Meet Canada's YouTube Black Voices Class of 2023
We couldn’t be more excited to introduce the YouTube Black Voices Class of 2023, which includes 11 incredible Canadian creators and artists. Canadian recipients of the program join 120+ other creators, artists and songwriters from across the globe to receive funding, dedicated support to grow their channel, and access to exclusive workshops and mentorship opportunities.
This marks the third cohort of the global program. Here’s what last year’s graduates had to say on the program:
"YouTube provided me with seed funding to grow my channel, I was assigned a dedicated partner manager, and we attend monthly workshops that teach us how to run a successful YouTube channel. People always ask me, do I suggest applying for YouTube Black? The answer is absolutely yes. The opportunities are endless." - Reni, Class of 2022
"I am sure YouTube's Black Voices Fund program will be as life changing to the 2023 class as it was for me. I had some amazing experiences through this program and I am forever grateful for the mentorship, exposure, and incremental opportunities that helped me grow my channel and business." - Mane, Class of 2022
Meet the class below and keep an eye out for all of the exciting content they’ll create in 2023 👀!
Adanna Madueke: A beauty creator who uses her channel to promote natural beauty, build confidence, and support the de-stigmatization of natural hair. Adanna recognized a lack of representation for styling natural hair types, especially among Black women, and knew she could fill the gap. She posts vlogs, hair and makeup tutorials and more, and is using her platform to create a safe space for people to feel seen and included with her growing audience.
Arccway: Tolu Atkinson is a creative entrepreneur and founder of Arccway on YouTube which he launched in November of 2019. Tolu helps men all around the world with dressing to their own individual personal style while providing men grooming and skincare advice on how to best take care of your health and wellbeing on Youtube. He's passionate about what he does and is always keen on educating and his experiences on becoming your best self while building a business stemming from his passions in life.
Dbrazierr: DeQuawn describes himself as an incredibly awkward variety creator who is passionate about art & self expression. On his channel you can find everything from digital art to amateur filmmaking, with silly skits and dance challenges in between. His goal is to create content that inspires and brings joy to his community.
Fatima Bah: Fatimah’s channel is all things beauty, aimed at helping Black women present themselves in the best way possible. She makes videos on fashion, makeup and personal hygiene where she goes in depth into her personal favourite products, or tips and tricks for her community.
HINDZ: HINDZ is an artist & storyteller from Vancouver, Canada. He uses his channel as a visual storytelling podcast, which is a guide to embracing and nourishing your creative self. He connects with his community by creating a safe space online to discuss mental health, culture, spirituality, self-love and so much more through his audio-visual experience that is both calming and insightful.
MiDASTECH: Tomi is a Nigerian Canadian creating videos in the Tech & DIY space. He’s always had an interest in creating videos but YouTube finally gave him an outlet to do so and make a living at the same time. His weekly videos cover everything from smart watch reviews to battery tests on the newest phones.
O'Neil Gerald: O’Neil is a singer/songwriter with a background in music theory and vocal analysis. He started his channel to not only share his knowledge, but begin a journey with his audience in music creation. He seized the opportunity to support young and emerging artists by offering his channel as a free resource for the technical side of the music industry.
Steph & Den: Hoping to learn how to make money make sense? Dennis and his partner Steph share how they're navigating their 20's, from working corporate jobs (and then quitting those jobs), increasing their income, saving more money, investing, and now growing their own business where they work for themselves full-time.
The OT Love Train: A content creator couple who’s bringing smiles to the faces of their global audience since 2017 with content that revolves around their lifestyle, relationship and humorous personalities. OT Love Train is made up of Olus B and Dorothy Tuash - a Black power couple who believe that love can change the world. Their vision is to become a constant reference for Black authenticity, positivity and excellence.
Tirrrb: Thieb’s channel offers activist content from his perspective as a Canadian immigrant. He uses his unique voice to create content that disarms bigotry and supports his growing community.
TOBi: Oluwatobi, or more widely known as TOBi, is a Nigerian born artist based in Ontario. TOBi released his first album in May 2019, and uses his YouTube channel to share his audio and visual art, along with behind the scenes content. His second studio album Elements Vol. 1 won the 2021 Juno Award for Rap Record of the Year, and he was also named one of the 2021 winners of SOCAN’s Black Canadian Music Awards.
