Black History Month: Celebrating Black business leaders and entrepreneurs

As Canada’s only national non-profit offering financing, mentoring and resources to young entrepreneurs, Futurpreneur is committed to driving inclusive economic prosperity. We strive to empower diverse young entrepreneurs across Canada to build and launch successful businesses.

This February, in honour of Black History Month, we’re shining the spotlight on Black entrepreneurship leaders across the Futurpreneur network. These small business owners, mentors and activists are making a difference in their communities and paving the way for the next wave of young Black entrepreneurs across Canada.

Read their stories:

We will continue to update this page with new stories.

Futurpreneur and the Government of Manitoba team up to support small businesses

Today, Futurpreneur Canada is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Government of Manitoba that will allow us to further our mission of helping young entrepreneurs launch and sustain successful businesses across the province.

The partnership will provide Futurpreneur with $750,000 in new funding over three years, creating an estimated 150 new youth-led businesses and 400 jobs across the province.

“We’re very grateful for this support from the Government of Manitoba as we increase our efforts to help diverse, young (age 18-39) entrepreneurs launch successful businesses across the province,” says Futurpreneur CEO Karen Greve Young.

“The businesses we support with our loan financing, mentorship and specialized resources are pillars of their communities, contributing to local economic growth and prosperity, while also creating jobs and fostering the vitality of main streets in communities large and small. Their success will be critical to Canada’s inclusive economic recovery in the months and years ahead.”

The funding is part of the province’s #RestartMB program, which is geared toward boosting the province’s economy in the wake of COVID-19.

This investment will allow Futurpreneur to support even more young entrepreneurs in Manitoba by providing the financing, mentorship and resources they need to succeed, helping them join the ranks of other Futurpreneur-supported businesses in the province—all of whom have seen significant growth despite the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic:

Wolseley Kombucha (pictured)
After finishing Futurpreneur’s Rock My Business program and signing up for our Start-Up program, Michelle Leclair opened a taproom (Winnipeg’s first-ever “kombuchery”) for her organic kombucha business in January 2020. When COVID-19 hit, Leclair pivoted to online sales. Since then, her business has grown so much, she has plans to expand to other provinces and build a larger production space in the coming months.

Brows By G
Giovanna Minenna started her eyebrow business from a chair in her condo. After appearing on Dragon’s Den, signing up for Futurpreneur’s Start-Up program and participating in our Growth Accelerator program, Minenna and her husband William Russell have expanded the business to two locations with 25 employees and offer training programs across Canada. Now, they’re expanding even further with Futurpreneur’s support, developing a new Browluxe line of microblading products.

Bit Space Development
This Winnipeg-based VR firm recently ranked among the top-10 world’s best virtual-reality- and augmented-reality-development companies. Bit Space has carved out a niche in the construction and manufacturing industries, creating virtual training solutions that safely and remotely prepare workers for hazardous situations.

Felicheeta Artistry
Makeup artist Felicita Ovadje has long been a fixture in Winnipeg’s beauty community. Her studio, dedicated to championing diversity in the beauty industry and showcasing brands owned by and catering to people of colour, launched its flagship brick and mortar location in Winnipeg in September 2020, and offers online sales as well.

Community Gym
Billing itself as an inclusive, approachable gym, Community, founded by Aime Seier, opened its doors in the spring of 2019. Within two days of the COVID-19 lockdown, the gym brought fitness classes online; less than two weeks later, they developed an online stationary bike and weight rental service, delivering gear straight to gym members’ homes. This fall, they’ve dramatically expanded their class offerings and even launched a collaboration with Lululemon.

Trainfo
Trainfo’s mission is to solve railroad safety issues by providing real–time updates on railroad crossings and blockages to road users and rail companies. Steady growth since their launch in 2016 has allowed them to shift their focus to the U.S. market and grow their team accordingly. Despite the impact of COVID-19, Trainfo is on track to hire over two dozen team members by year’s end.

Want to learn more about how Futurpreneur can help launch your dream business? Click here.

G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance Summit: A global opportunity for young entrepreneurs

Looking to meet entrepreneurs and business leaders from around the world? Want to shape policy as an ambassador for youth entrepreneurship? Become part of Canada’s delegation at the 2020 G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance (G20 YEA) Summit on October 29 and 30.

Before every annual G20 Leaders’ Summit, the G20 YEA brings together hundreds of the world’s top young entrepreneurs to advance youth entrepreneurship as a driver of economic growth, innovation and social change.

As COVID-19 continues to have a massive impact on the global economy, this year’s summit will be geared toward fostering entrepreneurship as a vital part of the world’s financial recovery.

The pandemic also means that this year’s summit is going virtual – instead of traveling to the host destination in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, delegations will participate in the summit remotely. Through an innovative virtual platform, delegates will be able to navigate the virtual conference with their own avatar, alongside 500-plus young entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial leaders from across the G20 countries.

