Hijabi Ballers

What Hijabi Ballers does

Hijabi Ballers is a Toronto-based, incorporated Canadian non-profit founded in 2017 by Amreen Kadwa that delivers multi-sport programming for Muslim women and girls in the Greater Toronto Area. The organization operates approximately ten program verticals spanning basketball (Drop-In Basketball, Ready To Rebound, MWSBL x HB Tournament), soccer (Kickin' It Forward), rugby (Try Rugby Days), tennis and pickleball (Rally Club), ice sports (Rookie Skates), functional fitness (F-Series), running (Sunrise Run Club), and water sports (Stand-Up Paddleboarding, Wakeboarding). Programs are offered free or at low cost in culturally safe, female-only or closed-door environments, with equipment typically provided and sessions led by certified Muslim female coaches.

The underlying technology is intentionally lightweight: a Squarespace-hosted website, social media channels across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube, a Mailchimp newsletter, and event registration through Google Forms and Eventbrite. There is no proprietary platform, mobile app, or AI component; operational differentiation is built on community trust, certified-talent networks, and institutional partnerships rather than software IP. The organization also produces downloadable resources (the Hijabi Ballers Toolkit) and runs certification pathways (Get Certified) developed with academic and industry partners such as Ryerson University's GXS Lab and FitSquad.

The revenue model is a non-profit mix of individual donations, corporate and foundation grants, and modest program fees. Funding sources include Nike Social and Community Impact, MLSE Foundation, Toronto Raptors and Sun Life (Ready To Rebound), Chill Foundation (water sports), Rugby Canada, Canadian Women & Sport, and the City of Toronto Identify 'N Impact Grant. The organization pursues registered charitable status in Canada. Customer segments are Muslim women and girls of all ages, racialized youth (ages 8-19), mothers with young children, and Islamic and public schools accessed through the Hijabi Ballers in Schools (HBiS) initiative.

Name

Hijabi Ballers

Legal name

Hijabi Ballers

Website

https://hijabiballers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hijabi Ballers is a Toronto-based non-profit founded in 2017 that delivers free or low-cost, culturally safe multi-sport programming — including basketball, rugby, soccer, fitness, and water sports — to Muslim women and girls across the Greater Toronto Area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Sports Programs

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (713990)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Amateur & Grassroots Sport Associations (Community/Youth Governing Orgs) (MPAKAFAF), Recreational & Intramural Sports Programs (MPAKACAG), Amateur & Grassroots Tournament Organizers (MPAKADAH), Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps) (MPAKAJAA)

Keywords

• Community sports programming
• Multi-sport programs
• Youth athletics programs
• Women's sports leagues
• Grassroots community sports

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations from supporters. Donation checkout allows tribute/dedication options. Organization is an incorporated non-profit in Canada pursuing registered charitable status.
2. Program Fees: Low-cost program fees. F-Series functional strength training costs $20 per 4-week cohort. Majority of programs are free to attend. Registration fees support logistics, facility permits, and equipment costs.
3. Grants and Corporate Funding: Funding from Nike Social and Community Impact (HBiS initiative), MLSE Foundation (Ready to Rebound, Kickin' It Forward), Rugby Canada grants (HBSC Community Rugby Grant, Let's Play Rugby Grant), Canadian Women & Sport Spotlight Grant, City of Toronto Identify 'N Impact (INI) Grant.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Hijabi Ballers is a non-profit organization that runs free or low-cost multi-sport programming for Muslim women and girls in the Greater Toronto Area. Its core offerings include weekly drop-in basketball, rugby, soccer, tennis and pickleball, ice skating and hockey, functional fitness, running, stand-up paddleboarding, wakeboarding, plus school-based sports initiatives. Programs are delivered in culturally safe, female-only environments led by certified Muslim female coaches and trainers.

