HAMILTON — A black entrepreneur from Hamilton, Ontario, has won the national black pitch competition for her clinic that works with ethnic minorities.

Micheline Khan’s company, Althea Therapy, helps people access culturally appropriate mental health professionals and resources with the goal of destigmatizing therapy and improving mental health outcomes in underserved communities.

Ms Khan said she was grateful and said the funds would be used to “grow and scale” her business.

She was one of five Black Canadian finalists competing for the $25,000 grand prize funded by the Black Entrepreneurs and Businesses of Canada Society (BEBC Society), a non-profit organization that represents Black entrepreneurs and businesses at large country promotes.

According to the organization, the competition was intended to help black entrepreneurs who would otherwise be excluded from loans, grants or other business financing due to systemic barriers.

Rather than requiring entrants to provide full business plans with their pitches, the competition invited people who identify as Black to submit a short video outlining their ideas.

“I am extremely grateful to the BEBC, the judges and the other participants,” Ms Khan said in a statement. Opportunities like these don’t come along very often and I am blessed to have access to funds to expand Althea Therapy to bring more culturally appropriate resources to communities.

The organization said more than 100 people signed up this year and the winner was chosen at the Black Business Summit, a free annual summit for Canada’s black community.

“We leave the Black Business Summit inspired and equipped to be a game changer for black businesses in Canada,” said BCEC Founder Jackie Kasandy, congratulating Micheline Khan on her award.

“We are taking action to achieve our purpose: empowering the black community to build generational wealth, aim higher and dream bigger.”