IMPACT STORIES

2024 Recipients

• Rick Couchman, The Poop Valet
• Emily Cole, Meadows Baby and Kids
• Melissa Bradshaw, Montego Brown Hair Care
• Prince Khan, Volunteer Mentor
• Savoy-Pitfield Family, Marshall Pitfield Youth Loan Fund

2023 Recipients

• James Summers-Gill, Kendyl Farms
• Kendra L. d’Eon, KLD Law
• Sylvain Rollin, Wesco Food Society
• Glorie Averbach, myCEO
• Tia Upshaw, Femme Noir Business Consulting & Blk Women in Excellence

2022 Recipients

• Agent For Change: Andria Barrett
• Teaching Resilience: Michelle Tasa
• The Business Of Storytelling: Reham Teama
• Paying It Forward: Shaun Pingitore
• Rise Champion: Martin Traub-werner

Rick Couchman’s journey into entrepreneurship began not in a boardroom or a store, but while sitting around a campfire with family – including two dogs. When one of the dogs answered nature’s call, Rick’s brother-in-law commented, “If only there was someone who would pick that up for me!”

With that inspiration, Rick’s business was born. For nearly two years, The Poop Valet has offered a variety of yard clean-up options to help dog owners in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Ayr, and Guelph, Ontario, keep their lawns tidy.

Rick never expected to be an entrepreneur. After studying psychology and sociology, he worked in social services for many years while also working part-time as a sports reporter. However, his career was disrupted by debilitating depression and anxiety that led to multiple hospitalizations over a 14-year period. These mental health challenges, including struggles with self-confidence, made it very challenging for Rick to maintain regular employment.

When the idea of a pet waste removal company came about, Rick’s wife, Sherry, encouraged him to pursue it. “She told me, ‘On your good days, you’ll do fine, and on your bad days, you can always rebook,” Rick says. “I started out fully intending for it to be a part-time business.”

But the universe had other ideas. Within four months, Rick was working full-time on the business, which quickly grew its roster to more than 70 recurring weekly clients. Sherry joined him as a business partner, and they hired their first staff member soon after.

Early in his entrepreneurial journey, Rick signed up for Rise’s Peer Supported Startup Program (PSSP). He liked the program’s peer-centric approach and continues to be actively engaged with the Rise Community, an online platform for clients and alumni to access ongoing support. “I really enjoy having that connection,” he says. “The communication is excellent, and the community forums have been very valuable.”

Not only a business success, The Poop Valet has also made a significant impact in Rick’s life on a personal level. “My confidence has gone through the roof,” he says. “I’ve become a champion for mental health, so I speak about it openly and on all my socials. I’ve really improved my outlook.”

The Poop Valet is also a valuable service for community members experiencing various challenges. Seniors, people with disabilities and those recovering from injuries or other health setbacks all use the service regularly.

The popularity of The Poop Valet speaks to just how necessary the service is. Despite his thriving business, Rick does occasionally encounter naysayers. On a recent trip to Tim Horton’s, Rick says a woman saw his “Poop Valet” truck and commented that she didn’t understand why people don’t pick up their own dog waste. “I could say the same of people who go to Tim Horton’s for a coffee instead of making it at home,” Rick says. “[The Poop Valet] is a service, just like lawn care or car detailing or anything else.

“Some of our clients have shared how much this service has changed their lives. We fill a niche, and it makes a difference for people.”

CONGRATULATIONS TO RICK COUCHMAN, 2024 ROTMAN FAMILY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR.

Visit www.thepoopvalet.ca and @thepoopvalet on Instagram & Facebook to learn more.

For Emily Cole, perseverance has never been an option—it’s been the only way to make it through a series of challenging circumstances.

She developed her sense of determination as a young person working multiple jobs to pay for school. Her goal-oriented mindset and dedication saw her through her early career, helping her secure a good job, buy a car, and purchase a home—all in short order.

Then, in 2017, when Emily was eight months pregnant with her first child, everything changed. Tragedy struck when her husband, a truck driver, was involved in a head-on collision after another driver veered across the center line into oncoming traffic. Emily’s husband survived but sustained a traumatic brain injury and other physical injuries.

“Obviously, our lives changed very quickly,” she says. “I went from a new wife to a caregiver, and then, a month after the accident, we had our first son.”

Suddenly, she faced caregiving responsibilities for her husband and new baby, all while working to make ends meet on her reduced maternity leave pay.

