and produces research initiatives including Being Seen, Being Counted, and Being Heard. The programs collectively work toward dismantling anti-Black racism in Canada's screen industries through workforce development, content production support, and industry advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Black Screen Office Fund (BSOF): CRTC-certified independent production fund supporting Black-led content and talent development in Canadian screen industries
• Rogers-BSO Script Development Fund
• BSO Global Market Accelerator
• BSO Black Women Directors Accelerator
• BSO Executive Pathways Accelerator
• BSO Office Hours Mentorship Program
• BSO-CMPA Black Producers Accelerator Program

Products and services

• Black Screen Accelerator
• Annual Symposium
• Mentoring Programs
• Writing Programs Writing-focused programs supporting Black Canadian screenwriters and storytellers.
• Legal Clinic
• International Series Incubator Incubator program designed to develop international series projects led by Black Canadian creators.
• Health and Wellness Services Program
• Research Lab
• Production Accessibility Calculator for Equity (PACE) Tool developed to calculate and advance accessibility and equity within screen industry production environments.
• Business Exchange
• BSO Policy Framework Policy framework presented at the annual symposium to guide equity outcomes for Black Canadians in screen industries.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60 projects supported with $1.65 million invested through Rogers-BSO Script Development Fund
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Canadian Independent Screen Fund for BPOC Creators (CISF)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 25 August 2025CISF administers the Rogers-BSO Script Development Fund, managing the application portal and fund administration. Applications must be completed through the CISF portal.
• Paramount+coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual supporter of the Global Market Accelerator program, providing sponsorship to enable Black Canadian content creators to showcase their work at international film festivals and TV markets.
• WAGE (Women in Film & Television Alberta)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual supporter of the Global Market Accelerator program for international festival and market delegations.
• Creative BCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvincial funder supporting the Global Market Accelerator program.
• Bell MediacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond sponsor of the 2026 BSO Symposium. Partner for the BSO Business Exchange, bringing decision-makers together with Black creators. Bell Media executives actively participate in symposium programming.
• CraveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond sponsor of the 2026 BSO Symposium.
• Game TVminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor of the 2026 BSO Symposium, presented in partnership with Paramount+, CMF and Game TV.
• CMPAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSilver sponsor of the 2026 BSO Symposium. Co-develops the BSO-CMPA Black Producers Accelerator Program with BSO.
• National Film Board (NFB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSilver sponsor of the 2026 BSO Symposium. NFB produces documentaries and animation and works with other producers.
• OYA Black Arts CoalitionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor of the 2026 BSO Symposium, representing Black arts organizations.
• DGC (Directors Guild of Canada)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBronze sponsor and accessibility partner of the 2026 BSO Symposium. Co-develops the BSO-DGC Black Women Directors Accelerator Program, facilitating connections to producers and productions and opening access to DGC training initiatives.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BIPOC TV & Film: Canadian non-profit advocating for BIPOC creators across screen industries, offering training, mentorship, and advocacy. Most directly comparable peer given shared Canadian jurisdiction, racial-equity mandate, and screen-industry focus.
• Women in Film & Television International: Global network advocating for women in screen industries through mentorship, programs, and research. Comparable as an identity-focused screen-industry advocacy organization with research publications and accelerator-adjacent programming.
• ImagineNATIVE: Toronto-based Indigenous screen organization operating an industry festival, training programs, and funding initiatives. Comparable as a Canadian non-profit serving an underrepresented screen community with a festival-plus-workforce-development model.
• Black Public Media: US-based non-profit supporting Black media makers through funding, training, and distribution. Comparable as a peer organization advancing Black talent in screen with analogous accelerator and content-fund mechanisms.

Regional players

• Outfest: US LGBTQ+ film organization running a major festival, education programs, and advocacy initiatives. Comparable as a peer that supports an underrepresented screen community through festivals, training, and policy advocacy, though focused on a different identity group and US-based.

Broad incumbents

• Reel Canada: Canadian non-profit supporting screen industry careers and education nationwide. Comparable as a Canadian screen-focused non-profit offering workforce resources and is even cross-linked on BSO's site.
• Color of Change: Largest US online racial justice organization campaigning across media, corporate, and policy domains. Comparable as a racial-justice advocacy organization with media-industry-facing campaigns and research.

Others

• Telefilm Canada: Federal cultural agency funding Canadian film and screen industries. Comparable not as a peer but as a critical ecosystem partner and likely funder supporting BSO's mandate.

Emerging players

• Free The Work: Global non-profit advocating for diverse directors and creators in film and advertising. Comparable as a peer that builds pipelines for underrepresented screen talent through database, advocacy, and program-based interventions.
• Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE): US non-profit advancing Asian American and Pacific Islander representation in entertainment through programs, advocacy, and research. Comparable peer addressing underrepresentation in screen industries via workforce development and industry research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BLKScreenOffice
• Facebookfacebook.com/BlackScreenOffice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-screen-office
• Instagraminstagram.com/blackscreenoffice

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Black Screen Office