Here’s what awaits at this year’s G20 YEA:

Meet other entrepreneurs from around the globe

G20 YEA delegate Cassandra Pichette.

Cassandra Pichette is a three-time delegate who took part in the 2016 summit in Beijing, the 2018 edition in Buenos Aires and the 2019 edition in Fukuoka, Japan.

“Meeting many people from different fields, backgrounds and living in different parts of the world brought insights and learning that I could not have found elsewhere,” Pichette said.

“For the first time in my life, I was surrounded by entrepreneurial spirits like mine, instilling me with more energy and passion to continue to achieve my biggest goals and never give up!”

Though this year’s summit will be held remotely, the G20 YEA will still offer ample opportunities for learning and networking. This year’s summit activities will include:

High-profile keynote speakers
Breakout sessions, panel discussions, focus groups and a pitch competition
Virtual networking opportunities through profile matching and conference navigation

Additionally, there will be a number of Canadian-exclusive events and panels:

Introductions to business development organizations
Meetings with the Trade Commissioner Service, senior government officials and international business associations and services
B2B meetings
Networking events and cultural activities

Explore the global market

Stephanie Limage (left) was a Canadian delegate at the 2018 G20 YEA in Buenos Aires.

The G20 YEA Summit offers a critical opportunity for young entrepreneurs to advance their businesses, make international connections and explore international growth.

Stephanie Limage, founder of Futurpreneur-supported business Limage Media Group, was a G20 YEA delegate at the 2018 summit in Buenos Aires.

Through the summit, she says, Limage Media Group “established further connections and formed new partnerships in Argentina with social enterprises and businesses that have allowed us to provide jobs as well as scholarships to emerging writers and journalists, producers, audio and visual artists.”

Limage was able to form a partnership with the Minister of Culture in Buenos Aires, gaining support for their local community outreach operations. “Through this partnership we can access resources, knowledge and the expertise of the local government and its stakeholders to ensure there is no duplication of services while Limage Media Group comes alongside pre-existing community programs,” she said.

Meanwhile, Pichette says she was able to explore international growth opportunities by coming together with other leaders in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“The summit in Japan opened windows of opportunity through visits to incubators, accelerators, research centres and organizations dedicated to business development, meetings with the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service, senior officials and foreign business leaders, and B2B meetings with businesses, entrepreneurs, investors and more,” she says.

Delegates at the 2019 G20 YEA in Fukuoka, Japan.

Be heard on important global issues

The Summit offers an important opportunity for young entrepreneurs to become part of a network of champions for youth entrepreneurship, advising global leaders on issues of importance and proposing solutions to global issues.

Through the G20 YEA, delegates organize media appearances and meetings with various stakeholders. For Pichette – whose business, Be-Up, was focused on diverting plastic waste – the G20 YEA was a valuable opportunity to ensure that global leaders were listening to environmental concerns.

“The environment is a major concern in countries around the world, and the G20 provides an important opportunity to be heard by business and political leaders as well as international media,” she said.

Become part of the global COVID-19 recovery

This year’s summit is focused on entrepreneurship as a source of innovation and resilience, with leaders and delegates exploring ways that small businesses can become part of an inclusive, sustainable economic recovery post-COVID-19.

As a delegate, you will have the opportunity to engage with stakeholders and media, and participate in government relations efforts to advance the G20 YEA’s recommendations on post-COVID recovery.

Apply now!

Ready for a unique opportunity to meet fellow entrepreneurs, network with business leaders from all over the globe, and shape economic policy? Apply now to be part of the Canadian G20 YEA delegation! Applications will be open until September 13, 2020.

Celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week 2019

Canada was buzzing with activity this November for Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) 2019, joining more than 170 countries in the largest celebration of entrepreneurship.

GEW 2019 centred around the themes of education, ecosystems, inclusion and policy. Futurpreneur Canada celebrated as the national host with a schedule of digital and in-person events across the country, including the popular annual GEW Community Challenge.

See how we celebrated GEW in Canada.

GEW Community Challenge

Entrepreneurs, small business owners and communities nationwide were invited to participate in the annual Futurpreneur Canada GEW Community Challenge. Members of the entrepreneurial ecosystem were asked to host and register their GEW events to be in the running for the title of The Most Entrepreneurial City in Canada.

Based on the recorded number of GEW-related events hosted per capita, we’re thrilled to announce that The Most Entrepreneurial City in Canada for 2019 is…

Fredericton, New Brunswick

Congratulations to the community of Fredericton on this achievement – a testament to your passion and support of entrepreneurship!

Special mention to Montreal who hosted the most events per city with a total of 50 events during GEW/SME!

