Our story

In 2015, we started out with 12 women in Toronto. We figured, build it - they will come. Eventually, they did.

In the spring of 2016, we went from 400 to 4000 in 2 months, becoming a safe space for Black women to connect, share and unite. That fall, we incorporated as a non-profit in Canada to be able to take the conversations offline and ensure everything we do is tangible and has maximum impact.

Today, we have grown to become an online global village of almost 40,000, with chapters in various North American cities and in Asia.

what we do

Increasing the social, emotional, financial, and well-being of the Black family– we will positively impact the communities and economies we live in.

Our vision includes:

  • Be a voice at government and key stakeholder tables

  • Build a community hub, which includes much-needed child-care facilities

  • Leverage ourselves as media & brand resource to speak authentically of the Black motherhood experience

 

how we do it

 

  1. We offer emergency financial grants for moms in need. We don’t want our moms to get caught in payday loan cycle or adding additional burdens to their lives. Our BMC Emergency Fund and BMC Rent Bank, allows some breathing room for moms across North America

  2. We offer financial literacy programs and events. FinLitU, is an 8-week masterclass program and an extention of the BMC FinLit Summit, a 2-day event created for and by the Black community to increase competence and confidence around money. To learn more visit FinLitU.com

  3. We offer wellness workshops and retreats through our new vertical: You Ok Mama. Often the last to be asked if we’re ok, this stream focuses on physical, emotional and mental wellness of the moms. To learn more visit, YouOkMama.com

  4. We sit on government roundtables, advocacy committees and show up when the media needs a voice of Black parenting. [Media page coming soon]

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meet the founder

 

Tanya Hayles is an award-winning creative storyteller using various mediums to evoke emotions, create change, build movements, and color in white spaces. 


From community building to freelance writing, from anti-Black racism advocacy to public speaking - Tanya brings her fresh brand of authenticity everywhere she lands. 

She and her words can be found on CBC, Global TV, CityNews, Globe and Mail, CityLine, Toronto Star, Today’s Parent, HuffPost, and more. She has done panels, and sessions for Collision Conference, Unilever Canada, and Facebook appeared in media such as Today.com, Washington Post, USA Today, The Real and Associated Press, and written for Teen Vogue, Today’s Parent, HuffPost, and more. 


She was the 2019 BMO for Women award recipient for Community & Charitable Giving, 2020 L’Oreal Woman of Worth honoree, and selected as one of Canada’s Top 25 Women of Influence in 2021.

Tanya does speaking engagements at conferences, groups, workshops, and events on building online communities, anti-Black racism, and parenting. For speaking inquiries, please email admin@tanyahayles.com.


Find more of her work at Tanyahayles.com.