Empowering Communities Through Equity, Wellness, and Strategy
Grant strategist. Mental health advocate. Author. Speaker
About Odion Welch
My Journey
Odion Welch is a nationally recognized strategist, mental health advocate, and award-winning author based in Edmonton, Alberta. With a decade of experience in community leadership, Odion is known for her transformative work advancing racial equity, mental wellness, and funding access across Canada’s nonprofit and arts sectors.
Currently serving as the Manager of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) at the Edmonton Arts Council, Odion leads system-level change initiatives that support underrepresented artists and organizations. Her career spans the development of culturally responsive mental health programs, facilitation of anti-racism training, and successful grant strategies for organizations such as the Alberta Black Therapists Network and Calgary Caribbean Collective.
A proud first-generation Canadian and survivor of systemic barriers, Odion draws from lived experience to empower others. She is the bestselling author of Breakthrough: A Courageous True Story of Overcoming Depression and Anxiety and a sought-after speaker on topics like mental health in leadership, Black identity, and inclusive grantmaking.
Odion’s mission is to make equity actionable—whether through storytelling, strategy, or social change.
Moments captured: A journey through my lens