2019 Futurpreneur Canada Award Winners

After a record 5,900 votes, we launched GEW 2019 with an announcement of our 2019 Futurpreneur Canada Award Winners. The Futurpreneur-supported entrepreneurs and volunteer mentor were recognized for their leadership, innovation and positive contribution to the entrepreneurship and small business.

Meet our 2019 Award Winners here

Trailblazers: GEW/SME

The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, joined us in Ottawa for our celebration of entrepreneurship at Trailblazers: GEW SME. Hosted at the Shopify HQ, in partnership with the Business Development Bank of Canada, our trademark speaker series saw some of Ottawa’s leading young entrepreneurs take to the stage to share insights on their business journeys, and the value of fostering inclusion in entrepreneurship.

A huge thanks to our speakers: Nita Tandon of Dalcini Inc., Dr. Shayne Young of Active Health Institute, Maria Rasouli of Escape Bicycle Tours and Rentals, and Liz Mok of Moo Shu Ice Cream. Special thanks also to our panel moderator Dorothy Rhau, social entrepreneur and stand-up comedian.

#GetFinLit

Coinciding with GEW, Financial Literacy Month in November gave us the opportunity to share key knowledge and insights for financial management as business owners in our digital Instagram TV series, #GetFinLit.

Featured guests and topics included:

When Are You Financially Ready To Launch A Business?

Carolyn Crewe and Josh Beitel, Duckish Natural Skincare

@duckishnaturalskincare

Comment maintenir un bon score de crédit?

Taïna DiNapoli, Di Napoli Café

@coffeequeen_official

Tools to Manage Your Business Finances

Tariq Al-Barwani, Plentea

@plentea_canada

How a Financial Management Tool Can Help Your Business

Melika Hope, Intuit QuickBooks Canada

@quickbooksca

Watch the series here

Social Enterprise Stories

We were excited to partner with Enactus Canada and League of Innovators for a special GEW event in Vancouver, Social Enterprise Stories.

Futurpreneur-supported Blyth Gill, owner and founder of zero-waste, circular clothing service, Tradle, joined a panel of local small business owners who have used their entrepreneurial acumen and drive for social impact in their “real-world” work.

Rendez-vous Réseau M 2019

In Montreal we partnered with Réseau M for Rendez-vous Réseau M 2019. Futurpreneur Canada’s G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance (YEA) Sherpa, Mégane Visette, along with G20YEA Alumni and thriving entrepreneur, Alexandra Hamel, took to the stage to talk about growing internationally and representing Quebec entrepreneurship on the global stage.

Pitch Perfect

New and aspiring entrepreneurs gathered at Spaces Queen West in Toronto for Pitch Perfect, a pitch competition with a chance for two businesses to win a $1,000 cash prize, thanks to our partner TruShield Insurance.

After two rounds of pitches, we congratulated Afnan Attia of soon-to-launch Snuggles n Bubbles, and Max Gajdel of booming business Stan A.I.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week 2019!

On the Edge of Growth: 20 Entrepreneurs Participate in the Fall 2019 Growth Accelerator

We welcomed 20 young entrepreneurs from growing and scaling Futurpreneur-supported businesses to Toronto for the Fall 2019 Growth Accelerator, held in partnership with Spin Master. The entrepreneurs came together for three days to network and connect with subject matter experts for mentoring sessions designed to identify effective strategies for growing their businesses.

Along with Spin Master, program partners Ramp Communications, Dentons Canada and MNP also provided their knowledge and expertise in crash courses and group coaching sessions for our cohort. Each entrepreneur had the unique opportunity to meet with business leaders to gain strategic perspective and address their specific business growth challenges.

“The Growth Accelerator is an experience that was really worth it,” says Mylène Cusson, co-founder of Kanevas.

“We met incredible people, all the business were very motivated to share their real stories, and the mentors were really happy to help everyone with their time and resources to help us develop our businesses. Everybody should try to be a part of the Growth Accelerator.“

“It’s always a great moment for me and my team to see participants taking part in the Growth Accelerator and really engage in the activities over the three days,” says Jean-Philippe L’Écuyer, Futurpreneur Canada Program Manager.

“It is our reward and our pride to finally see this event happening, after months and months of work.”

The Growth Accelerator is made possible through the support of long-time partner Spin Master. Over 35 members of the Spin Master team volunteered their time and expertise for our one-on-one mentoring sessions.

Special thanks to Tom Linnermann, VP Spin Master, and Mehdi Rahman, Director of Global Learning and Development at Spin Master, whose dedication and support over the years has helped us build the Growth Accelerator into the success it has become today.

Learn more about the Growth Accelerator here

10 Businesses Ready to Accelerate their Growth this Fall

This November, ten Futurpreneur-supported businesses will come to Toronto for expert guidance and support to help them grow their businesses at the Fall 2019 Growth Accelerator.

