Congratulations to our Bluboho Raising the Standard Grant Winners
We are so pleased to announce the amazing winners of the Bluboho Raising the Standard Grant. We received so many great applications and nominations for the inaugural grant program supporting Black female entrepreneurs. As Black women are the fast growing demographic of entrepreneurs, we were so honoured to introduce this partnership with our collaborators Bluboho that supports Black female business owners. The four winners were selected based on their ability to shine amongst so many other powerful business owners. With their strong and impactful missions and captivating content, these businesses blew us away!
The four winners of the Bluboho Raising the Standard Grant are:
1) PleaseNotes by Cheryl Sutherland
2) Althea Therapy by Micheline Khan
3) Taj Charles by Tajah Charles
4) Carnival Spice by Shakera Martin
The winners will receive a $1,500 grant, a $150 Bluboho valued item and 1:1 time with both the Bluboho Founder and select Standard Co-Founders.
"These funds will help me launch my new Guided Manifestation Planner and get me back on track for the holiday rush! This is such a blessing and it came at just the right time!" said Cheryl Sutherland Transformational Speaker and Founder of PleaseNotes, a brand of affirmation-filled products and workshops to help increase your confidence and attain the success you desire.
“Thank you to Bluboho and The Standard team for supporting and amplifying small businesses. I am truly grateful to be one of the grant winners and excited to continue creating space in the arts and fitness industry for women that look like me. The grant money will be reinvested into Carnival Spice's marketing efforts and content creation. Our work provides positive representation and connection to Caribbean culture so it is important that those who need our services can find us and benefit from the joy it brings,” said Shakera Martin, movement coach, speaker and founder of Carnival Spice, the organization that has grown into a powerful movement bringing positive exposure to Caribbean talent, customs and culture internationally.
We would also like to say a big thanks to Bluboho. The vision for The Standard is to center the experiences of Black women through collaboration. Working with Maggie Aurocco, founder of Bluboho, and her rockstar team on this program has been an dream. We know this is just the beginning of a great partnership and we look forward to continuing the amplification of Black women.
Amongst our winners is Micheline Khan, a mental health advocate, scientist, CEO and founder of Althea Therapy, an app to connect with Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) mental health and wellness professionals in Canada. "Receiving the Bluboho Raising the Standard grant will allow us to build up our sustainable marketing strategies to reach more Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour Canadians in need!"
The grant will also support Taj Charles, the namesake label of Ottawa born, Toronto based Designer + DJ, Tajah Charles (DJ Steph Honey). TAJ CHARLES adds life to your lounge and lingerie wardrobe. Her line of lingerie wardrobes prides themselves on versatile pieces, in unique fabrics that can be worn as many ways as you like. “With the money from the grant, I will be able to continue our production transition. We are in the works with two female run, Toronto based production companies to assist in the manufacturing of our next collection and pieces going forward. I will also be able to create a better marketing plan for our holiday releases."
Most importantly we’d like to thank our members and the community. Although Black women entrepreneurs are less likely to seek out funds to support their business, the community support brought attention to many talented female business owners. We weren’t surprised by the number of unique and well-run businesses that applied to the Bluboho Raising the Standard Grant and we look forward to being able to support more businesses in the future. Thank you to everyone that applied and stay tuned for more grant programs for our members as we continue to set a new standard for Black women in marketing.
For more information on all the powerhouse women and their businesses, see their IG handle below and see how their businesses are making a difference.
1) PleaseNotes (@pleasenotesgood)
2) Althea Therapy (@altheatherapy)
3) Taj Charles (@shoptajcharles)
4) Carnival Spice (@carnivalspice)
