I want to acknowledge that I am privileged to write this article on the stolen and unsurrendered territory of the Anishinabewaki. As a settler who benefits from the establishment of Canada and its colonial governing regulations, education systems, and the continuous exploitation of Indigenous land, I recognize the importance and urgency of unlearning colonial practices and creating space for an Indigenous resurgence here on Turtle Island.
As a series, “BLACK BRILLIANCE: A Love Letter To…” acknowledges and celebrates the successes of young black students at the University of Ottawa.
When I think about this article, the first word that comes to mind is hustle. In the second installment of this series, we recognize the many accomplishments of Drayton Mulindabigwi Jabo. Drayton is a third-year student majoring in psychology and minoring in health sciences, completing his degree in French. Born in Rwanda, he and his family immigrated to Canada when he was only eight years-old. Drayton attributes his great sense of determination to his parents and family.
He is the founder and CEO of 20today20tomorrow, Canada’s largest youth-led creative hub. The initiative promotes youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, and community building.
Drayton also created HealMind, an initiative dedicated to making mental health resources accessible and digestible for youth and young adults. HealMind is an extension of 20today20tomorrow and incorporates technology through the use of scannable NFC stickers, which direct users to the HealMind page. At this time, these stickers are located throughout Ottawa, Saskatoon, Regina, and small towns in Saskatchewan. He aims to expand the HealMind sticker project by having them in more spaces for youth to access. Finally, to wrap up his work in 2021, he hosted a Heal Mind conference where youth advocates and mental health professionals spoke about pressing issues in the mental health community, such as stigma, mental health literacy, and burnout.
Drayton looks to create the best, most creative possible solutions to any problem he encounters. He mentioned the excitement he feels sharing ideas with peers and how self-assuring it is when he works collaboratively. When asked what accomplishments he is most proud of, Drayton said that accomplishing his first business milestone—booking a news coverage—motivated him to continue his work.
Media coverage and awareness are vital aspects of having a successful business. When Drayton and 20today20tomorrow were covered in Shifter Magazine in 2021, it was his first marker of success. As a result of persistence and hard work, Drayton and his team were able to land several other media coverage opportunities, such as an interview with CTV news Ottawa, Rogers TV, and Radio Canada. Those media appearances then fulfilled the requirements of his next business milestone: Drayton reflected on how “a personal passion project turned to a project for the people,” in the sense that he built a team of equally enthusiastic ambassadors who helped drive his vision further.
He also directs a live show, Inspire the Next, which allows young entrepreneurs to share their wisdom and ventures. He cultivated this idea from conception through execution. Drayton worked tirelessly during exam season to put the show together while handling the challenges of behind-the-scenes logistics and the invisible tasks that go into planning events (e.g. budgeting, content collection, fundraising). He gushed about his incredible sense of accomplishment, having his vision come to fruition, and having a tangible finished product to show for his work.
Watching how much time and energy goes into his projects and how dedicated he is to achieving his vision is inspiring. Between managing business calls, organizing study sessions, and the odd guest appearance on the news, Drayton seems to be able to do it all. Dray has a kindness and friendliness that makes every person around him feel as excited and enthusiastic as he is.
He continues to come out with more incredible ideas and projects while living a university student’s life full of deadlines, classes and social events. Backed by a group of youth innovators, his family, and very supportive friends, he curated a community of equally ambitious, creative and passionate young people by outsourcing and supporting others in their innovation projects. Drayton looks forward to continuing to make a difference in his community and growing his social network of community leaders. On October 26, 2022, Drayton received an award for innovation at the Spirit of the Capital Youth Awards hosted by RBC. We are so incredibly proud and look forward to seeing what he does next.
“When you love what you do, you don’t feel the work”
– Drayton Mulindabigwi Jabo