“We went through a lot,” she says.

After welcoming a second child, Emily and her family relocated from the city of St. Catharines to the small town of Picton, Ontario, in 2021. Very quickly, she noticed a gap in the local community: there was nowhere to buy kids’ clothes, highchairs, or any other child or baby gear. The closest options were at least a half-hour’s drive away.

“There are a lot of low-income families around here who don’t have the option to drive to the nearest city,” she says. “They would be lucky to get a taxi once a month to get groceries and anything they need for their kids.”

With this gap in mind, Emily applied to the EnterpRISEing Youth+ Program (EY+) in October 2021. Through a combination of self-guided online learning, live workshops, and peer and mentorship support, she developed her idea for Meadows Baby and Kids, a second-hand children’s clothing and supply store.

“My mentor helped me to put together a business plan of what I wanted to do, how much space I needed, what the costs would be, and I was able to start approaching landlords and business owners about getting a space,” Emily says.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t that simple. “I literally knocked on every single door. I called every abandoned place, every vacant place you could think of in this area. Everyone kept turning me down.”

It took Emily over two years to secure a space. When she finally did, it was small, but it was what she needed to get started.

“The idea really took off,” she says. “We got a lot of great support from the community, all the families, and other community organizations.”

Within three months, Meadows Baby and Kids was on the move: “I was offered another space that’s larger, closer to me and my family and more central in our area, which has been fantastic. I couldn’t ask for a better space,” Emily says.

When asked about her entrepreneurial experience, Emily’s reflections are blunt: “It’s always hard being an entrepreneur, let alone a female entrepreneur, and being young as well. Businessmen don’t always take a young female entrepreneur seriously, let alone one who wants to build a business around kids and family, because they don’t think that way. It’s been very important to be resilient.”

With that perspective, her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is simple: don’t give up.

“If I gave up the first, second, or third time that someone said ‘no,’ I never would have been successful. It really does take perseverance. It really does take dedication, and you never know what the possibilities are if you don’t keep pushing. There will always be someone out there who will believe in your idea. You just need to find them.”

CONGRATULATIONS TO EMILY COLE, RECIPIENT OF THE 2024 DR. PAUL GARFINKEL RESILIENCE AWARD.

Visit @meadowsbabyandkids on Instagram & Facebook to learn more.

Melissa Bradshaw’s entrepreneurial journey started with a simple challenge: finding natural hair care products that were good for her hair texture and type.

“Many Black hair care products have tons of chemicals and unwanted ingredients that aren’t healthy,” Melissa says. “I was having a really hard time finding natural products that worked for me. The products that I did find were in the US, so even though there were great products, I was spending so much on shipping, currency conversion and things like that.”

After some research, Melissa, who lives in Vancouver, realized that there was a huge untapped Canadian market for natural products for curly and coily hair.

Thus, Montego Brown Hair Care was born. “I really wanted to make vegan products with natural ingredients,” says Melissa. “My background is Jamaican, so I also wanted to incorporate my heritage with tropical scents and fruits. That’s how it all started.”

Montego Brown Hair Care now offers a full line of non-toxic, cruelty-free hair care products, including shampoo, conditioner, and hair oil, all available online.

In addition to the products themselves, Melissa is focused on education and empowerment.

“This is more than a business venture for me – it’s a passion project born out of a desire to make a difference in the way we care for our hair and ourselves. Educating customers about the benefits of using natural, gentle ingredients for their hair is a key focus.”

In the process of starting her business, Melissa has worn many hats – from graphic design to website maintenance to content creation to sourcing and formulating products, she’s done it all. While she now has freelancers to help her with some tasks, this early experience provided crucial insights. “I know what it’s like behind the scenes, and it’s taught me what I do and don’t like to do and where I should find support.”

With limited capital, Melissa says she looks for free and low-cost resources to help her grow her business, which is how she found Rise. In March 2023, Melissa joined the Peer Supported Startup Program (PSSP) where she says she benefited from training sessions and business mentorship. Most notably, PSSP connected her with like-minded entrepreneurs to collaborate and build relationships with.

“I’ve made amazing friends through the Rise program that I’m still in contact with,” she says. “We collaborate, encourage each other and support one another’s businesses. I just love it.”

And all of Melissa’s hard work is paying off.

