Posts in category: Small Business Heroes

Want to have a highly relaxing experience by using cosmetics that can help you feel rejuvenated after a tiring day or maybe a week? You do want to have it, don’t you? Then you should definitely turn your attention immediately to L’Atelier Okoko to get the kind of experience as stated.

Okoko Cosmétiques, created by Oyéta Kokoroko, has just relocated to a new boutique in the heart of Vancouver’s Gastown neighbourhood after successfully developing an online company and earning multiple honours for its green skincare line. Oyéta Kokoroko believes that visitors will be able to escape to a soothing and spa-like environment using aromatherapy diffusers from the minute they walk in.

After successfully creating an online business and receiving numerous awards for its green skincare line, Okoko Cosmétiques, founded by Oyéta Kokoroko, has recently relocated to a new boutique in the heart of Vancouver’s Gastown district. 

This store is home to Okoko’s artisan lab, where the gentle scrubs, hydrating serums, and detoxifying face masks are handcrafted. This space will serve not only as a retail outlet but also as a place to relax, have tea and meet others who have a passion and love for wellness and beauty.

Oyéta Kokoroko believes that from the moment of entering, people will escape to a comforting and spa-like environment with aromatherapy diffusers. The entire Okoko line of products and services will be carefully selected by her team for customers. 

Along with that, private consultations will be provided with one of their beauty connoisseurs in which customers will be getting a tailored skincare routine as well as a holistic program that they can follow with their particular goals in mind. 

For more information regarding their business, you can visit their website: https://okokocosmetiques.com/ 

Ever imagined how a concrete product can give an amazing look to your room? I guess you didn’t, right? Then take a look at Studio S’s line of concrete products, that are sure to give a unique touch and style to your room.

Sylvia Hoang, the creative face behind Studio S or Studio Sylvia. It is a streetwear lifestyle brand that experiments with new and creative ideas through mediums such as illustrated stationery stickers, graphic prints, and concrete sculpture collections. The brand emphasizes modern streetwear features like stylish shoes and well-known rappers and artistically displays them in eye-catching designed things.

Studio Sylvia or Studio S is a streetwear lifestyle company experimenting with innovative and creative designs, which includes mediums like illustrated stationery stickers, graphic prints, and collections of concrete sculptures.

The brand highlights contemporary streetwear elements like trendy sneakers and celebrated rappers and beautifully expresses them in eye-catching designed items. The concrete collection includes Murakami coasters, Nissan flower pots, and Nike swoosh trays.

A fashion communication student, Sylvia Hoang, specializing in graphic design, started out making graphic design prints, stickers, logos, and various branding concepts related to sneakers as part of her academic and freelance work. 

In 2021, she rebranded her company Studio S to an out-and-out street style multimedia brand focused on creating an aesthetic and functional design that embraces streetwear and sneaker culture. She uses concrete as the main material and wants to create various other functionalities in things that would normally serve as a purpose for people.

For more information regarding their business, you can visit her website: https://www.studiosylvia.ca/ 

Things get quite beautiful when you’re having a cup of ‘chai’ or tea in your hand, isn’t it? And when you have tea from ‘Spice Girl Eats’, you are sure to get energized, giving you the kind of peace you wished for.

The creator of Spice Girl Eats, Becca Pereira, turned her love of cooking into a full-time job. Her company produces chai (tea) concentrate bottles that feature a delicious combination of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, peppercorns, and cloves that have been carefully steeped with Assam tea and wonderfully sweetened with unrefined cane sugar. Her enterprise is environmentally friendly since the tea (chai) is made in small quantities and packaged in glass bottles in Toronto.

Becca Pereira, the creator of Spice Girl Eats, turned her love and passion for cooking into a permanent career. Her brand sells chai (tea) concentrate bottles, containing a great blend of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, peppercorns, and cloves, slowly steeped making use of Assam tea and beautifully sweetened making use of unrefined cane sugar. Her company is sustainable as the tea (chai) is beautifully brewed in small batches and packed in glass bottles in Toronto.

Spice Girl Eats was launched in October 2020 out of necessity and will. Becca planned to start a culinary school, but COVID-19 dashed her plan. So, she started Spice Girl Eats and followed her passion for cooking. She thus started creating chai concentrate which is really delicious. People can mix it normally in water or with milk, no matter cold or hot, giving people a taste of heaven in every sip.

For more information regarding their business, you can visit her website: https://www.spicegirleats.com/ 

Managing your daily life isn’t that easy, right? But well, it can get more interesting and fun with STIL. With a clear-cut plan chart for the day, you can get your “me-time” sorted without any fuss.

