Before he founded Blackleaf Capital, Chinni Kanu, Comm ’24, realized he wanted to go into investment banking during his first year at Queen’s. While in his second year, he was already recruiting for a full-time job upon graduation.
“You have to know very, very early if you want to get a job in [investment banking],” Kanu told The Journal in an interview.
Kanu scored an internship in investment banking in the summer of his second year at Toronto Dominion (TD), and another at PJT Partners in New York the following summer. He’s returning to PJT this year for a full-time role in investment banking.
Naturally, Kanu looked for other Black-identifying investment bankers as mentors, but as he looked up the corporate hierarchy, he saw fewer Black bankers. Around five per cent of investment bankers in the US identify as Black or African American, according to Zippia, a job listing site.
Kanu said he didn’t encounter microaggressions in the workplace and had great mentors at TD and PJT—but he felt outsized pressure to exceed expectations, and grappled with imposter syndrome.
He added there is an additional spotlight on Black students—the expectations on them are amplified and they can be made to feel like a poster child when they do well.
After finding a few Black people who helped him navigate the industry, Kanu wanted to provide the same opportunities for other Black-identifying students breaking into finance, realizing it would benefit others as well.
“It’s really hard to grow and exceed when you don’t have a mentor […] Who can understand you or who you are,” he said.
Kanu founded Blackleaf Capital, a nonprofit equities investment fund and financial education program for Black university students across Canada. With pro-bono help from the Queen’s Law Clinic, the organization was founded in March 2023.
Since then, Blackleaf has grown exponentially. There are 13 students managing the organization, they’ve hired 12 analysts graduating in 2026, six from the class of 2027, and plan to hire six from different programs across Canada in March 2024. The organization has 50 who partake in a hip program and learning opportunities from universities across Canada.
“We’re trying to tell firms that we have this cohort of students very interested in finance, who have been trained […] The moment you hire them, they will be able to hit the ground running,” Kanu said.
Blackleaf has a slew of corporate sponsors, including Bank of Montreal Capital Markets (BMO), P Investments, and Royal Bank of Canada Capital markets, according to their website.
The organization’s primary goal is to educate Black students in finance fundamentals, provide interview preparation, and offer speaking events. The organization manages a simulated virtual long equity portfolio, meaning students analyze the values of stocks with the aim of seeing long-term returns.
By creating a virtual fund, like other Queen’s Commerce clubs, Kanu said Blackleaf can avoid legal snags and focus on their primary goal—education.
“We wanted to keep it small […] We really want it to be hands on with those students,” he said.
Kanu was involved in founding Smith Black Business Association (SBBA), an organization that holds events, educational programs, and networking opportunities for Black business students at Queen’s.
“You’re trying to change a narrative that’s been there for hundreds of years. It takes so much time to do that,” Kanu said.
Blackleaf Capital has already transformed the lives of some students, Kanu said.
“I’ve heard people [tell] me that they didn’t even know what they were going to do with their lives, and now they have a plan,” he said.
“That’s kind of what keeps me going—that I’m making a huge impact on the lives of students in SBBA and Blackleaf.”
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