“My customers love what I offer,” she says. “I’ve heard from people who tell me my products have transformed their hair care routine and boosted their self-esteem. Knowing that we’re making a positive difference in people’s lives and helping them embrace their natural beauty is truly the most rewarding part of running this business.”

Looking ahead to the future, Melissa wants to continue to grow Montego Brown Hair Care and hopes to open a salon one day. She also hopes to see more Black businesses joining the Canadian beauty industry. “I’d love to see more of that,” she says, “because there really aren’t a lot. It’s just a small number of entrepreneurs, and I would love to see more in this space so we can build community and support each other.”

Melissa’s advice to people considering entrepreneurship: “Just do it! Try it. If I hadn’t pushed myself to do this, I never would have known that this is such a great thing. You don’t want to have regrets. So just give it a try.”

CONGRATULATIONS TO MELISSA BRADSHAW, RECIPIENT OF THE 2024 BELL LET’S TALK START-UP AWARD.

Visit www.montegobrownhaircare.com and @montegobrownhaircare on Instagram to learn more.

In 2024, Prince Khan is all about giving back.

“I really want this year to be about being involved in the community,” he says. “I do a lot of volunteer work with a lot of organizations, from youth to adults. Community is the foundation of who we are; for me, it’s about helping the people around me.”

Prince is uniquely qualified to help. He began his career in the small business space over 10 years ago. Ever since, his work has centred on small business operations and entrepreneurship, particularly in his current work as the Space Supervisor at the Brampton Entrepreneur Centre and as an Instructor at the University of Guelph-Humber.

When he heard about Rise, Prince knew it would be a good fit. “The whole reason I joined was because I really wanted to help people who were looking for a mentor, an advisor, or a sounding board – I knew I could be that for someone, and I find great comfort knowing that I’m able to help other people.”

For his first Rise mentorship, Prince was matched with Maheshi Wanasundara, a Rise client whose business, Musey, sells artisanal crafts made by Sri Lankan artists.

“Prince has a remarkable ability to listen deeply, making clients feel truly heard and understood,” says Maheshi, who nominated him for the Scotiabank Volunteer of the Year Award. “He’s never stingy with his time, always willing to go the extra mile to ensure Musey receives the guidance and support we need.”

Prince also speaks highly of his mentee. “Maheshi has been such an inspiration to work with,” he says. “She has really blossomed since our first meeting. Her financial literacy has improved, she’s finding more value for her marketing dollars, and she’s thinking of business growth. She has really impressed me!”

Volunteering with Rise has been a unique experience for Prince. “I’ve gone through times of depression and anxiety myself, and I understand that it’s really hard to talk to people about it,” he says. “With Rise, I’m able to be matched with someone who may be experiencing something very similar. I feel like I can give back to people experiencing the same barriers in their personal lives.”

When it comes to the decision to pursue entrepreneurship, Prince has some important words of advice: “I always tell my mentees and students that entrepreneurship is not easy. It’s not the easy way out. It’s really a quest to try and fulfill in your life,” he says. “But if you really care and deeply think that there’s an opportunity, then you should really consider it.”

With Prince’s year of giving back drawing to a close, what’s next?

“The next few years will be about how I can give back even more,” he says. “How can I be more involved in the community? I love being a part of people’s journeys – helping them to feel like they’ve accomplished something.”

CONGRATULATIONS TO PRINCE KHAN, 2024 SCOTIABANK VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR.

For the Savoy-Pitfields, giving back is truly a family affair.

Chip Pitfield and his wife, Michelle Savoy, have long been involved in mental health advocacy and building awareness of its related challenges and stigma. With the additional support of sons Keefer, Ward, and Eric, the family has redoubled their efforts in recent years, increasing their volunteerism and establishing Rise’s first-ever named loan fund.

The memory of their son, stepson, and brother, Marshall Pitfield, has fueled the family’s philanthropy. Marshall was a talented chef, happiest when sharing love through food. He also struggled with mental health challenges throughout his adult life. In 2021, Marshall passed away suddenly at the age of 31. To honour his legacy, the Savoy-Pitfield family established the Marshall Pitfield Youth Loan Fund so other passionate young entrepreneurs with mental health and addiction challenges can access the support to pursue their talents and goals.

For Chip, countering the systemic barriers faced by those experiencing mental health and addiction challenges is nothing short of a moral imperative.

“We’re in the dark ages when it comes to our treatment of mental health,” he says. “There is a lot of evidence to demonstrate that with the right help, people can recover and be happier. But we continue to underserve this segment of the population.”