These entrepreneurs pitched in front of judges for their chance to be part of this exclusive program and we’re excited to announce them today.

The decision to grow your business is the first step. Whether that means expanding to new markets or offering new products or services, it all comes down to ensuring you have built a sound strategy and a support network around you. The entrepreneurs selected for the Growth Accelerator’s Fall 2019 Cohort launched their businesses with support from our Start-Up Program and have each demonstrated their ambition and ability to take their businesses to the next level through their pitches to a panel of judges last week.

Along with our partners Spin Master, Dentons and Ramp Communications, we welcome this latest cohort who will be joining their peers from the Spring 2019 Growth Accelerator in an exclusive series of meetings, workshops and networking opportunities designed to give them the knowledge and tools to achieve their growth objectives.

Meet the Fall 2019 Cohort

Coastline Market Inc.

Coastline is getting seafood to restaurants/retail in North America faster than anyone in history. We do this is by eliminating the middlemen in the congested seafood supply chain using cutting-edge technology. When middlemen are involved, consumers end up paying more, and the people in the middle pocket the cash. By eliminating them and going more direct, restaurants get extremely competitive prices for the best seafood around.

Crew Roadhouse Ltd.

Crew Rowhouse is a boutique fitness studio that combines rowing + high intensity interval training (HIIT) to achieve the ultimate full-body workout. Crew classes are a fast-flowing 45-minute, interval style workout designed to burn major calories, tone muscles and get rapid results. Classes are challenging but our motivational coaches, killer beats and one of kind video experience make Crew classes seriously fun.

KAELA KAY

Kaela Kay offers ready-to-wear women’s clothing as well as custom design services for women, men and children’s clothing. We are the only African fashion inspired brand of its kind in Ontario with a store front offering ready-to-wear clothing (purchased in store, online and picked up in store), we offer custom design clothing and wardrobe styling services all in one and from one location (prom, bridal, evening wear), and also offer clothing rental services through our partnership with Rent Frock Repeat.

Oneberrie Innovations Corp.

Oneberrie is changing the way parents love bath time with our modern bath essentials for all ages. Our main product, our hands-free bath towel, is design and utility patented in North America. Our essentials have grown to include washcloths, swaddles, towels, lotions and robes. What makes Oneberrie different, not only are we different on size and materials, but we are eliminating the chaos and wetness that surrounds bath time. Whether it’s getting your newborn out of the tub or your naked toddler that wants to be a superhero and do everything herself.

SheNative Goods Inc.

Devon Fiddler is a Cree Mother of two, from the Waterhen Lake First Nation, SK. Devon is the Chief Changemaker of SheNative Goods Inc, a brand of handbags and accessories dedicated to elevating Indigenous Woman and girls. Devon also is a speaker, influencer, thought leader, and program developer in entrepreneurship, leadership and skills development.

Sober Island Brewing Company

Sober Island Brewing Company is a rurally situated microbrewery, crafting unique ales from local ingredients wherever possible. The flagship ale is on Oyster Stout, using whole fresh local oysters. This was the inspiration for the company and remains a top seller. English style, classic ales are the focus of the company. A foraged series is part of the profile as well. This series consists of ales brewed with local ingredients foraged from the area. A mobile beer trailer is used to gain attention and attend unique events where other breweries may not. It’s like a moving billboard for a small brewery that doesn’t have the marketing dollars as others. We believe in showcasing our beautiful, untouched area and inspiring others to think about building business in rural Nova Scotia.

Trainfo

TRAINFO’s vision is a world with safe and seamless mobility at rail crossings. Our mission is to eradicate all accidents between vehicles and trains at every rail crossing in the world. To accomplish our mission, we are developing advanced driver information systems that warn drivers when a train is approaching. Today this information helps human drivers reduce accident risk; however, in the future self-driving vehicles will rely on our information to operate at rail crossings and eliminate every accident.

Ballet Hop!

Ballet Hop! contributes to empower women using ballet classes and fearless training. We reinvent ballet to make it more friendly, welcoming and inclusive. Mostly, we are a “garage league” in dance. Ballet Hop! stands out with its hybrid space: two large studios, a shop, a coffee shop and rest areas… People get in and out of a dance school and spend whole afternoons with us. We offer classes and trainings, camps for youth, weekend retreats for adults, corporate programs and local products and refreshments at the coffee-shop.

Choose Life Foods

Choose Life Foods produces delicious vegan Jamaican patties made from natural and quality ingredients. We offer two flavours, Coconut Kale Delight and Beefless Lover’s Patty. A healthy alternative to the Jamaican Patties currently on the market, our patties are exempt from harmful ingredients such as MSG. The patties are practical, just warm and enjoy! Bon appétit!

Toro Matcha Inc.