STIL is a woman-run enterprise, and it is also for women. They believe that if women can dream, they can make it happen. With that in mind, STIL gets things done. Marissa Cristina, the face of STIL, created the firm in 2015 with the goal of empowering women to stay organized in the best way possible. They present organizing items that encourage every woman to take control of her hectic schedule and dynamic social life, making a place for small moments, especially for them.

STIL is a company run by women, and that too is for women. They are of the view that if women can dream, they can make it possible. And with that in mind, STIL makes things happen. Marissa Cristina, the face behind STIL, founded this company in 2015, in order to empower women to stay organized in the best way. 

They put forward organizational products that motivate every woman to take control of their busy schedule and vibrant social life and make room for small moments that are just designed for them. STIL makes it easy with the help of sweet stationery pieces in the form of notebooks, planners, journals, and a lot more with the mission to empower women to get jobs done in the chicest manner.

The name of the company is derived from the German word ‘Der Stil’ which basically means fashion, class, style, and a way of life according to STIL’s official website.

For more information regarding their business, you can visit her website: https://stilclassics.com/ 

We are sure you’ve seen Kokom scarf scrunchies on your Instagram feed and may have seen some of your colleagues or friends wearing them, right? If you are wondering where to find and buy them, check out the website of Kokom Scrunchies and give a fresh and new boost to your style statement.

Kokom hair scrunchies are handcrafted with affection from traditional indigenous Kokom scarves, which are traditionally used as head coverings by indigenous elders. Mya Beaudry, a remarkable 10-year-old entrepreneur from the Kitigan-Zibi Reserve in Gatineau, Quebec, handcrafts and designs each Kokom Scrunchie. She names each scrunchie after ladies who have had a significant impact on her life.

Handcrafted with love, Kokom hair scrunchies are made using traditional indigenous Kokom scarves, which are typically worn as head coverings by indigenous elders. Each Kokom Scrunchie is handcrafted and designed by Mya Beaudry, a talented 10-year old entrepreneur from the Kitigan-Zibi Reserve, which is near Gatineau, Quebec.

Using materials she had on hand, Mya began watching videos on YouTube explaining how to create scrunchies and soon she started sewing and made her first batch of scrunchies. The very first scrunchie she created is known as ‘our first love’ in her online shop. Mya did not stick to only using one particular colour of the Kokom Scarf. 

Mya, along with her mother has used a number of diverse Kokom scarves, nine in total, and presently they form the core line of Kokom Scrunchies. She launched Kokom Scrunchies in June 2020. Mya Beaudry named each scrunchie on the women who have played an important role in her life.

For more information regarding their business, you can visit her website: https://kokomscrunchies.ca/

Want a new and exciting experience that can take your fitness to the next level? Then don’t forget to check out Formation studio, providing curated music for you to keep your body moving along the beats, ensuring top-notch health conditions.

Formation Studio, founded by  Saschie MacLean-Magbanua, helps their community uncover their true identities. They like to hear others declare that they are confident and that they can do anything, no matter how difficult the road may be. Formation Studio nurtures the mind, spirit, and body via the practice of making little improvements and developing a habit of success. They assist their community in becoming their happiest and healthiest selves.

Formation Studio empowers their community to discover their best selves. They want to hear people say that they are confident and they can achieve anything no matter how tough the road is. Through the practice of building little gains and building a habit of success, Formation Studio nourishes the mind, soul, and body. 

They help transform their community into their healthiest and happiest selves. There exist a range of classes for everyone, including the combination of bicep curls and squats with specially-curated music for an exhilarating workout that builds people’s strength and confidence from head to toe.

When Saschie MacLean-Magbanua’s (the founder of Formation Studio) younger sister died, she found herself again taking dance classes to get her body moving. This ignited a flame of joy in dancing with others, and she started teaching pop-up dance classes before opening Formation Studio in 2019. 

Through the years, they have witnessed robust transformations. They have dissolved depression, built confidence, developed friendships, and brought that flow from within. Formation Studio is the place to connect with what people need and help people celebrate their own way.

For more information regarding their business, you can visit her website: https://www.theformationstudio.com/ 

Ever worn a dress that has the power to make you feel like a celebrity walking down the red carpet with photographers all around you? I guess you haven’t. If you want to get the same feel, do check out the outfits by Lesley Hampton, providing you with the exact same feel as stated.

Lesley Hampton, the company’s face, is an indigenous fashion designer. However, this does not imply that all of her clothes include featherings or other characteristics associated with indigenous peoples. She creates apparel that is entirely inclusive, designed for a variety of body shapes, and is self-reflective. Hampton’s art communicates every trip she makes via fabric and flow, whether it’s dealing with adversity, healing from mental illness, or reconnecting with her own community.

Lesley Hampton, the face behind her company, is an indigenous fashion designer. But that does not mean all her outfits come with featherings or other features that are traditionally stereotyped as indigenous. She designs dresses that are completely inclusive, and are created for a range of body types as well as self-reflective. 

