Honey Jam

What Honey Jam does

Honey Jam is a Toronto-based Canadian non-profit organization founded in 1995 by Ebonnie Rowe, operating as Canada's first and longest-running multicultural, multi-genre artist development programme for emerging female artists aged 14-25. The organization runs an annual national audition search across all Canadian provinces, followed by a year-long development programme that includes songwriting camps, industry panels, mentor cafes, vocal coaching, and networking opportunities, culminating in a flagship annual concert showcase. The organization is operated under PhemPhat Entertainment Group and led by Executive Director Ebonnie Rowe alongside a house band comprising Musical Director Juwayon Clarke, drummer Chris Blair, guitarist Dyheim Stewart, and keyboardist Rachel Smith.

The programme's core outputs are the annual Honey Jam Concert (held at venues including Massey Hall in 2025 and TD Music Hall in 2026), the national audition process, and structured mentoring and educational workshops. Notable alumni include Juno Award winners and nominees such as Nelly Furtado, Jully Black, Melanie Fiona, Haviah Mighty, Savannah Ré, and LU KALA, providing strong brand credibility within the Canadian music industry. The organization's technology footprint is minimal — no apps, APIs, or proprietary platforms — as the offering is fundamentally a service-based, in-person artist development experience.

Honey Jam's revenue model is a typical Canadian arts non-profit mix: corporate sponsorships (TD Bank, CBC, SiriusXM, Yamaha, Music Canada, KiSS 92.5), federal and provincial grants (FACTOR, Ontario Creates, Canada Council for the Arts, SOCAN Foundation), individual donations, and concert ticket sales ($25-$30 per ticket). A Community Ticket Sponsorship Drive distributes subsidised concert access to students and emerging artists. Go-to-market relies on annual auditions, alumni word-of-mouth referrals, CBC Music broadcast partnerships, and the annual concert showcase — with no commercial product pricing or transactional revenue model.

Name

Honey Jam

Legal name

Honey Jam

Website

https://honeyjam.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Honey Jam is a Toronto-based Canadian non-profit founded in 1995 that runs Canada's first and longest-running female artist development programme, providing auditions, mentoring, workshops, and an annual concert showcase for emerging female artists aged 14-25 across all Canadian provinces and musical genres.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artist Development Programs

akta.pro primary industry

Music Therapy (Educational/Developmental Programs) (EDAMANAK)

Keywords

• Artist development program
• Youth arts education
• Music mentoring services
• Live concert showcase
• Songwriter development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorships: Honey Jam receives support from corporate sponsors including TD Bank, CBC, SiriusXM, Yamaha, Music Canada, and others who provide funding, in-kind support, and promotional exposure.
2. Government Funding: The organization receives government grants from FACTOR, Ontario Creates, Canada Council for the Arts, and other public funding bodies.
3. Concert Ticket Sales: Revenue from annual Honey Jam concert ticket sales, with community ticket sponsorship drives allowing donors to purchase tickets for youth and emerging artists.
4. Donations: Individual donations and community support for the non-profit programme.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Honey Jam is a non-profit multicultural, multi-genre artist development programme that runs a national audition process to identify and select emerging Canadian female artists aged 14–25, then delivers a year-long curriculum of mentoring, vocal coaching, songwriting camps, industry workshops and networking opportunities, culminating in an annual showcase concert with live band accompaniment at major Toronto venues such as Massey Hall and TD Music Hall.

Product overview

Honey Jam is a non-profit artist development programme that serves as Canada’s first and longest-running female artist development program. The core offering consists of the annual Honey Jam Concert showcase, the Audition Programme for emerging artists aged 14-25, and the Artist Development Programme providing mentorship, educational workshops, vocal coaching, and networking opportunities. Supporting offerings include Industry Workshops & Panels, Songwriting Camps, and the Community Ticket Sponsorship Drive. The programme fosters a supportive sisterhood and safe space for young women to learn about the music industry while building self-esteem and lasting relationships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Honey Jam Artist Development Programme A year-long multicultural, multi-genre artist development programme for young emerging Canadian female artists aged 14–25 that delivers mentoring, vocal coaching, songwriting camps, industry panels, workshops, mentor cafés, and networking opportunities to launch music industry careers.
• Annual Honey Jam Concert Annual flagship showcase concert featuring selected emerging female artists backed by a live house band, held at prominent Canadian venues including Massey Hall and TD Music Hall, with public ticket sales and community-sponsored ticket distribution.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 years of continuous operation since 1995
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CBC Music/RadiocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerStrategic media partner broadcasting Honey Jam performances and maintaining the official Honey Jam playlist on CBC Listen. Host Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe from CBC The Block serves as concert host.
• SiriusXM CanadaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSatellite radio partner providing promotional support and exposure for Honey Jam artists.
• Music CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry organization supporting Canadian music that partners with Honey Jam to advance emerging artists.
• Yamaha Music CanadaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMusical instrument manufacturer supporting Honey Jam, providing keyboard equipment for auditions (YC88 weighted digital piano).
• CMRRAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency supporting music publishing rights and artist royalty matters for Honey Jam alumni.
• SOCAN FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Young Canadian Songwriters Award and support for emerging songwriters, with multiple Honey Jam alumni receiving recognition.
• KiSS 92.5minorGTM or Marketing PartnerToronto radio station partner providing promotional support and airtime for Honey Jam artists.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• MusiCounts: Canadian music education charity affiliated with the Juno Awards that funds instruments, scholarships, and music programs across Canada. Comparable as a Canadian non-profit investing in music education and emerging artists, with similar government/corporate funding model.
• Coalition Music: Toronto-based music industry non-profit running artist development, education, and live-music programmes for emerging Canadian talent. Directly comparable in mission (artist development in Toronto) and structure (non-profit programming for emerging artists).
• The Remix Project: Toronto-based non-profit that provides arts, creative, and music industry training for youth from marginalized communities. Most directly comparable to Honey Jam in mission (artist/career development for underrepresented youth), structure (non-profit, programme-based), and geography.

Broad incumbents

• Toronto Arts Foundation: Toronto civic arts foundation that funds and advocates for Toronto's arts community. Comparable as a Toronto-based arts-support institution that has directly recognized Honey Jam (Roy Thomson Award of Merit, 2020).
• Berklee College of Music: Largest and most prominent dedicated music college globally, with artist development, mentoring, and showcase programmes. Comparable as an institution providing music education, artist development, and a pipeline of emerging artists — but operates at vastly larger commercial scale.

Regional players

• Women in Music Canada: Canadian chapter of Women in Music, an industry organization supporting women across the music industry. Highly comparable mission (advancing women in Canadian music) — recognized Honey Jam with its Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2025.

Others

• Manifesto: Toronto-based music and culture community organization that has awarded Honey Jam its Pioneer Award. Comparable as a Canadian music/culture ecosystem builder, but focused on broader community and festival programming rather than direct artist development.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=w7jjL5dLHuI
• Xx.com/thehoneyjam
• Facebookfacebook.com/honeyjam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/honey-jam-canada

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Honey Jam