Product overview

Hijabi Ballers is a grassroots non-profit organization offering a diverse multi-sport programming portfolio designed for Muslim women, girls, and their communities in the Greater Toronto Area. The core offerings span basketball (Drop-In Basketball, Ready To Rebound, MWSBL x HB Tournament), soccer (Kickin' It Forward), rugby (Try Rugby Days), fitness (F-Series), court sports (Rally Club with tennis and pickleball), ice sports (Rookie Skates), water sports (Stand-Up Paddleboarding, Wakeboarding), running (Sunrise Run Club), and school-based initiatives (Hijabi Ballers in Schools). The organization also provides certification pathways and downloadable coaching resources. While basketball is the founding sport, the portfolio has expanded to include diverse court, field, ice, and outdoor water sports, all delivered in culturally safe, female-only environments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drop-In Basketball Weekly outdoor drop-in basketball program providing a flexible, community-focused space for Muslim women and girls of all skill levels to build fundamental basketball skills in an open-air setting.
• F-Series (Female Functional Fitness) Private, structured strength training program teaching foundational movement patterns for health, mobility, and injury prevention, open to women 18+ of all fitness levels and led by certified Muslim female trainers in closed-door sessions at $20 per 4-week cohort.
• Kickin' It Forward Women's-only drop-in soccer program funded by MLSE Foundation, offering seasonally-running sessions for participants aged 13+ with leadership development opportunities including coaching certifications.
• Ready To Rebound Free, non-competitive basketball program delivered in partnership with Toronto Raptors, Sun Life, and MLSE Foundation for racialized youth ages 8-16 facing community barriers, using basketball to teach life skills and resiliency.
• Try Rugby Days Beginner-friendly introduction to rugby offered in partnership with TIRF, designed for women and girls of all ages with sessions in the East and West ends of the city.
• Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUP) Program Beginner-friendly Stand Up Paddleboarding program offered in partnership with Chill Foundation in a culturally safe, inclusive environment for young Muslim girls aged 11-19 to learn water sports and build outdoor confidence, with equipment and transportation provided.
• Sunrise Run Club Beginner-friendly outdoor program for women, girls, and mothers with young children, meeting at sunrise on a track to build healthy habits through walking, jogging, or running in a supportive sisterhood environment.
• Rally Club Beginner-friendly tennis and pickleball drop-in program presented with Muslimah Athletic Club, held Thursday nights at Angela James Arena with alternating sports weekly.
• Rookie Skates Learn-to-skate and hockey fundamentals program for Muslim women and girls, delivered in collaboration with The Neighbourhood Organization (TNO) and Muslimah Athletic Club, focusing on safety, skill-building, and joy.
• Wakeboarding (TOR Summer Wake Discover) Specialized wakeboarding program in partnership with Chill Foundation, designed for young Muslim girls to learn wakeboarding in a culturally safe, supportive, judgment-free environment with expert instruction and equipment provided.
• Hijabi Ballers in Schools (HBiS) School-focused initiative to close the participation gap for Muslim girls in GTA school sport systems, partnering with Islamic and public schools to deliver sports clinics, leadership workshops, mentorship, and coach/educator training, with primary funding from Nike Social and Community Impact.
• MWSBL x HB Annual Basketball Tournament Annual basketball tournament run in collaboration with the Muslim Women's Summer Basketball League, bringing together youth and adult women for friendly competition, workshops, and community connection.
• Get Certified Certification pathway program for coaching, program leading, and refereeing, helping community members gain accredited provincial certifications to support Hijabi Ballers programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free or low-cost programming removes financial barriers to sports participation for Muslim girls and women.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

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 supporting.

• Chill FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver wakeboarding (TOR Summer Wake Discover) and Stand Up Paddleboarding programs. Chill Foundation provides expertise and support for water sports programming, enabling Hijabi Ballers to offer beginner-friendly SUP and wakeboarding experiences in culturally safe environments.
• Muslimah Athletic ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of Rally Club tennis and pickleball drop-in program and Rookie Skates learn-to-skate and hockey program. Shared mission of serving Muslim women athletes through community sports programming.
• The Neighbourhood Organization (TNO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Rookie Skates learn-to-skate and ice hockey fundamentals program for Muslim women and girls.
• Toronto Inner-City Rugby Foundation (TIRF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with TIRF to deliver Try Rugby Days program. TIRF provides high-quality coaching ensuring participants learn rugby fundamentals in a welcoming environment.
• Sweat SocietycoreOthersProvides facility space for F-Series functional strength training program. Hosts private, closed-door female-only strength training sessions led by certified Muslim female trainers.
• Ryerson University's GXS LabsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Ryerson's GXS Lab and sport leaders to develop the Hijabi Ballers Toolkit - a coach's resource built with Muslim girls and women in mind.
• FitSquadsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry-leading team that mentors and upskills Hijabi Ballers' certified Muslim female coaches for F-Series program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Women & Sport: National non-profit advocating for gender equity in sport and operating grant programs (e.g., Spotlight Grant, which funds Hijabi Ballers). Operates at the ecosystem/advocacy layer rather than direct programming.
• Right To Play International: Global non-profit using sport to educate and empower marginalized children, including girls in Muslim-majority regions. Comparable mission of using sport for social inclusion, but operates internationally and at much larger scale.
• Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities: Large national charity funding sport registration, equipment, and facility access for kids from low-income families. Comparable inclusive youth sport access mission at much larger national scale, but does not directly run programs.
• KidSport Canada: National non-profit that removes financial barriers to sport for kids, including grants to families. Overlapping mission of increasing sport access for underserved youth, but operates as a funder rather than direct program provider.

Direct peers

• Muslimah Athletic Club: Toronto-based community sports organization serving Muslim women athletes, co-presenter of Hijabi Ballers' Rally Club and Rookie Skates programs. Operates a similar grassroots, female-only programming model in overlapping sports and geography.
• Black Girls RUN!: Community-based running organization for Black women addressing similar cultural-barriers-to-sport thesis (safe spaces, representation, culturally relevant programming). Closest international analogue in mission and operating model, though primarily US-based.
• Muslim Women's Summer Basketball League (MWSBL): Co-organizer of Hijabi Ballers' annual MWSBL x HB Basketball Tournament; runs a competitive basketball league specifically for Muslim women. Directly comparable in mission (Muslim women in sport), target demographic, and Toronto geography.

Others

• MLSE Foundation: Philanthropic arm of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and a direct funder of Hijabi Ballers' Ready To Rebound and Kickin' It Forward programs. Operates as a grantmaker rather than peer, but is a key ecosystem player whose funding strategy directly shapes Hijabi Ballers' program roadmap.
• Toronto Inner-City Rugby Foundation (TIRF): Program partner that co-delivers Hijabi Ballers' Try Rugby Days. Comparable as a Toronto-based non-profit delivering community rugby to under-served populations, but operates as a delivery partner rather than direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Girls on the Run Canada: Non-profit delivering running and physical activity programs to girls in schools across Canada, with social-emotional learning components. Comparable in delivering inclusive youth sports programming to girls in school and community settings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hijabiballers
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@hijabiballers478
• Facebookfacebook.com/hijabiballers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hijabi-ballers
• Instagraminstagram.com/hijabiballers
• TikToktiktok.com/@hijabiballers_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Hijabi Ballers