“We are inspired by this story of Vie and how she created a place where people can have comfort, food, entertainment and belonging,” Ogundele says of Vie’s Chicken and Steak House, formally located in Vancouver’s historic black neighbourhood, Hogan’s Alley. “What does that mean for young people as they imagine what Hogan’s Alley can look like?”

As Black Futures Month approaches, Ethọ́s Lab has much to celebrate, including an expansion of their current Mount Pleasant building. The new space – covering 2,700 sq.-ft – will be shared with UBC Geering Up and Hogan’s Alley Society (HAS).

Shifting the culture of innovation

Ethọ́s Lab sits at the intersection of community, culture and innovation – centring what Ogundele describes as the “humanity of the Black experience.” In 2025, the organization reached more than 1, 500 children and teenagers through on-site programming and school partnerships.

“It’s not just about, ‘Hey, come and build this computer program,’” says Ogundele. “Everything we do is integrated to our community and the world around us, which ties to our mission around empowering youth to transform their community and shift the culture of innovation.”

Looking for growth beyond the classroom, she recalls teenaged participants at an Ethọ́s Lab camp stewarding the plaza in front of their building. These participants then presented to the City of Vancouver staff, sharing knowledge on how best to utilize the space.

“Seeing the evolution of their leadership and their empowerment has been incredible,” she shares.

This new space – at nearly 3,700 sq. ft. when combined with Ethọ́s Lab’s existing location – will allow programs to run simultaneously. Ogundele sees it as a “true youth innovation hub” – a place where people can “navigate the future together.”

The Blackathon will mark the beginning of Ethọ́s Lab’s new partnership with HAS. Drawing inspiration from Hogan’s Alley, youth will be asked to apply the principle of Sankofa – which in the language of Ghana’s Akan peoples means “bringing the past forward” – to imagine future possibilities.

“[We wanted to] create an opportunity where there is agency, where young people are able to shape what they want the city to look like and be, especially in the context of Hogan’s Alley having a deep history and a deep culture,” Ogundele says. “It’s important that Black youth and their peers can imagine what the future looks like.”

A nation-wide vision

Founded in 2020, Ethọ́s Lab’s roots are deeply personal to Ogundele. She formed the organization as a response to what she saw – and did not see – available for her own daughter in terms of STEAM programming.

“Often times, [my daughter] felt like there was a bit of a clash where she didn’t belong in a lot of spaces,” Ogundele recalls. “She’d either be the only girl or the only Black person in the room.”

Equity, for Ogundele, is foundational to innovation. Rather than a colour-blind approach, Ethọ́s Lab recognizes everyone’s complexity – including how race, gender and other identity markers intersect.

“When it comes to innovation, we, as a society, have yet to fully reckon with the complexities of those identities,” she says. “We can see with artificial intelligence that bias continues to enter into the algorithms.”

An example is the underrepresentation of female-identifying individuals. Ogundele also points to continued harms against historically marginalized groups – including Black and LGBTQIA+ individuals in gaming spaces.

Blackathon participants are required to complete Ethọ́s Lab’s workshops on ethically using artificial intelligence. Ogundele notes that these workshops encourage participants to design in a way that “honours the history” while respecting the “technology of now and the future.”

“Equity is the acknowledgement of the full humanity,” she says. “It’s the ability for a young person to look at another young person and just see all of them – and the complexity of their being.”

Proceeds from their Black Futures Month fundraiser will support Ethọ́s Lab’s operations – including staffing needs and building maintenance. This allows Ogundele’s team to continue delivering and expanding their programs.

“This is our first location and it’s our vision to have locations across the country to be able to create a place where young people can access trusted scientific information, peers [and] subject matter experts,” Ogundele adds. “The vision is truly about creating that place where young people can go and feel like they belong.”

Ethọ́s Lab’s Black Futures Month fundraiser aims to raise $150, 000 by the end of February. The public can explore their new space during a week-long, kick-off open house, starting on March 14.

For more information on Ethọ́s Lab, see www.ethoslab.ca.