Winners of our Be.Build.Brand. Pitch Prize Contest for youth entrepreneurs

TORONTO, July 27, 2022 – Toronto Community Housing (TCHC) is pleased to announce the winners of the 8th annual Be.Build.Brand. business start-up contest. Thanks to the generous support of Scotiabank – Sponsor of the Pitch Prizes – these young entrepreneurs and tenants of Toronto Community Housing will have the opportunity to turn their ideas into viable businesses.

The annual pitch contest was held virtually on Tuesday, July 26. Seven finalists presented their ideas to a panel of judges for the chance to win start-up funding. Pitch night is the culmination of a 10-week process where participants take part in workshops and have access to a broad range of business and marketing advice, as well as support for them to develop their business ideas.

The contest's first place winner was Khalil Dorival. Mr. Dorival's company, Khalil Dorival Enterprise (KDE), addresses social and economic barriers faced by youths through mental wellness workshops. KDE is on a mission to change lives, sow seeds of hope and spread self-love to inspire people to love themselves and, in return, love others. As the first prize winner, Mr. Dorival received a Scotiabank Pitch Prize of $5,000, as well as a range of marketing, design and mentoring supports.

The second prize of $3,000 was awarded to Nick McCalla. His company, Only Nick's, is an organic herbal topical product line that delivers powerful, safe, and holistic pain relief and skin care. The product line is formulated to reduce chronic pain including menstrual, muscular and others while reducing the appearance of skin conditions such as psoriasis, stretch marks and acne.

The third-prize winner was Kadaesha Lindsay. She is a mompreneur who is the owner of Untainted Bath & Body Care, a health-conscious 'skinalimstic' skincare line created with natural organic handmade ingredients like clays, oils and herbs. Each product is free of synthetic fragrances, dyes and harmful chemicals contributing to growing health concerns. Untainted Bath & Body Care creates safe and healthy bath products for consumers who want healthy skin without exposure to toxic ingredients. She earned a $2,000 prize.

In addition to Scotiabank Pitch Prizes, winners will receive follow-up mentoring and support, including free branding and marketing services from independent creative agency trevor//peter and access to Digital Main Street for website development.

Scotiabank's investment is part of ScotiaRISE, the Bank's 10-year $500 million initiative that aims to promote economic resilience among disadvantaged groups. 

Be.Build.Brand. is a 10-week entrepreneurship program offered to TCHC tenants between the ages of 18 and 29. Featuring industry guest speakers and business-building opportunities, the program supports business ideas in the pre-incubation stage and empowers participants to realize their entrepreneurial dreams. Partners for the program include Scotiabank (Sponsor of Pitch Prizes), the City of Toronto, Digital Main Street, George Brown College/StartGBC, and trevor//peter.

Quotes

"With the generous support from Scotiabank in the Be.Build.Brand. program, our bright, entrepreneurial tenants are one step closer to achieving their business dreams. We're grateful to all our partners who have invested in the potential and success of our youth tenants. I'm excited to see the future successes of these young entrepreneurs as they continue on their journey."

- Jag Sharma, President and CEO, Toronto Community Housing

 

"Scotiabank is proud to support TCHC's Be.Build.Brand. entrepreneurship program and empower Toronto Community Housing tenants to achieve their entrepreneurial dreams. Through ScotiaRISE we are partnering with programs and organizations that serve our communities in removing barriers to career advancement."

- Maria Saros, Scotiabank's Vice President and Global Head of Social Impact

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 Learn more about Be.Build.Brand. on the TCHC website.

About Toronto Community Housing

Toronto Community Housing (www.torontohousing.ca) is Canada's largest social housing provider. We provide homes for nearly 60,000 low- and moderate-income households in neighbourhoods across the city.

Media contact:

TCHC Media Line: media@torontohousing.ca | 416-737-1352