Rise provides microfinancing and mentorship to entrepreneurs living with mental health and addiction challenges who are interested in pursuing self-employment. Business loans, leases, and other investments are offered depending on the stage of development, needs and capacity of each business. Rise provides business financing up to $25,000 throughout Ontario, with financing averaging from $3000 to $5000. The Rotman School of Management and Centre for Addiction and Mental Health participate in advisory functions, lending their respective expertise for business mentoring and mental health supports and services to the benefit of Rise clients. In January 2012, Rise received the Social Entrepreneurship in Mental Health Equity Award for Toronto social enterprises advancing mental health equity. History Sandra Rotman founded Rise Asset Development. She brought to the table the Rotman School and Management (University of Toronto) and Ontario's world-leading Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) for their respective expertise. Through initial funding from Sandra Rotman, Rise conducted a pilot to assist entrepreneurs living with mental health and addiction challenges to explore self-employment and build successful, self-sustaining small businesses. In 2009, the initial pilot successfully helped a small group of emerging entrepreneurs to access investment capital, business mentoring and support. The pilot confirmed that the financial assistance and supports offered by Rise could help grow small business while improving the outlook of a marginalized segment of the community. The program has allowed certain clients to graduate from Ontario Disability Support Program and become more self-sufficient. In 2012, the Ontario Ministry of Youth Services announced that they formed a new partnership with Rise to create a program that targets youth living with mental health and addiction challenges. The goal of this initiative is to work with fifty young entrepreneurs between the ages of 16 and 29 over three years. Rise will deliver the program and provide microfinancing while Ontario will finance the business training for entrepreneurs. Over the same year, Rise expanded services to Ottawa and other Ontario communities. Rise is working alongside Causeway Work Centre to deliver microfinancing in the Ottawa region with the support from Alterna Savings. The rapid success of Rise has attracted other funders, including Citi Canada (the Canadian branch of New-York based Citibank) and the Royal Bank of Canada. In addition, Rise has launched a pilot group-lending program with the help of Citi Foundation. Mental Health and Addiction & Self-Employment Health Canada estimates that 1 in 5 Ontarians will experience