Haviah Mighty chooses 10 black Canadian entrepreneurs for the small business award

TORONTO – Haviah Mighty is giving 10 small, black-owned businesses some extra cash to help them grow and thrive.

The Canadian rapper has announced the winners of her Black Entrepreneur 10K Giveaway, which focuses on supporting Black Canadian businesses.

Mighty says she wanted to share the wealth after receiving half of last year’s $20,000 Prism Prize winnings, which went to her “Thirteen” music video.

She launched a contest in December and narrowed down the entrants to 20 companies who then pitched their cases on Instagram Live.

The chosen recipients offer a range of Canadian products and services, including clothing, braids, black and brown bandages and stuffed dolls.

Mighty awarded $1,000 to each of the 10 winners and Afro Caribbean Business Network Canada awarded $250 to each of the 10 finalists.

The 2019 Polaris Prize winner said Thursday the giveaway introduced her to a variety of black Canadian businesses she didn’t know existed.

“I wanted to focus on people who are experiencing these setbacks in the world of entrepreneurship and give them a little nudge, give them a little attention,” she said in an interview from her home in Brampton, Ontario.

“As a young black musician, I’m not the person you expect to have a business and the business I have is also not a business you hoped would thrive. I feel like a lot of the things I do defy even my own expectations.

Winners of the giveaway include eyewear company Eyerie, handbag maker Nurse with the Good Purse, black plush doll maker Zuri & Dre and two clothing designers, Pack Animal Company and TYIC.

Rounding out the group are Braids By Dom, Likkle More Oil, Loonyz Balloon Art, Heal In Color and thrift and design store Artisanal Design.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on February 17, 2021

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