ToroMatcha introduces the ready-to-drink matcha. It is our idea of what a healthy energy drink should look like. Our products are sold in Slim cans of 355mL. Each can contains less than 45 calories and more than 2 grams of Japanese matcha green tea, a powerful source of healthy energy.

The Fall 2019 Growth Accelerator will take place in Toronto, November 5-7, in partnership with Spin Master Inc. and supported by Dentons Canada and Ramp Communications.

Follow Futurpreneur on Instagram for updates.

A Message From Futurpreneur CEO Karen Greve Young

At Futurpreneur, we know that opening a business can be tough, especially for young entrepreneurs.

That’s why for more than two decades we’ve played a critical role in building the entrepreneurial landscape in Canada, providing financing, mentoring and other resources to young, aspiring business owners. Since 1996, we’ve helped more than 12,400 young entrepreneurs, ages 18 to 39, launch more than 10,000 businesses from coast to coast to coast.

In the past fiscal year, many of the entrepreneurs we’ve supported have thrived. And we’re tremendously proud to have played a part in their successes.

Our core Start-Up program, which now offers up to $60,000 in collateral free loans, is crucial for entrepreneurs in the earliest stages, giving them a solid runway to launch and grow their business.

And our support goes beyond financing – that’s what makes us different in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Our Business Development and Client Relationship teams help entrepreneurs develop solid business plans and cashflow statements before they receive their loans, ensuring they’re set up for success.

Every entrepreneur we support is matched with a volunteer mentor for up to two years, guiding them and offering insight and advice during the critical early years, ensuring they have support during and after they launch.

We also have targeted initiatives – such as Rock My Business Plan, Growth Accelerator and Trailblazers – that provide entrepreneurs insights, tools, coaching and a pan-Canadian network for every step of their entrepreneurial journey.

We are able to provide this level of support to young entrepreneurs through our enduring partnerships, such as our co-lending partnership with the Business Development Bank of Canada and our longstanding funding partnership with the Government of Canada. And of course, our amazing corporate and other government partnerships in communities across the country.

We are tremendously proud of our entrepreneurs and grateful to our partners who share our commitment to fueling the success of young enterprise.

KAREN GREVE YOUNG

CEO, FUTURPRENEUR

A Look at Global Entrepreneurship Week 2018

For the past 10 years Futurpreneur Canada has had the honour of hosting Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) in Canada. GEW is the world’s largest celebration of entrepreneurship. During one week each November, thousands of activities take place cross 170 countries, inspiring millions to engage in entrepreneurial activity while connecting them to potential collaborators, mentors and even investors.

As the national host, we continuously find ways to celebrate, showcase and inspire entrepreneurs across the country.

This year we asked Canada to celebrate and show their support for entrepreneurs across the country by hosting an event as part of the GEW Canada Community Challenge for a chance to be named the The Most Entrepreneurial City. After 169 events held across Canada throughout November, based on the number of GEW-related events hosted per capita, we’re excited to announce that the city awarded the title of The Most Entrepreneurial City and bragging rights for 2018 is…Whitby, ON! Congratulations and a huge thank you to the community of Whitby for showcasing their support for entrepreneurs and small business in Canada.

An honourable mention goes out to Montreal, QC for hosting the most events in one city this year, with a total of 44.

Read on to see how else we celebrated GEW this year!

Trailblazers 2018

On Thursday, Novembecr 15, Trailblazers 2018 was hosted in Vancouver, BC and featured five incredible local female entrepreneurs. One by one, the trailblazers took the stage to share their experiences of launching their own businesses, facing unique challenges along the way, and finding support within their local communities.

Read more about this year’s inspiring speakers here, and get a firsthand account from a Futurpreneur team member here!

‘Pitch Perfect’ Workshop and Pitch Competition

On Wednesday, November 14, a pitch workshop and competition was held in Toronto, ON to help entrepreneurs learn how to formulate a business pitch and tell their unique stories effectively. As we know, talking about your business idea in 2-3 minutes in a way that tells your story and shows your value is a skill that all aspiring entrepreneurs need to develop, regardless of where they are in their journey.

After round 1 of peer-to-peer pitching and voting, followed by live pitches to a panel of judges, two winners were selected and each won $1,000 to put towards their businesses. Congratulations to Adam Simmons of Spark Music and Naomi Blackman & Mikalya Wujec of soon-to-be launched ALDER Apparel!

Raising the GEW Flag at Parliament Hill

To mark the launch of GEW 2018 in Canada, The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion, joined Futurpreneur and a variety of Futurpreneur-supported entrepreneurs on Thursday, November 8 in a flag raising ceremony on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

“As a small-business-friendly government, we are committed to helping more Canadians—including youth, women and other under-represented groups—start up, scale up and grow their businesses,” said Minister Ng.