Hampton’s work channels every journey she takes through fabric and flow, be it dealing, healing from mental health, or when it comes to reconnecting with her own community. And let us say, her work has made its way onto the red carpets, runways, and people’s Instagram feeds since Lesley’s first collection debuted at Vancouver Fashion Week as well as Vogue Runway.

In 2016, Lesley started her career in fashion and since then, her only goal has been to make sure there’s enough equality and visibility for all entities in sectors like fashion and media.

For more information regarding their business, you can visit her website: https://lesleyhampton.com/ 

Want to give someone or your special someone with cute illustrations stuck right into the gift you are presenting them? Or maybe a greeting card that can make your special someone feel great? If yes, then don’t forget to check out SmollStuffCo for it.

When you combine paper with puns, you get something greater. SmollStuffCo manufactures greeting cards, stickers, and other stationery items inspired by the two owners’ Sino-Canadian culture (Vivian Yau and Lyris Tsang). Sweet and charming pictures of shoes, food, and various other pop culture elements meet one-line wordplay, and there is something for everyone among the more than 130 designs.

Paper and puns, if combined, are better. Inspired by the Sino-Canadian culture of the two owners (Vivian Yau and Lyris Tsang), SmollStuffCo creates greeting cards, stickers, and other stationery items. Sweet and cute illustrations of sneakers, food, and several other pop culture items meet one-line wordplay, and with more than 130 designs, there is something for everyone. 

This company even caught the attention of MLSE, who collaborated with them to create the card for Dalano Banton’s (Toronto Raptors) birthday party. And to sweeten the deal, when people are in Scarborough, they can easily pick up some delicious Japanese cheesecake with their order at Oishii Sweets.

For more information regarding their business, you can check out: etsy.com/ca/shop/smollstuffco

When people think of ice cream, simply the state of kids comes to mind straight away, and let us say, people, don’t need an excuse to eat ice cream. Isn’t it? So, if you’re an ice cream lover, then please don’t miss out on RURU Baked ice creams since they have the power to give ‘that’ taste of childhood in every spoon you take.

Luanne Ronquillo’s RURU Baked brings custard ice cream to Toronto’s west end. They have flavours including buttered popcorn, carrot cake, and miso butterscotch. The menu is updated on a regular basis, and baked goods are available on weekends. This creamery is also well-known for its strong brand relationships. RURU Baked also offers delivery throughout the GTA, ensuring that Torontonians are never too far away from their next pint of excellent ice cream.

RURU Baked, launched by Luanne Ronquillo, offers custard ice cream to the west end of Toronto. They offer delicious flavours such as buttered popcorn, carrot cake, and miso butterscotch. The company changes their menu regularly and even offers baked products on weekends. 

This particular creamery is well-known for its robust brand collaborations as well. The ice cream parlour was commissioned to create a personalized flavour for Adidas in order to promote Canada’s CONFIRMED application. RURU Baked also provides delivery throughout the GTA, which means that the people of Toronto are never too far from their next pint of delicious ice cream.

For more information regarding their business, you can visit their website: https://www.rurubaked.com/

Why wear the same old clothes when hitting the gym? And why even wear the same boring clothes when you are going to bask in the sun at the beach? Try something new. Check out the 437 range of apparel to give that extra bit of class to your wardrobe.

437 Swimwear was founded in July 2017 and is named after Hyla and Adrien’s local address, Johnson Street. The collection of eye-catching patterns at affordable prices includes four traditional styles (Kenzie, Aubrey, Johnson, and Sanders), with Aubrey being the most popular bottom, now available in eleven colourways. As it moved into clothes, the firm simply called itself 437.

Named after the address of Hyla and Adrien’s hometown at Johnson Street, 437 Swimwear came into being in July 2017. The selection of eye-catching designs at pocket-friendly rates consist of 4 classic styles (Kenzie, Aubrey, Johnson, and Sanders), Aubrey being the most sought-after bottom, presently available in eleven colourways. The company has since simply renamed itself to 437, as it expanded into apparel.

The founders of 437 swimwear, Hyla Nayeri and Adrien Bettio are true examples of friendship goals. People can find them 24/7 together, whether it is an early morning gym session or a client meeting in the afternoon, or in Toronto (their hometown). Adrien and Hyla met in the Exclusive Queen’s Commerce Business Program first, but these ladies are far from normal business students.

Rather than chasing interviews and firms after completing their graduation, they had pursued their dreams by beautifully turning their part-time business into a robust empire. These ladies planned to start their own company, a swimsuit company to be more specific, the one that took Instagram and the world by storm.

For more information regarding their business, you can visit their website: https://shop437.com/