Brain Injury Association of York Region: BIAYR

What Brain Injury Association of York Region: BIAYR does

The Brain Injury Association of York Region (BIAYR) is a registered Canadian non-profit charitable organization founded in the mid-1990s by a group of acquired brain injury (ABI) survivors and caregivers who recognized an unmet need for local support groups in York Region, Ontario. Operating from Thornhill, Ontario, BIAYR provides free resources, support groups, educational sessions, and therapeutic programming (including yoga, tai chi, music therapy, mindfulness, exercise, and breathwork) to ABI survivors and their caregivers across the 9 municipalities of York Region (Aurora, East Gwillimbury, Georgina, King, Markham, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, and Whitchurch-Stouffville).

BIAYR's product portfolio includes Education and Programming delivered via Eventbrite, The Caregiver Channel podcast hosted by board member Remy Perry, the Survivor Stories blog, The Unmasking Brain Injury Project (an international mask-based awareness initiative), the Annual Mixer fundraising event, and Brain Injury Awareness Month activities in June. The organization is volunteer-run with a board composed of professionals in personal injury law, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, case management, and neuroscience, including representation from sponsors such as Oatley Vigmond, Innovative Case Management, and Neurocore Physiotherapy.

BIAYR's business model is donation- and sponsorship-driven. All programs and services are provided free of charge. Revenue streams consist of individual donations processed through PayPal and a tiered corporate sponsorship program (Diamond $6,000, Caregiver $6,000, Platinum $4,500, Gold $2,500, Silver $1,500) that provides logo placement and recognition benefits. The organization is affiliated with the Ontario Brain Injury Association (OBIA) and was awarded the 2023 Community Brain Injury Association of the Year by OBIA in collaboration with the Personal Injury Alliance (PIA Law).

Name

Brain Injury Association of York Region: BIAYR

Legal name

Brain Injury Association of York Region

Website

https://biayr.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Brain Injury Association of York Region (BIAYR) is a volunteer-run Canadian non-profit that provides free support groups, educational programming, and caregiver resources to acquired brain injury survivors and their caregivers across the 9 municipalities of York Region, Ontario.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brain Injury Support Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Trauma-Informed Mindfulness & Somatic Mind-Body Practices (HSADAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Therapeutic/Adaptive Yoga & Clinical Pilates (HSADACAE)

Keywords

• Brain injury support
• Acquired brain injury
• Caregiver support services
• Non-profit health services
• Community rehabilitation

Headquarters

HQ city

Thornhill

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: BIAYR relies on individual donations from the public to fund ABI survivor and caregiver programs. Donations are processed through PayPal.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors at various tiers (Diamond $6,000, Caregiver $6,000, Platinum $4,500, Gold $2,500, Silver $1,500) provide funding and receive recognition benefits including logo placement on website and social media acknowledgment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

BIAYR provides free support groups, educational sessions, and therapeutic programming (including yoga therapy, tai chi qi gong, music therapy, mindfulness, exercise, breathwork, and outdoor activities) for acquired brain injury survivors and their caregivers in York Region, Ontario. The organization also runs The Caregiver Channel podcast, The Unmasking Brain Injury Project, Brain Injury Awareness Month activities, and an Annual Mixer fundraising event, all delivered through both virtual and in-person formats.

Product overview

BIAYR offers a portfolio of programs and services for brain injury survivors and caregivers in York Region, Ontario. The core offerings include Education and Programming (weekly educational talks, yoga therapy, tai chi, music therapy, mindfulness, exercise, breathwork), Support Groups for survivors and caregivers, The Caregiver Channel podcast, Survivor Stories blog, The Unmasking Brain Injury Project, the Annual Mixer fundraising event, and Brain Injury Awareness Month activities. Programs are delivered through both virtual and in-person formats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Caregiver Channel: A podcast series hosted by Board Member Remy Perry offering insights and support for caregivers of individuals with brain injuries.