In establishing the fund, the Savoy-Pitfields have recognized the immense need that exists among young entrepreneurs in Canada, for whom access to capital is a major obstacle.

Through the Marshall Pitfield Youth Loan Fund, young people can apply for a loan of up to $10,000. As Rise clients, they also receive access to mentorship and other custom supports that empower them to build a business that suits their needs.

“Mental health or substance use challenges can be a barrier to maintaining a predictable work schedule,” Chip says. “The flexibility that entrepreneurship allows can provide a much-needed alternative.”

Since the fund was established in 2022, it has raised nearly a quarter of a million dollars. In its first year, 21 loans were disbursed, supporting business ventures across the country and many sectors, including construction, beauty, clothing, and more.

“We’re fortunate that we have a big family,” says Chip of the fund’s rapid growth. “Everybody loved Marshall, and everybody wants to be helpful.”

The family’s commitment to Rise continues to deepen: Keefer and his wife, Lindsay, are co-chairs of a new Rise fundraising event set to take place in Spring 2025. Chip is also invested as a volunteer mentor, and he encourages anyone interested in mental health advocacy to get involved.

“We will never, ever, ever have enough people helping in this space,” he says, noting that the experience can be extremely rewarding. “When you get involved with Rise, you can be directly involved in helping someone who is wrestling with a problem, and that is incredibly valuable.”

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SAVOY-PITFIELD FAMILY, RECIPIENTS OF THE 2024 DAVE RICHARDSON CHAMPION AWARD.

Visit https://www.risehelps.ca/the-marshall-pitfield-youth-loan-fund/ to learn more about the Marshall Pitfield Youth Loan Fund.

“There’s nothing better than growing carrots in midair; they’re my favourite,” says James Summers-Gill, who is also partial to heart-shaped cucumbers.

Sound impossible?

Well, James is no stranger to defying great odds.

On April 1, 2016, while walking his daughter to school in Kelowna, British Columbia, James was the victim of what he calls “the worst April Fools’ joke ever.” Attacked randomly in the street, James was beaten within inches of his life.

“My doctor told me multiple times that he thought it would be impossible for me to survive”— never mind live a full life. “But here I am.”

Life-threatening injuries became life-altering ones. Diagnosed with extreme traumatic brain damage, high anxiety, and depression, James was also told he would be only marginally capable of functioning in society and likely never work again.

Today, James is the founder and CEO of Kendyl Farms, dedicated to solving agriculture’s biggest challenges with advanced farming systems and producing delicious, safe and sustainable food.

“It’s been a long battle to get here,” James says. He lost most of his memory due to brain trauma, thus forced to get reacquainted with many things he once knew, cared about and enjoyed. For example, upon returning home from the hospital, James was drawn to “these wonderful yellow tubes with green stuff” out on the deck but had no idea what they were.

It turns out they were the 400-ish plants of a hydroponic garden.

Even though James couldn’t remember the why or how of this hobby, it reawakened an interest in innovative food systems.

James relearned and strengthened his “gift for growing” on that four-by-six-foot deck—a small space that has evolved into a big mission.

James wants to revolutionize how we grow food by way of vertical farming. It’s a method that uses traditional hydroponics, aquaponics and aeroponics and requires the careful control of factors such as temperature, lighting and irrigation to optimize growing conditions. According to James, vertical farming uses 96% less space and 98% less water than traditional methods; it’s chemical-free, produces high crop yields, and can facilitate a 365-day growing season.

Above all, James believes that vertical farming is a key solution to the world’s food and climate crises, and it’s the ultimate goal of Kendyl Farms to innovate a complete vertical system that can be replicated and relied upon anywhere across Canada or worldwide.

To help turn this vision into a business, James joined the Rise Peer Supported Startup Program (PSSP).

“As a disabled person, it’s really hard to find available and affordable resources,” James says. But because the program was accessible online and cost-free, it opened new doors.

“I developed parts of my business plan and my pitch deck [at PSSP] and got to present it in front of people,” James says. Meaningful connections were also made with the volunteer mentors—several of whom James keeps in touch with.

“It’s been great to have people to talk to [about the business] because once you’re in front of investors, it’s unforgiving.”

That’s where James’s focus is now—on finding investors to help Kendyl Farms acquire property for a facility much larger than the 400-square-foot garage it currently calls home.

