About Wellness for Black Youths
Building pathways to health equity, research access, and mentorship for Black youth in the Greater Toronto Area and beyond.
OUR MISSION
OUR VISION
Our Mission
Wellness for Black Youths exists to expand equitable access to health literacy, research opportunities, and mentorship pathways for Black youth. We work to dismantle barriers that limit representation in health spaces and to empower the next generation with knowledge, confidence, and opportunity.
Our Vision
We envision a future where Black youth are fully represented across health professions, research institutions, and leadership spaces. A future where access to health knowledge and opportunity is not determined by systemic barriers, but by potential.
Our Approach
Data-Informed
Our initiatives are guided by evidence-based practices and informed by ongoing evaluation to measure impact and refine strategy.
Pathway-Oriented
We focus on long-term outcomes by connecting health literacy, research exposure, and mentorship into a cohesive developmental pathway.
This signals structure, not random programming.
Community-Rooted
We partner with schools, families, and local organizations across the GTA to ensure our programs are culturally relevant, accessible and grounded in lived experience.
Years of
Foundation
monthly
donors
incredible
volunteers
successful
campains
More then 345 000+
People Were Helped
Why We Exist!
Black communities continue to face disproportionate health inequities and remain underrepresented in health research and professional leadership. These disparities are shaped by systemic barriers in education, mentorship access, and institutional inclusion.
Wellness for Black Youths was founded to address these structural gaps early — equipping young people with the knowledge, confidence, and opportunities needed to take ownership of their health and pursue leadership in health-related spaces.
Meet the Founder
Wellness for Black Youths was founded by Reke Avikpe, a biomedical engineering researcher and science communicator committed to advancing health equity through education and research access.
Reke’s work sits at the intersection of health research, mentorship, and community engagement. Through his academic training and experience in computational modeling and regenerative medicine, he has witnessed firsthand the structural barriers that limit representation in health research and professional pathways. He founded Wellness for Black Youths to build earlier, more accessible entry points into these spaces for Black youth.
Beyond his research, Reke has been deeply engaged in science communication and student mentorship across multiple educational levels. His work emphasizes culturally responsive health education, equitable research exposure, and the long-term impact of structured mentorship in shaping health outcomes and career trajectories.
Through Wellness for Black Youths, he seeks to develop a scalable model that connects health literacy, research access, and mentorship into a cohesive pathway—rooted in the Greater Toronto Area and designed for national expansion.
Governance & Accountability
Wellness for Black Youths is federally and provincially incorporated in Canada and governed by a Board of Directors composed of professionals across healthcare, education, community advocacy, and business.The organization operates through a structured leadership team and advisory council that provide medical expertise, diversity-centered guidance, and youth-informed perspectives.We are committed to transparency, measurable impact, and sustainable growth.