One of my favourite things about truLOCAL (and why I continue to partner with them year after year) is their integrity. The company is run by an incredible team with a lot of heart, and they continue to make a difference in the communities they operate in.
Back in June 2020, truLOCAL announced the truLOCAL Equal Opportunity Business Grant, an initiative to provide $5,000 grants to each of four small Black-owned businesses. The goal? To help these businesses grow and thrive.
As truLOCAL CEO Marc LaFleur said, “As a Black-owned and led business, we feel it’s more important now than ever to stand up against injustice, and use our platform and resources to help elevate Black individuals and communities.”
The winners have recently been announced, and I’m excited to share them with you. It’s a great way to discover Black-owned businesses to support, and to drive greater awareness of their stories and what they offer.
Girl Gang Strong Inc.
This girl-powered business sells a bi-monthly subscription box for teens and tweens. Supported by an online community, Girl Gang Strong focuses on curating products that help young girls “love themselves, empower each other, and embrace their differences.”
So what can you expect in a subscription box? Each one comes curated with 5-8 products, ranging from stationary and books to accessories and jewelry, and beauty products.
Making this company even more special is that its founder, Kyree, is only 11 years old. You can read more about her story here and the way it’s shaped the company’s values.
To learn more about Girl Gang Strong (or to gift a box to a young lady in your life!), check out their fun website.
Ohh! Foods
“Inclusive snacking” never looked so delicious! Ohh! Foods is disrupting the snacking industry by introducing snacks free from the top 10 priority food allergens.
From their Birthday Cake Cookie Dough to Coconut Brownie bites, the options are far from boring and some even boast being made from 5 ingredients or less.
Shop online on their site, or check out their Store Locator for a physical location near you.
Bliss Skateboard Shop
Like many moms, after Sasha Senior had her two kids, doing the things she enjoyed, like skateboarding, moved to the back burner. She returned to her passion in 2016, and opened Bliss Skateboard Shop to not only pursue her dream, but also to “strengthen the connection between the Windsor and Detroit skateboarding community” in which she operates. Bliss Skateboard Shop is the only store of its kind in Windsor, and truly seeks to bring people together. You can learn more about Sasha’s story here and here.
With a physical store and an online shop, it’s easy to find all of your skateboarding needs. Bliss “strives to make your skateboarding experience as smooth as possible”.
Soungui Fitness
While most personal trainers only focus on, well, physical fitness, Soungui Koulamallah is different. The Ottawa-based trainer sees health more holistically:
“Healthy living doesn’t just mean fitness, it also means promoting mental and spiritual wellbeing. Our fitness philosophy is centred around vigorous activity, a careful diet, mindfulness and promoting mental health.”
He offers a gym, on-site personal training, consultations, group classes, and remote fitness sessions. But more uniquely, his company reaches out to lower-income communities to provide education around health and nutrition, with the goal to promote healthy lifestyle habits among youth.
Learn more about Soungui here, and check out his website for more information about current offerings.
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For more details about the truLOCAL Equal Opportunity Business Grant (and to watch pitch videos from the winners!) check out their landing page here.
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