The winners include a smart hat for builders, a startup comfort and a skin care brand.
Garden-splash with Bluetooth support, stimulated by food technology, inspired by food technology and a clean skin care brand, all entered into prizes at the first Melamoon Pitch contest for black founders in Toronto.
After a two-week intensive program to improve their companies and submitted six finalists from a cohort of 50 founders, they presented their business ideas to a group of judges in The Globe and Mail Center in Toronto on September 27, a total of 200,000 US dollars in the form of indefinite money for receiving.
Jamaal Bond took home a grand prize in the amount of $ 100,000 for the sound armor Evitavonni Construction, digitally designed to increase safety and communication between employees on construction sites. The hat combines the voice and audio -transfer along with the weather updates and the hazard notification.
The winner of the second place of $ 50,000 was Biola Oluvajuigbe, the founder and general director of Healx Foods, who produces comfortable food (for example, potatoes of color cabbage) with pure ingredients. The company sells in more than 100 grocery stores throughout Canada, including Sobeys and Avril.
Chevon Riley won $ 25,000 for a skin care brand. Dr. Fillis Posi for her digital health and fitness platform Genelean360 went to the Genelean360.
“We will use the winnings to introduce this innovative technology into the hands of every woman who deserves to feel her healthier, brightest,” said Baby Betakit.
Melamoon is a joint organization between the Federation of the African Canadian economy (FACE), a national organization for black entrepreneurs, and Black Ambition, an American non-profit organization founded by musician Farrell Williams, which is aimed at reducing the gap in the wealth for unpromformed founders.
Among the judges was Regina Gwinn, co -founder of Black Girls Talk Tech; Michael Haitt, entrepreneur and former investor Dragon's Den; Eric Moore, founder and managing director of Base Ventures; And Tanya Walker, lawyer for commercial trials and director of the board of directors for the legal company Ontario. The Canadian Minister of Women and Gender equality of Rechie Valdez was also present at the ceremony.
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Melamun argued that at $ 200,000 he was awarded the largest amount of cash prizes awarded to the black founders in Canada. Black founders are faced with a financing gap in Canada compared to other groups, according to report Repmatters and BKR Capital: less than one percent of venture dollars entered the company led by black in Canada since 2020. The report calculated that in 2024 the Canadian population required 312 million US dollars.
Strengthening the organization of black talents occurs, since some of the corporate worlds Relieved back Initiatives in diversity, justice and inclusion. Analysis Globe and mail I found a sharp drop in the number of Canadian companies ready to share diversity indicators since 2021.
“I think that it is important that we show the relations that exist over the political climate in which we are: that people always find a way to work together, build up strength, be stable and move forward,” Tiffany Callendar said at an event with the sponsorship Callander.
But some organizations in Canada continue to financially support entrepreneurs from unpromoced layers. Ontario Black Enterprise Alliance recently received $ 2.4 million From the Federal Agency. The Melamun event received financial support from the Canadian government and the Crown Corporation Business Bank, as well as Interac, TD Bank, now Toronto and Black Women Tech Tech.
The feature of the image is kindly provided by the Federation of the African Canadian economy.
