Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills Named 2026 Kansas Organizational Health Champion
Statewide Recognition Honors Innovative Mental Wellness Support for Entrepreneurs
OLATHE, Kan. — Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills (BEFH) has been named the 2026 Organizational Health Champion by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Governor’s Council on Wellness (GCOW) during the 2026 Kansas Community Health Promotion Summit in Olathe, Kansas.
The Kansas Health Champion Awards recognize exemplary contributions to wellness across the state. BEFH was honored for its leadership at the intersection of entrepreneurship, mental health, and community well-being.
Serving northeast Kansas, BEFH was recognized for its Black Joy Is Healing initiative, an innovative program that integrates culturally responsive mental health support into entrepreneurship and economic development.
Closing Gaps in Access and Opportunity
Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills was founded to address gaps in resources, access, and ownership for Black and historically under-resourced communities. Its mission is to create pathways to entrepreneurship, innovation, ownership, and upward economic mobility—because economic opportunity and health outcomes are deeply connected.
Entrepreneurs are essential to local economies and job creation, but many face high levels of stress, burnout, anxiety, and isolation. For Black entrepreneurs, those challenges are often compounded by barriers to capital, systemic inequities, and underinvestment.
BEFH developed Black Joy Is Healing to respond to those realities with a model of holistic care that supports both business success and personal well-being.
Breaking Stigma, Expanding Care
Originally launched as a virtual summit during the pandemic, Black Joy Is Healing created space for conversations about trauma, racial trauma, healing, and resilience. The program featured Black therapists and therapists of color, helping normalize mental health care and increase awareness of culturally responsive support.
Today, the initiative has grown into an ongoing wellness model that has provided:
200+ free culturally responsive therapy sessions for members
Confidential access to care through an innovative digital portal
Healing circles and wellness workshops
Joy-centered community experiences featuring movement, music, food, and mindfulness
Professional development and advanced certifications for therapists of color
Why It Matters
Research shows people are more likely to engage in care and experience better outcomes when they feel seen, understood, and respected. Access to culturally responsive clinicians can reduce barriers, build trust, and improve mental wellness outcomes.
BEFH believes health equity requires economic opportunity. When families and entrepreneurs have access to stable income, ownership, and pathways for growth, stress is reduced and overall health improves.
“We are deeply honored to receive this recognition,” said Sheila Ellis-Glasper, Co-Founder & Executive Director of Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills. “This award affirms that supporting entrepreneurs must go beyond business plans and funding. We must invest in the whole person. Mental wellness, economic opportunity, and joy are all part of what helps communities thrive.”
Ellis-Glasper also thanked Dr. Crystal Davis for the nomination, the clinicians serving through the program, and the partners who helped shape the Black Joy Is Healing framework.
About Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills
Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills is a regional entrepreneurial support organization serving northeast Kansas. The organization advances entrepreneurship, innovation, ownership, and equitable economic growth through business development, ecosystem building, access to capital, technical assistance, and holistic wellness programming.
To learn more, partner, or support the mission, visit [www.blackflinthills.com]
Media Contact
Sheila Ellis-Glasper
Founder & Executive Director
Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills
