Lesley Hamptonn is an Anishinaabe Artist and Fashion Designer. Her pieces and designs focus on mental health awareness, body positivity, and authentic representation in fashion, film, and media. Vogue has called her the “number one Canadian designer to keep your eye on”, and The Globe and Mail describe Lesley as ‘an important Indigenous face in the Canadian fashion landscape.”  “I founded my brand on mental health awareness, body positivity, and authentic representation. I use this to align myself with opportunities that come my way.” The post Representation on the Runway with Lesley Hamp ..read more

L’entrepreneuriat peut être un parcours solitaire. Il est essentiel de vous entourer de fondatrices et de fondateurs ainsi que de mentores et de mentors qui partagent les mêmes idées et qui peuvent vous fournir les ressources et les conseils nécessaires à votre réussite. Le sentiment d’isolement est particulièrement ressenti par les propriétaires d’entreprise s’identifiant comme femmes, qui doivent affronter des obstacles supplémentaires dans leur parcours entrepreneurial, notamment le fait de recevoir moins de financement que leurs homologues qui s’identifient comme hommes. En partenariat ave ..read more

Entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey. It is crucial to surround yourself with like-minded founders and mentors who can provide you with the right resources and advice to set you up for success. This feeling of isolation is especially true for women-identifying entrepreneurs, who face additional barriers on their entrepreneurial journey, such as receiving less funding than their male-identifying counterparts. In partnership with BDC, we spoke to women-identifying entrepreneurs from across Canada to speak about their unique journeys and the importance of community support in entrepreneurship ..read more

Tina Singh is the Founder of Bold Helmets, the first safety-certified helmet for Sikh kids.  “I knew I had to be bold. Our helmets are new to the market, and something not everyone might understand.” For years, Tina worked as an occupational therapist with patients who have suffered brain injuries, an experience that has shown her the importance of protecting your head and having a safe and well-fitted helmet. But as a mom of three children who wear patkas, a Sikh head covering, finding helmets that fit her children properly was a true challenge. Bold Helmets is the answer for safety and ..read more

Entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey. It is crucial to surround yourself with like-minded founders and mentors who can provide you with the right resources and advice to set you up for success. This feeling of isolation is especially true for women-identifying entrepreneurs, who face additional barriers on their entrepreneurial journey, such as receiving less funding than their male-identifying counterparts. In partnership with BDC, we spoke to women-identifying entrepreneurs from across Canada to speak about their unique journeys and the importance of community support in entrepreneurship ..read more

L’entrepreneuriat peut être un parcours solitaire. Il est essentiel de vous entourer de fondatrices et de fondateurs ainsi que de mentores et de mentors qui partagent les mêmes idées et qui peuvent vous fournir les ressources et les conseils nécessaires à votre réussite. Le sentiment d’isolement est particulièrement ressenti par les propriétaires d’entreprise s’identifiant comme femmes, qui doivent affronter des obstacles supplémentaires dans leur parcours entrepreneurial, notamment le fait de recevoir moins de financement que leurs homologues qui s’identifient comme hommes. En partenariat ave ..read more

In this episode, we speak with Liz Mok, Founder of Moo Shu Ice Cream, a small-batch ice cream shop in the Centertown neighborhood of Ottawa, Ontario.  Beginning in 2015, Liz started selling her ice cream at local farmers’ markets and just one year later, she opened her brick-and-mortar location.   Among the shop’s offerings is an eclectic mix of ice cream flavours including those that are inspired by local seasonal produce and by East Asian ingredients. They are also well-known for their allergen-conscious menu, which includes gluten-free waffle cones and several vegan ice cream ..read more

The first #StartupChats of 2023 kicked off on Monday, February 27, and for the first time, the live Q&A was hosted on Instagram! This chat was presented in partnership with Mastercard.  This month’s topic was Exploring eCommerce and Online Payments. We were joined by Blair Forrest, founder of DTC Toronto, and Nadia Ladak, co-founder of Marlow.  Key Takeaways: Blair and Nadia offered some great insights into starting and growing your business for eCommerce. Some key advice included: Nadia: If using social media to promote your business, have a link to your website in your bio to ..read more

When entrepreneurs hear Make Lemonade, they likely think of Rachel Kelly – but what is the secret to achieving this and how do you do it? Reagan Bradley, is a personal brand strategist, or in her words ‘a part time investigator, and part time storyteller’, guiding entrepreneurs to find their authenticity, and curate the right story so they can clearly express who they are, what they do, and how they do it.   Rachel’s Make Lemonade began as a vibrant co-working space in Toronto, and today it is a boutique floral studio that blossomed out of her desire for change and a pivot she knew ..read more

VANCOUVER, CANADA – March 1, 2023 – Today, Startup Canada has launched the locations and dates for Startup Canada Tour, a five stop national in-person event series connecting small business owners and creators with local support organizations and industry experts to drive their businesses forward.  Vancouver is the third stop of the Startup Canada Tour, taking place on Thursday, May 11, at the Nest at the University of British Columbia. The one-day event welcomes early stage entrepreneurs and national and local support organizations to come together and grow their networks, learn from ind ..read more