(It should be noted that James has grown 9,000 lettuce plants per month in said garage, as well as strawberries, tomatoes, airborne carrots, cucumber hearts, and more.)

While the journey is ongoing, James hopes his story can inspire others and inspire change.

“The system is not designed for disabled persons to ‘get ahead.’ … There are so many things that we have the capacity to do; we just need to be given the opportunities.”

Ever resilient, James’s advice to other entrepreneurs with disabilities is simple: don’t give up.

“Just keep pushing. Somebody is going to come by and help. They will, but you gotta keep at it.”

Congratulations to James Summers-Gill on being named the 2023 Rotman Family Entrepreneur of the Year.

Only three months after landing her dream job as in-house counsel at a large insurance company, Kendra L. d’Eon’s life was irrevocably changed in an instant.

“I was rear-ended on my motorcycle by someone playing on their phone,” she says. “Overnight, I went from a confident litigator to someone who struggles daily with [post-concussion symptoms] and chronic pain.”

Kendra’s injuries made a traditional lawyer’s schedule all but impossible. As an example, she says, “I spent years trying to rehabilitate so that I could read and use computer screens enough to even consider returning to work.”

She did try to go back, eventually. Twice. But both times, she was incredibly frustrated and hindered by the lack of accommodations her company offered.

“I began to give up hope,” she says. “During that period when I couldn’t function, I started to say I was a lawyer.” Past tense.

Realizing the pace of litigation was unsustainable, Kendra decided to chart a new path for herself. She began writing a business plan to start her own firm.

Five years after her life-altering collision, she launched KLD Law, where she focuses on Indigenous Law and estate planning.

But going it alone is no small feat—especially running a new law firm while facing symptoms that vary daily. To help her manage, Kendra applied to the Small Business Lending Program.

“The loan I received through Rise …  released some of that pressure and stress so I could focus on actually practising law,” she says. Which is something that looks very different for her now.

“Some weeks, I can work five to 20 hours, other weeks I can’t work at all … [But] I love that I can challenge myself when I need to, and I can stop when I need a break.

“Nobody decides my fate but me now … I’m not willing to let someone else have control over my disability [again].”

That resolve is the product of Kendra’s resilience—something she’s both proud of and, at times, exhausted by.

“Often on this journey, I’ve said, ‘I’m tired of being resilient,’ but without my resilience, I wouldn’t be here now.”

She says there are moments when entrepreneurship “is absolutely terrifying,” but that it has also bolstered her self-confidence.

“It’s been so difficult starting this business in a profession of highly intelligent, capable people; skills I felt I lost as part of my injuries … [But] I feel like I’m a lawyer again—not that I used to be, or that I’m a broken one. I have the skills and the brain to do this; I just needed the right tools and support.”

It’s a lesson she wants to bring to the broader law community, where she’s met students already terrified at the prospect of joining a big firm and the potential impact on their mental health.

“I want to share my story to show that you can do it a different way,” she says.

A more mindful way.

That’s also the ethos at the heart of KLD Law. Kendra is focused on providing tailored legal services, mindful of the unique challenges her diverse clients face. As an Acadian Metis person, she says it’s an honour to work with Indigenous communities and provide highly personal, compassionate support to help them access the justice system. She brings equal commitment, care and curiosity to estate planning. After all, she’s had to think about life’s “what ifs” quite a bit for herself.

“Mindfulness is built into my business’s mission statement because it has driven me throughout this entire process. You have to be mindful of everything you do, but also be mindful of yourself. So, it all kind of fits together, and I love it.”

Congratulations to Kendra L. d’Eon, recipient of the 2023 Dr. Paul Garfinkel Resilience Award.

Sylvain Rollin is a man who thinks globally. He thinks about the borders that food crosses, the distances it travels to reach grocery store shelves, and the big multinational chains that disrupt a community’s food economy.

But for all his worldly contemplations, Sylvain is a man who lives his life extremely close to home. He works local, eats local, buys local, and sells local too—all very literally.

Sylvain is the founder of Wesco Food Society, a business turned non-profit in Port Alberni, British Columbia, on a mission to create a new sustainable food system rooted in local connections—from farmers and food producers to residents and neighbouring towns.

It’s an idea that was ignited during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sylvain says he’s long grappled with the waste, inefficiencies and inequity created by an ever-globalizing food system. But what finally spurred him to action was watching shelves empty as the weaknesses of Canada’s national food system were exacerbated by pandemic border closures and global supply chain breakdowns.

