Our first grant recipients and what’s next for Reclamation Ventures.
I’m honored to announce that Octavia Raheem and Julio Rivera are both receiving a $5,000 impact grant from Reclamation Ventures for their work to create more space for all of us to breathe.
Octavia Raheem is the founder of Sacred Chill West, “a yoga and meditation studio on the westside of Atlanta committed to being a refuge to people who have been dismissed or treated invisible in other yoga spaces. Our group of dynamic and experienced teachers reflect the diversity of our city. Each encouraged to connect the knowledge learned from their extensive yoga trainings and studies with the wisdom gained from their lived experience and perspective in order to lead and inspire students in an accessible and authentic manner.”
Julio Rivera started Liberate Meditation “to support the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color community in our collective healing from the wounds of racial trauma, marginalization, and colonization. Our first step in fulfilling on our mission is our free meditation app that has talks and guided meditations from some of the best meditation teachers that identify as BIPOC in the US. We believe in a future where our community thrives in their individual lives with joy and peace, as well as celebrates each others’ differences with solidarity and love.”
It’s because of everyone’s support and solidarity that we were able to offer two grants this round, and we’re grateful for this community. We’re also grateful for our team of advisors that donated their time to the application review process. With over 200 applications from incredibly inspiring individuals, choosing just two people to support was challenging. Nevertheless, we are humbled by the dedication of both of these founders in their work.
The second grant opportunity from Reclamation Ventures is currently accepting applications until October 25.
U.S.-based underestimated entrepreneurs that are building a company that increases access to wellness are encouraged to apply. The winner, like the ones mentioned above, will receive $5,000 in unrestricted funding to help them scale their work.
Read more about how Reclamation Ventures came to be here:
https://medium.com/@nicolecardoza/from-magazine-controversy-to-1m-raise-9e57927762da
To support this work, invest in our Patreon campaign so we can offer an annual community-funded grant:
https://www.patreon.com/reclamationventures
To join as an advisor, funder, or partner, contact us directly here:
Nicole Cardoza is the founder and Executive Director of Yoga Foster, a national nonprofit that makes yoga and mindfulness accessible to public schools through subsidized training, videos and yoga mats. She’s also the founder of Reclamation Ventures, a fund investing in underestimated entrepreneurs making wellness accessible. She’s a serial entrepreneur, seasoned speaker, and nomad currently traveling across the country learning about what causes the wellness gap. nicoleacardoza.com
