Futurpreneur announces recipients of RBC rock my business start-up awards
Eight Aspiring Entrepreneurs Across Canada Awarded A Total Of $80,000 To Kickstart Their Dream Business
Toronto, ON (July 6, 2021) – Futurpreneur, Canada’s only national, non-profit organization providing financing, mentorship and resources to aspiring entrepreneurs, today announced the eight recipients of the RBC Rock My Business Start-Up Awards. Each award recipient will receive $10,000 to kickstart their dream business, rewarding their participation in Futurpreneur’s newly expanded, free digital Rock My Business workshop series.
The annual awards, which saw over 160 applicants this year, aim to encourage a more diverse entrepreneurial ecosystem in Canada. The awards were provided to six recipients aged 18 to 29 for the Youth Entrepreneur Awards, one recipient for the Emerging Black Entrepreneur Award, and one recipient for the Emerging Entrepreneur Award for aspiring business owners aged 30 to 39.
“We help entrepreneurs overcome the challenges associated with starting a business, and our aim at Futurpreneur is to make entrepreneurship accessible to anyone with a great idea,” said Charles Finley, Chief Experience Officer at Futurpreneur. “Thanks to support from RBC, we are thrilled to provide these eight recipients with both the foundational knowledge and funding to help make their businesses a reality. These aspiring young entrepreneurs are great representatives for our redesigned and expanded three-part digital Rock My Business Series, which is available to all those who are in the early stages of developing their business.”
The recently enhanced three-part Rock My Business series started in 2017 and has been funded by RBC Foundation in support of RBC Future Launch, the bank’s 10-year, $500 million commitment to empower Canadian youth for the jobs of tomorrow. After shifting to a 100% virtual model, the series, which includes business coaching from resident entrepreneurs, has equipped over 2,000 young, aspiring entrepreneurs from across Canada with the skills, confidence and knowledge needed to develop a launch-ready business plan.
“At RBC, we are driven by our purpose of helping our clients thrive and communities prosper. As part of a rich and diverse economic ecosystem, youth-led small businesses contribute to our communities in a significant way,” said Mark Beckles, Vice President, Social Impact & Innovation at RBC. “By supporting Futurpreneur’s expanded programming, we bring the promise of RBC Future Launch to life for young entrepreneurs across the country. We will help to break down barriers for aspiring entrepreneurs, democratizing access to the programming and resources needed to ensure all Canadian youth are prepared for the future of work.”
Supporting aspiring entrepreneurs in Canada, the Rock My Business workshop series helps future business owners determine what makes a viable business before proceeding to learn the basics of developing a successful business plan and realistic cash flow statement. The workshop series takes place every year, and participants can visit the Rock My Business page to sign up for the next available workshops.
Details of the award recipients can be found below.
EMERGING ENTREPRENEUR AWARD
Recipient: Kole Casey, Nordic Vale Honey Farm
Location: Dawson Creek, British Columbia
Nordic Vale Honey Farm is a northern family owned and operated apiary within the Dawson Creek area, providing an enriched family farm experience that produces local honey from farm-raised bees and other bee-related products. With a high yield honey production focus and diversifying products, Nordic Vale Honey Farm products could include honey, mead, crafts/candles, pollen, and equipment.
EMERGING BLACK ENTREPRENEUR AWARD
Recipient: Ajoké Olorundare, SUGR Wax Inc.
Location: Toronto, Ontario
SUGR WAX INC. is a proudly Canadian beauty startup that was born out of a desire to make sugaring for hair removal accessible to everyone. We believe in providing high quality products that are safe, functional and effective. We strive to offer our customers an exceptional overall experience and create a safe community for consumers to learn the art of sugaring. SUGR WAX inspires its customers to envision a world filled with self confidence.
YOUTH ENTREPRENEUR AWARDS
Recipient: Adèle Blouin, I Got it From MAMA
Location: La Prairie, Quebec
Supporting mothers all throughout their maternity, I Got it From MAMA offers an all-encompassing maternity space by providing mothers with a community to learn through educational sessions, offering mothers a platform to share experiences, counseling and even stylish maternity wear. I Got It From MAMA aims to be the largest community for parents and a household name for all things maternity.
Recipient: Alex Neumeyer, Canadian Filaments Inc.
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Canadian Filaments will be Alberta’s first manufacturer of 3D printing filament with the goal of selling high-quality filament at competitive prices, both on a wholesale basis to existing retail companies, educational institutions and the City of Edmonton. Additionally, an e-commerce site will enable retail via direct on-line sales to 3D printing hobbyists in the Edmonton area and across Canada.
Recipient: Sarah Davies, More Granola
Location: Toronto, Ontario
More Granola’s mission is to help change people’s relationship with ‘healthy’ food, by prompting them to savour natural flavours the same way that they do their favourite dessert. As a gourmet granola brand setting out to make healthy eating more indulgent, it makes dessert inspired granola flavours, with simple, good-for-you ingredients. More Granola is the bridge between granola cereal and granola bars.
Recipient: Bonnie Yang, Make Nice Company
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Make Nice Company is a handmade soapary in Vancouver, specializing in solid dish soaps and accessories. Consisting of 100% natural and vegan ingredients that are also paraben-free and palm oil-free, the soap collection aims to reduce the world’s consumption of single-use plastic waste by providing an alternative to traditional bottled dish soap, with an ultra-concentrated Solid Dish Soap that replaces up to 3 bottles.
Recipient: Maria Munoz Castillo, Planted Souls
Location: Mississauga, Ontario
Planted Souls provides plant enthusiasts with a unique one stop plant shopping experience. Individuals can expect to find plants, planters, plant themed accessories, and home decorations at Planted Souls. As part of the unique small plant shop shopping experience, Planted Souls will provide plant lovers with a fun space to express and explore their passion for plants as a community.
Recipient: Hannah Brennen, Sleepout Inc.
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Sleepout Inc. creates portable blackout curtains for new parents, shift workers, and individuals facing sleep challenges, to help them get a better rest anytime and anywhere. The idea came through personal experience needing to darken bedrooms and by looking at a bestselling product with poor reviews. Seeking to ease this challenge, the portable blackout curtain temporarily attaches to windows using patent-pending suction technology.
ABOUT FUTURPRENEUR CANADA
Futurpreneur Canada has been fuelling the entrepreneurial passions of enterprising young Canadians for over 25 years. We are the only national, non-profit organization that provides financing, mentorship and resources to aspiring business owners aged 18-39. More than 13,000 young Canadian entrepreneurs, spanning every province and territory, have successfully launched their business with Futurpreneur’s support. Their main street businesses help drive Canada’s inclusive economic prosperity in communities from coast to coast to coast. Futurpreneur is a founding member of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance, the Canadian member of Youth Business International, and the Canadian host of Global Entrepreneurship Week.
staging.futurpreneur.ca | Facebook: Futurpreneur | Twitter: @Futurpreneur
MEDIA CONTACTS
Savanah Ebeling
Idea Workshop, on behalf of Futurpreneur
E: savanah@ideaworkshop.ca
T: 647-570-1060
Cole Crawford
Stellick Marketing Communications, on behalf of RBC
E: ccrawford@gotoguys.net
T: 416-953-8577