“Futurpreneur is a key part of that, helping entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 39 transform their ideas into businesses. Global Entrepreneurship Week, with its message of inclusivity, represents a great opportunity to celebrate the many success stories of Canada’s promising entrepreneurs.”

Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (“GEM”) Report on Youth Entrepreneurship

A new report on youth entrepreneurship in Canada has revealed an interesting trend in the young entrepreneurial ecosystem (ages 18-39).

The report, sponsored by Futurpreneur, THECIS and the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), captures a variety of key insights and learnings into the young entrepreneurial ecosystem, including but not limited to: consumer services, provincial hub findings and in-depth analysis into the gender gap.

On Tuesday, November 13^th, a webinar was hosted to provide a detailed overview of the content with the report author Amanda Williams, and Peter Josty, the leader of the GEM Canada team. To read the report, click here.

Announcing the 2018 Futurpreneur Canada Award Winners

The 2018 Futurpreneur Canada Awards presents a picture of innovation and diversity as we celebrate the contribution and achievements of young entrepreneurs changing the face of small business in Canada.

Futurpreneur is proud to be facilitating the changing entrepreneurial landscape in Canada as small businesses continue to play an increasingly instrumental role in the growth and development of the national economy.

The Futurpreneur Canada Awards recognizes entrepreneurs making an impact on the community in four categories: Entrepreneur of the Year, Grit, Growing Strong and Disruption.

The initiative also recognizes the critical role of mentors in the growth, empowerment and success of young entrepreneurs with the Vivian Prokop Mirchandani Mentorship Award, named for the late Vivian Prokop Mirchandani, former Futurpreneur Canada CEO.

The 2018 Futurpreneur Canada Award Winners represent a new breed of entrepreneurs, contributing to vital areas such as job creation, and driving innovation with businesses accommodating the evolving needs of communities across Canada.

After a total of 131 applications and more than 4,470 online votes we are excited to present the 2018 Futurpreneur Canada Award Winners.

Entrepreneur of the Year

Israa Hilles, Escritoire Coworking Spaces

Israa Hilles is the owner and founder of Escritoire Coworking Space Inc, a unique shared workspace in Montreal where modern professionals can work productively—right in their local communities. New to Canada, Israa developed Escritoire with a focus on the genuine passion of members for their neighbours and neighbourhoods, working to foster rather than force a sense of community and connection.

Grit Award

Harman Kaur & Gabrielle Zoppa, Spa Botanica

Harman went into business with $0 in her personal and business accounts, relying on food banks to feed herself and her children. She overcame struggles and sacrifices to launch and grow Spa Botanica with her business partner, Gabrielle. Spa Botanica is a full service day spa with an Ayurvedic influence specializing in custom-made skincare using pure ingredients such as turmeric, Multani clay, sandalwood, rose petals, coconut, cucumber and more.

Growing Strong Award

Armen Bakirtzian, Intellijoint Surgical

Intellijoint’s flagship product, Intellijoint HIP®, provides surgeons with real-time, intra-operative measurements to ensure accurate size selection, positioning, and alignment of orthopaedic implants during total hip replacements. In just two years of commercialization, Intellijoint HIP has been used to more accurately reconstruct over 6,500 total hip replacements. With the adoption rate of Intellijoint HIP growing rapidly, Intellijoint Surgical knew though that it needed to grow beyond its established markets. In 2017, Intellijoint expanded into the Australian and New Zealand markets with its newly earned CE Mark, and in September 2018 entered the European Union market.

Disruption Award

Gabriel Laliberté, Objectif Motivation Gym

Driven by a passion to leave a healthy legacy throughout his community in the south shore of Quebec City, Gabriel launched Objectif Motivation Gym to provide a customized training service that would guide his clients in achieving their objectives and modifying life habits considered harmful.

Gabriel aims to broaden his horizons in the medium term with an additional two to three employees, offering a home service and web programs, and developing partnerships with complementary people and companies.

The Vivian Prokop Mirchandani Mentorship Award

Juliana MacEwen, Precision Digital

Starting a business can feel very lonely at times, unless you have people that you can talk to who understand what you are going through. Juliana MacEwen realizes this and tries to lend a hand whenever she can to people who are taking the leap of faith to start their own business.

Juliana was nominated for going above and beyond her mentoring role, supporting her mentees in a range of ways, from hiring new employees to providing guidance on business decisions such as new ideas or changes in direction.

Most importantly, Juliana has helped her mentees to become more confident with themselves as women in business, inspiring and empowering those around her.

Congratulations to all of our finalists and to everyone who applied; it is thanks to the grit and the efforts of entrepreneurs that we are able to continue and contribute to growing Canada one business at a time!

Leader Spotlight: Mandy Balak of The Ace Class

In 1943, American psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed humans have five basic needs, from biological needs such as food and water, to more complex needs including respect and freedom. Though still debated in the psychology world, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can be a useful tool for business owners to use in marketing and building their brand.