Products and services

• Education and Programming

Quantifiable outcome

• Municipal recognition through Brain Injury Awareness Month proclamations in all 9 York Region municipalities (Markham, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Georgina, Aurora, Vaughan, and others)

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Ontario Brain Injury Association (OBIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIAYR is a proud affiliate of OBIA, the provincial not-for-profit charitable organization whose mission is to enhance the lives of Ontarians living with the effects of acquired brain injury through education, awareness and support.
• Oatley Vigmond Personal Injury Lawyers LLPcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond Sponsor for 2026. Adam Little, partner at Oatley Vigmond, serves as BIAYR's Treasurer on the board.
• Trianta LawcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCaregiver Sponsor for 2026. Trianta Law understands the critical role caregivers play in the recovery journey and sponsors caregiver-focused programs including podcasts and virtual support groups.
• Iacobelli LawcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Sponsor (Education) for 2026, providing recognition as Lead Sponsor of 2026 Education Workshops with logo on all education posts.
• Thomson Rogers (TR Law)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Sponsor (Communications) for 2026, providing recognition as Lead Sponsor of 2026 Communications with logo on regular communications posts.
• Propel PhysiotherapysecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor for 2026. Hoong Phang, Managing Director of Propel Physiotherapy, has appeared as guest on The Caregiver Channel podcast discussing neurological physiotherapy for brain injury recovery.
• QWK LawyerssecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor for 2026. Richard Kreder, Partner at QWK Lawyers, has appeared on The Caregiver Channel podcast to discuss personal injury law landscape.
• Neural Rehab GroupsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor for 2026.
• Mayfair Law GroupsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor for 2026.
• Innovative Case ManagementsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor for 2026. Mark Lapowich, executive director, serves on BIAYR board. Joey Nativ and Rachel Greenwood from ICM also serve on the board.
• DriveLabminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor for 2026.
• Arcadia Home CareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor for 2026.
• Lawlor TherapyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor for 2026. Rick Hadleycrane appeared on The Caregiver Channel podcast sharing a Brain Injury Recovery: Helpful Apps guide.
• Singer KwinterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor for 2026.
• Balance PhysiotherapyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor for 2026.
• Foster Injury LawminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor for 2026.
• Neurocore PhysiotherapyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor for 2026. Ali Jafferjee, neurological physiotherapist at Neurocore, serves on BIAYR board.
• OT and Co.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor for 2026.
• Shah Eubanks LegalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor for 2026.
• Central Link ABI Resource LibrarysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerResource library developed in response to need for clarity about supports and services for those living with ABI in Central Ontario Health Region (focus on York Region and South Simcoe).
• Brain Injury Association of Durham (BIAD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional brain injury association partner for those in Durham Region.
• Brain Injury Society of Toronto (BIST)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional brain injury association partner for Toronto area.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• March of Dimes Canada: Large national non-profit providing post-stroke and acquired brain injury recovery services, vocational rehabilitation, and peer support programs across Canada. Broader disability focus but overlapping ABI service lines.

Direct peers

• Brain Injury Canada: National non-profit advocating for ABI survivors and caregivers through education, awareness campaigns, and resource navigation. Directly comparable mission and program mix at a national scale.
• Ontario Brain Injury Association (OBIA): Provincial non-profit affiliate of BIAYR providing education, awareness, and support for Ontarians living with acquired brain injury. Directly comparable mission and programming model at the provincial scale.
• Brain Injury Society of Toronto (BIST): Toronto-based non-profit supporting ABI survivors and families through support groups, peer mentoring, and educational programs. Identical service model to BIAYR but serving the adjacent Toronto catchment.
• Brain Injury Association of Durham (BIAD): Regional non-profit brain injury association serving Durham Region with support groups and educational programming. Sister association to BIAYR with the same affiliate relationship under OBIA.
• Brain Trust Canada:

Emerging players

• Concussion Legacy Foundation: Non-profit dedicated to advancing concussion and CTE research, education, and survivor support, headquartered in the US with growing Canada presence. Comparable awareness and survivor-support mission with a research-driven angle.

Regional players

• Spinal Cord Injury Ontario: Ontario non-profit providing peer support, advocacy, and services for individuals with spinal cord injuries. Similar volunteer-driven support and advocacy model serving a parallel disability population.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@brain_injury_yr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/braininjuryassociationofyorkregion

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Brain Injury Association of York Region: BIAYR