Tarila Morrone recalls the day when, while driving home with her family, her daughter verbally expressed her emotions for the first time.

Out of nowhere, she said, “I love everyone so much.”

“My husband and I looked at each other, like, what did she just say?" Morrone told Black Dollar Magazine. "I mean, she just turned three (years old). I don't know that she understood the depth of those words. But I just never heard it like that before from her. But at that moment, I paused, thinking about this little girl, who is only three years old.

"After that, I thought about the things that make her exceptional. She's confident, smart, and has a loveliness about her for these things. So, at that moment, I knew I needed to be very intentional to help my children believe in the power of affirmations.”

That moment inspired her to create Hearts of Gems, a positive-affirmation company that provides wellness cards, clothes, and other knick-knacks that instill confidence and strength.

Products include conversation cards, lunch box notes, and glow-in-the-dark confidence pebbles.

Morrone said that when she started the business, there was a focus on clothing, but now the entrepreneur has shifted to include practical products that could resonate with kids. That includes more mindset products to keep children connected to their families and emotions.

“I want to connect with my kids in ways that maybe I didn't get to connect with my parents growing up. I see the parent-child connection as instrumental for shaping children's mental health trajectory,” Morrone told Black Dollar Magazine. “I want them to believe they're amazing, because when you feel good about yourself, you have more to give to other people.”

The Heart of Gems founder was introduced to Futurpreneur’s Black Entrepreneur Startup Program at an event in Simcoe County. There she met a business development executive from the non-profit organization who enlightened her about the program and its benefits.

“I realized I needed the support,” Morrone said. “They have been instrumental in getting funding, and as we know, that’s one of the biggest barriers for many Black businesses. The lack of funding has been the death of many because they don't have what they need to get their businesses off the ground.

“(Futurpreneur) were able to get funding, which helped me jumpstart the business. Their mentors have been great.”

With the support of the organization, Morrone said that she’s targeting $120,000 in sales this year and wants to increase brand awareness for Hearts of Gems.

“I want to get that conversation going and get my products into more households because I always say that a lot of times when we talk about the mental well-being of children. It's usually from a reactionary point of view, fixing problems that have already been identified. I'm trying to push for a more proactive approach and say, ‘These are our future leaders’. Don't leave it up to chance, and hope that everything is going to be okay, there are very few ways that you can connect with (Heart of Gems products)," Morrone said.

Futurpreneur's Black Entrepreneur Startup Program is funded by RBC with additional loan financing from BDC. It offers two years of one-on-one mentorship and access to a national network of Black entrepreneurs and community groups.

For Black entrepreneurs between 18 and 39, it launched in March 2021 to support them with access to funding, resources, and support. Click here to sign up.