In particular, business owners should pay close attention to Maslow’s third need – the need to be social. This speaks to mankind’s intrinsic need to be loved, feel included and to have a sense of belonging. In simpler terms, your customers are looking for a community to belong to and entrepreneurs have the opportunity to build that community around their business.

As a serial entrepreneur, Mandy Balak of The Ace Class understands the importance of building a community. “Community for a business is, in my opinion, imperative as you have a collective of people who are there to provide feedback, support and come together to connect with one another,” said Mandy. “Trust is the foundation of community and when you have trust, you gain the ability to lead with permission rather than authority.”

Mandy was inspired to follow her entrepreneurial persuits in order to find freedom, but it might not be the type of freedom you’re picturing. “I believe that freedom is something that entrepreneurship offers. Now, let me define this in my words before you start imagining me with my feet up drinking pina coladas on the beach,” shared Mandy. “Freedom is the ability to work on the things I feel most passionately about, in the environments that inspire me – freedom comes with great responsibility.”

In addition to The Ace Class, Mandy is the founder of It’s Date Night, Branded Magazine, Best of Calgary and teaches spin at YYC Cycle. “I am blessed to have a very creative mind and seeing ideas come to life is very rewarding to me which is why I enjoy taking on multiple projects,” explained Mandy. “This constant pursuit to grow and expand what I’m capable of keeps me motivated to see projects through.” The connecting thread from business to business has been the need to cultivate a strong, engaged community. And meeting that challenge is where she excels.

So how can other entrepreneurs tap into the success Mandy has seen in order to build their own community? Start by looking internally and digging into your why. “Having a real foundation of values and purpose, with a clear message can support finding a tribe and building a community around these values,” said Mandy. Then begin to communicate these values through your social media channels.

One of the key benefits in building a community around your business is the ability to gain direct feedback on your business from engaged customers, almost instantanious. “Social media gives us the ability to survey and engage on the fly to validate ideas – use it. The notion of build it and they will come is and old, dated theory. Validate, ask for opinions often – move fast and implement, break things, try again,” said Mandy. This can be critical in ensuring activities like new product launches or shifting your business hours results in success.

If you want to see a business utilizing their community successfully, look no further than The Ace Class. They offer events and experiences for women of all ages and walks of life and support women to connect with one another in meaningful ways. Having launched in the spring of 2017, The Ace Class has already hosted over 5,000 women at their events.

Follow along with Mandy’s journey on Instagram or visit theaceclass.com.

Written by: Megan te Boekhorst, Event Specialist, Futurpreneur Canada

Special Canada Day: Supporting Entrepreneurial Newcomers

Newcomers are a vital part of the Canadian identity. The mix of cultures, experiences and beliefs make this country a truly wonderful place to live and to grow a business. Newcomers also bring new ideas to Canada’s entrepreneurial community. From Elle AyoubZadeh of Zvelle to Yashar Nijati of thisopenspace, the unique perspectives of Canadian newcomers allow for innovative and creative businesses that play an important role in the Canadian economy.

This Canada Day, we wanted to learn more about the newcomer experience and the entrepreneurial opportunities newcomers face. So we spoke with Sarafina Bonsu-Akoto, Futurpreneur Business Development Manager (BDM) for Ontario Newcomers, to discover more about Futurpreneur’s Newcomer Program.

First, tell us a little more about you and you role.

As a BDM, my job entails encouraging and supporting entrepreneurs through the application process for our Newcomer and Start-up Program in Ontario. In supporting newcomer entrepreneurs, I am available to answer questions and inquiries on Futurpreneur, review business plans and financial documents and speak on business ideas or ventures. Another part of my role is to participate in events, presentations and workshops to engage prospective and current newcomer entrepreneurs. The goal is to help newcomers move forward in their business idea, providing them with the resources to start and grow a successful and sustainable business.

In your opinion, what are the challenges that newcomers are facing once arrived in Canada?

Newcomers to Canada, of all cultural background, face various amounts of challenges upon arrival, such as: language barriers, employment, housing, transportation, cultural differences, isolation from family and friends and of course our weather. (Please know this one is a constant struggle for all Canadians, you’re not alone!) Thankfully, our government works to circumvent majority of these challenges through services such as free English as a second language courses, newcomer community centers and our open and understanding culture. When it comes to employment it can be hard for newcomers to find positions in their area of expertise with our competitive job market and sometimes strict qualification criteria. Where the option of becoming an entrepreneur comes into play as a way to gain income, a sense of accomplish and pride.

Is it hard to start a business as a newcomer?

