Warren G Salmon ,B.Sc., Ph. D (Honoris Causa)
President, Black Board International & First Fridays
After graduating from Ryerson University in Toronto with a degree in Applied Computer Science, he continued his education in Artificial Intelligence and Economics at the University of British Columbia and York University. He started Softec Software Services while he was in his second year of University, and went on to sign contracts with a number of large corporations including XEROX, Citibank, Apple and IBM.
He founded Black Board International (www.ashaware.com), a software company, in order to provide educational resources with culturally inclusive content. Black Board currently offers programs that are used by thousands of children and adults in educational institutes and homes around the world.
In 1994, he started First Fridays in Toronto, a monthly business and community networking event. The event promotes networking, career and business opportunities and features a variety of businesses, organizations, professionals and artists. In 2020 he co-founded Virtual First Fridays North America to help facilitate networking for entrepreneurs, professionals and community members of African descent from across the US and Canada.
In 2013, he become the founding Chair of the Ontario Alliance of Black School
Educators (ONABSE), a non-profit organization devoted to furthering the academic
success for the province’s children – particularly children of African descent. In 2015, he
was elected as the President of ONABSE and as the International Representative on the
Board of Washington, DC based NABSE (National Alliance of Black School Educators). He was recently nominated to run for the position of President-Elect of NABSE and he is currently campaigning for the position.
Honours:
‘Men of Excellence Award’ for Business; ‘Bob Marley Award’ for Business; Visions of
Science, ‘Keepers of the Knowledge Flame Award’; Seed of Life Philanthropic
Organization ‘Community Award of Excellence’; BBPA Harry Jerome Award for
Technology and Innovation; African-Canadian Achievement Award for Business; the
Jackie Robinson Fortitude Award, Honorary Doctor of Philosophy, Humane Letters,
Global Oved Dei Seminary & University, 2019 Annual JunCtian Award for Excellence.
