Kym Niles
Founder / Mentor
Kym Niles is on a quest to bring Black representation into classrooms, quench the thirst of Black youth mental health and ignite ALL students to make their mark!A Social Entrepreneur, Magnetic mentor and Holistic Wellness Advocate with over 15 years of experience in the wellness industry, Kym yields a wholesome approach to wellbeing with a robust background in physical training, mental conditioning and self-regulation.xOnce considered an “At-Risk” youth, Kym defied expectations and worked tirelessly to achieve success, fuelled by a determination to shatter negative stereotypes.
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An unapologetic catalyst for systemic change, Kym acted on her philanthropic duty in 2016 and co-founded Selflove Youth Wellness & Empowerment a Toronto District School Board Educational partner. Her organization aims to supply Black youth with tools and resources to support their mental wellbeing, overcome obstacles and improve educational outcomes.
Dear to her heart is Kym’s signature Make Ur Mark: Resilience & Restoration workshop a program she so desperately desired as a young adult navigating life in a nonconventional way. Each year these workshops positively impact thousands of students from Elementary to Post Secondary institutions by bringing visibility to Black professionals in classrooms, showcasing multiple pathways to success, breaking the bias of poverty, dispelling Anti-Black racism myths and connecting Black youth to mentors.
Committed to exposing underserved youth to possibilities and improving socio-economic outcomes, Kym developed The Make Ur Mark Student Success Conference in partnership with George Brown College, creating an elevated experience for
marginalized students to see themselves in a post secondary environment. The conference boasts a day of creative engagement for diverse learners, Mental Health support, unlimited resources to pursue Post Secondary education and breakout sessions in a Culturally reflective environment.
With representation as the cornerstone, Kym designed and launched the first of its kind Black Canadian Pioneer wall, now a staple in Toronto’s second-oldest secondary school Weston Collegiate Institute established in 1857.
Kym has been recognized with several leadership awards and has been featured as an expert on Global TV, CBC News, CP24, CTV and City news.
A light with a high level of consciousness, Kym continues to deliver one mission and that is “To leave you better than she met you”.
Jacqueve Colaire
Program Director
From the tender age of 2-years old, Jacqueve has been creating. Born into a family of musicians and artists, seeing things differently came naturally to him. With his Island of Dominica being full of luscious landscapes, images were something that would constantly be on repeat in his mind. Music flows through his veins and the deep connection he nurtured with many artists made it easy to transition in a place where he could help these artists grow their brand. Over the years he developed a love for everything creative and picked up his first camera in early 2016. He is a budding Behavior Analyst pursuing a career in the field of ABA so that he can bring change to the youth through behavior analytic procedures and art. With the support from his family, he knew this was what he wanted to do. His love for knowledge and his love for creating caused him to rapidly grow his skillset behind the camera and subsequently his experience with understanding what it takes to bring a message across through imagery. There is no greater power than to be able to tell a story that could be understood by everyone no matter their background or ethnicity.