I would say this is a yes and no answer as starting a business as a newcomer is similar to starting a business as a Canadian citizen, but the key difference may be low capital due to a lack of credit in Canada. It can be difficult to gain financing from places such as banks and investors when newcomers do not have a credit history in Canada. Many Canadian citizens go through the same struggle as well with acquiring financing. Where Futurpreneur’s Newcomer Program comes into effect is in providing the resources necessary in starting a business.

As the work is in constant evolution nowadays, do you think it is important for newcomers to know they can become entrepreneurs in Canada?

It is important for newcomers to know they can become entrepreneurs in Canada for many reasons. From wanting to find sources of income, to having a previous business in previous country and wishing to carry it over in Canada, there are various reasons for a newcomer to become an entrepreneur in Canada but don’t know there are resources there to help them.

Can you tell us what the Futurpreneur Newcomer Program is?

The Futurpreneur Newcomer Program is for those who are new to Canada and don’t have a credit history. It’s there to help them launch their business by suppling newcomers with financing of up to $15,000 and one-on-one mentoring with an experienced entrepreneur. This program similar to our Start-up Program and is designed for those between the ages of 18-39 who have lived in Canada for fewer than 60 months (five years) and have obtained a Canadian citizenship or permanent resident. For the newcomer program, we’ve partnered with the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), who offers $7,500 of the $15,000.

What are the benefits of this program?

The benefits of the program, apart from the financing, would be the mentoring. An eligible newcomer is matched with an industry-leading mentor for up to two years. Mentors are there to help gain insight and perspective, providing the ability to focus your thoughts and ideas on your business and shorten and strengthen the learning curve of not only becoming an entrepreneur but succeeding in your business.

Why would you recommend it?

It’s a perfect space to start up. Through this program, newcomers get capital, mentoring and business planning tools which will allow them to grow. This program is designed for newcomers who have a business idea or those who have an existing business that is within in the first couple months of starting up. After receiving funds from Futurpreneur, newcomers are able to build their credit and business trust to go to a bank or private investor and show that “Yes, I am a newcomer I have received funding from Futurpreneur. Here is how much I have grown their funding and support. Please help me get to the next stage.”

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

If you have a business endeavour in mind, Futurpreneur Canada is here to help, visit our website and see what we can offer you. If you have any questions, there is a Business Development Manager nearest to you that can be able to answer them.

If you’re aged 18-39 and looking to launch or buy a business, Futurpreneur can help! Learn more about our Start-up Program or, if you’re new to Canada, discover our Newcomer Program.

Mentor Spotlight : Frederic Moreau, Founder of Facile.co

When entrepreneurs go through Futurpreneur Canada’s Start-Up Program, along with receiving financing and access to key resources, they are also paired with a mentor for two years.

While this mentorship is extremely valuable for our entrepreneurs, it also works both ways. Many of our mentors say that they learn as much from their mentees as their mentees learn from them.

Frederic Moreau, founder of FACILE.CO, a community of facilitators in business transformation, is one of these mentors.

Frederic fell into entrepreneurship when he was a teenager. Originally from a family of entrepreneurs, Frederic was quickly immersed in business.

“At 12 years old I started to help in the family business, in the warehouse to store and destock products,” says Frederic. “So I went quite naturally to studies in business and marketing.”

After spending more than a decade in marketing consulting and digital strategy, Frederic slowly specialized in business transformation in Luxembourg, before moving to Montreal eight years ago where he decided to set up his own business.

Through his activity as a trainer in personal agility, Frederic helps companies cope with sudden changes in modern society by offering support and learning activities.

“One day, I woke up from a long sleep to realize that the world had changed,” says Frederic. “So I went into the dance to evolve. Now, I help humans do the right thing to move easily in a turbulent environment and then change the world. And that for me is the best job in the world.”

It was, therefore, natural for Frederic to become a mentor.

“Sharing is one of my three motivators in life with helping and creating. It is also a form of advice very different from the posture of coach and the posture of consultant. Personal development also goes for me,” says Frederic.

And for him, mentoring is an essential part of starting a business.

“Anyone who starts an activity or takes on a new role in an organization should find a mentor to help them get started. […] I had several mentors in my career and they saved me valuable time that led me to lead teams early and create mine. A mentor is a guide who shares his experience, which does not have all the answers but which helps you find your way more easily,” explains Frederic.

But how can I be sure that the mentoring relationship works? According to Frederic, it is necessary for both the mentor and mentee to have, “courage, humility, curiosity.” He adds: “The courage to say that one does not know, the courage to recognize one’s mistakes.”

And if Frederic had one last thing to add, he would say “Congratulations to the entire Futurpreneur team for its commitment to help entrepreneurs realize their dreams, and to integrate the mentor into a role of support and development.”

And we thank him for being a mentor with us!

Interested in becoming a volunteer business mentor? Click here to find out how!

Written by: Charlotte Robert, Bilingual Copywriter, Futurpreneur Canada