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EPISODE 32: McEwen MediA
Tara McEwen is an award-winning content creator and producer, who traded working in television to working with people. Her business, McEwen Media, goes beyond just helping people get on television; they work to integrate traditional media, coaching, and storytelling mentality to help entrepreneurs get their message dramatically more exposure.
EPISODE 31: Open Farm
Co-founders Jacqueline Prehogan and Isaac Langleben started Open Farm Pet Food over a decade ago. Their goal was to do more than just change the ingredients in pet food; they wanted to completely rethink the way it was made. That meant not only sourcing the highest quality ingredients, but also supporting farmers who treat their animals right, and providing full transparency to our customers.
Open Farm was born out of simple idea that pet food can both be good for your pet, and do some good for farm animals and the environment, all at the same time.
EPISODE 30: Oshen
Founder Tonia Krauser created Oshen because she saw an opportunity in the beauty supply marketplace. She wanted to create her company, her way, informed by her values. Style? Check. Function? Check. Sustainability. Check. The result? Oshen is an intentionally eco-conscious lifestyle brand that blends these values together. Their flagship product is a stunning makeup case that is practical enough to store all of your beauty products, but beautiful enough to leave on your counter.
Tonia was struck by the fact that there is an endless supply of plastic in our oceans, and more being added to waterways each day. Because plastic doesn't belong in our oceans, Oshen uses recycled ocean plastic and ocean-bound plastic to create their products. They source the recycled plastic from Oceanworks, the largest marketplace for ocean plastic, to ensure reliable traceability of materials.
Working with an ethical factory overseas with experience using recycled materials, they produce design-forward, quality products that don’t sacrifice on style or functionality.
EPISODE 29: Colaneri Estate Winery
At Colaneri Estate Winery, they share a passion for producing premium wines that respect tradition while embracing more modern production methods. The result? A boldly delicious harmony that brings wine alive. Quality begins in their vineyard where vines are meticulously maintained, and bunches are thinned out on the vine to ensure incredible flavour profile and pristine fruit. Of course, grapes are hand harvested and placed onto racks in preparation for drying.
Many of their wines are produced in the “Appassimento” style which means “Wither”. In Italy, grapes could be left to dry in the hot sun. In Canada, the process sees grapes placed, in single layer, on drying racks and placed in a drying chamber to dehydrate. This dehydration concentrates the unique varietal character, reduces the water content and produces a fuller-bodied and full flavoured wine. The percentage of the appassimento method varies from year to year and with each varietal.
The longer-term goal? Continue to provide an exceptional in-person experience at the winery, while always striving to develop and create new wine experiences for customers.
EPISODE 28: Pokko Chips
It would be too easy to say that Pokko is simply a healthier chip. Sure, its made from rice and chickpeas and is suitable for those on vegan diets. It would also be too easy to say that it has a unique flavour profile, inspired by spices from South Asia. To be more accurate… well, you just have to try. Pokko is a way for you to completely upgrade your snack game.
EPISODE 27: Call Me Scotty Productions
Andrea Scott is an award winning playwright and producer who has been writing since 2011. She has been in the playwright units at Obsidian Theatre, Cahoots Theatre, Roseneath Theatre, Factory Theatre, Theatre Direct, Nightwood, and Eastern Front Theatre.
EPISODE 26: Will Be Live
Founded by former management consultant turned entrepreneur Nima Mirpourian, his business leverages his years in social research, talent acquisition, and technology consulting to grow the influence of creators and executives on social media. For the past 10+ years, Nima has been helping clients innovate, create, and realize value by blending business with technology through digital and creative initiatives. Supporting creators who are fuelled by having a net positive impact on the world drives Nima to push the boundaries of traditional media consumption and support the voice of like-minded brands.
EPISODE 25: The Wall Printer
As serial entrepreneur Paul Baron was looking for the next big thing, he came across a new concept: vertical printing. It was an idea new to America but known for years throughout Asia, India, the Middle East, and Europe. The idea of painting indoor and outdoor murals inexpensively for artists and building owners, appealed to him. To print on walls of any surface material, reliably and accurately, appealed to him.
EPISODE 24: GoMaterials
After owning his landscape construction business for over 10 years, GoMaterials’ CEO and co-founder Marc Elliott had experienced first-hand the headaches related to poor quality materials, last minute order changes, product availability shortages, and late deliveries. He shared his experience with long-time friends, who jointly realised that if Marc had experienced those challenges, other landscape designers would as well.
EPISODE 23: 24 Good Deeds
Based on an idea originating in Germany, for as little as $24, purchasing an advent calendar for the holiday season supports 24 charitable projects—six from each of four four key areas (health care, education, nutrition, and the environment). Now that’s a holiday gift worth sharing.
EPISODE 22: Wicked Smart Hot Sauce
Born in Trinidad, founder Ifoma Smart immigrated to Canada at the age of four. In his home as a child, pepper sauce was everywhere, and it was served in generous amounts with every dish. So it was only natural for Ifoma to take what he learned from his family and adapt them to fit his own recipes.
EPISODE 21: Heavenly Hawaiian Farm
Heavenly Hawaiian Farm on Hawaii’s “big island” has been producing award-winning Kona Coffee for over 17 years. As a coffee-drinker, if that was all they did, their blends would still be worth raving about. But they are so much more.
EPISODE 20: FALCON LAM
Marlene and Thuy both live their values openly. As business owners, they certainly practice what they preach and openly discuss how their lives — health, wealth and happiness — have improved since they started the business.
EPISODE 19: IT’S SOUPER
Like many things of beauty “It’s Souper” began as a dream and a way to find a place in a diverse community for Nigerian born, Lola Adeyemi. Today it’s more than a dream—it’s a business that brings the flavours of Africa to food lovers.
EPISODE 18: Bamba Vodka
After years working in the British Columbia restaurant industry, Bamba Vodka Founder, Brandon McKeachie decided to carve out his own place in the world of spirits with the goal of crafting an outstanding vodka that showcases the "spirit of BC."
EPISODE 17: Shop Vejii
Kory Zelickson is an entrepreneur and the founder of Vejii (www.shopvejii.com), an online digital marketplace that meets the needs of consumers and plant-based companies. Through an online portal, customers have access to their favourite plant-based products and are exposed to new products from emerging providers.
EPISODE 16: Inuvialuit Carvers
Priscilla Boulay was born and raised in Tuktoyaktuk, NWT and is a proud third-generation carver. Her Daduck (Grandfather) was a carver, who passed the skills down to her mother, aunts and uncles, who in turned passed them down to her.