So in 2020, then living in Tofino, he started a small, two-seater tasting room, serving gourmet meals made from only what his backyard planters and surrounding nature could provide.

But other issues had been exacerbated, too.

“One of the reasons I left Quebec [initially] was to try and run away from a cocaine addiction,” Sylvain says. “But it followed me everywhere.” Including the eco-community where he was living and serving his fare.

Eventually, he lost that Tofino home and relocated to Port Alberni, where he found new inspiration, and support from Rise.

“I didn’t know anything about how to build a business, but Rise helped me gain the skills to write a plan,” he says. “The [Small Business Lending Program] helped me develop what I wanted to do, and I think just having a goal to achieve really helped me focus.”

Sylvain says the loan he received helped him “jumpstart the business.” He also benefited greatly from the support of his mentor, who had the right knowledge and experience to help him develop his vision and who shared her own mental health journey.

“It was a big turning point for me,” he says.

Today, Wesco Food Society operates a seasonal storefront (Wesco Foods) in Port Alberni and an e-commerce platform where residents can order local and BC-made produce, products and pre-made meals. It also hosts a weekly Farmers Market and maintains a small production kitchen Sylvain calls “the food lab.”

Each initiative reinforces the others. For example, because the farmers market is only once a week, also selling local products in-store and online creates broader accessibility. By managing distribution, Sylvain says he can save money and expand regionally, taking Port Alberni-made goods to other Vancouver Island towns and bringing back their products to sell. And in the food lab, Sylvain is innovating to reduce food waste by transforming excess or overripe produce into delicacies and preserves that dramatically extend shelf life.

“We haven’t lost an ounce of food since I opened because everything is being processed [if needed],” he says. “The more inventory and variety we can stock for customers just supports the local economy.”

With the storefront closed for winter, Wesco Food Society is focused on developing a larger location to accommodate more products and producers and, eventually, be open year-round.

Sylvain says it’s been hard work to get to where he’s at, and he has much more to achieve. But there’s no denying how far he’s come in just a few years.

“I didn’t have any self-esteem or any goals; I was just drifting. I was in a very dark place in Tofino. So, coming from the bottom of the barrel to now – a life where I want to try, I want to fight, I want to compete – it’s pretty crazy.”

And pretty inspiring.

Congratulations to Sylvain Rollin, recipient of the 2023 Bell Let’s Talk Start-up Award.

After more than 25 years as a tech entrepreneur, Glorie Averbach says she was burned out. By 2016, she’d built three start-ups and successfully exited two. So, one day, when an employee walked into her office and said they’d like to buy the third, she jumped at the opportunity.

And then…

“I had a bit of an identity crisis,” she says. “I still loved so many aspects of my work, so I took some time to decide what from my past I wanted to bring into this new chapter.”

Glorie, who lives on Vancouver Island, reflected on her experience, strengths, values, and needs. A few things stood out.

“I’m very passionate about entrepreneurship,” she says. “I strongly believe in people doing their own thing from the perspectives of both freedom and personal development.”

She also knew she wanted to help others learn, grow and succeed—a commitment she’d upheld as a leader.

“Business coaching became a natural segue for me,” she says.

Accordingly, in 2017, she co-founded myCEO, a professional coaching and consulting firm that helps entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level.

But another part of her “new chapter” still needed writing.

“I’m a big believer in giving back,” she says. “I grew up in a household where doing things for the community was important, whichever community you choose to serve.”

It was while volunteering with another organization that Glorie was introduced to Rise. She was mentoring Vancouver-based entrepreneur Heidi Nagtegaal when they joined the Rise Small Business Lending Program and were approved for a loan. With a strong relationship already established, it only made sense to ask Glorie if she would continue as Heidi’s Rise Mentor—another opportunity she jumped at.

And… She’s supported Heidi as they’ve built not one but two businesses.

Glorie says the aforementioned “identity crisis” and other experiences with both the pressures of entrepreneurship and mental health have helped her be a more compassionate and empathetic mentor. She works hard to create a safe and non-judgmental space for open conversation so she can truly understand her mentee’s goals.

“Everyone’s definition of success is important and valuable,” she says. “It determines what you want to achieve.”

Once she understands an entrepreneur’s goals, Glorie says she can help strategize towards them.

“We’re led to believe that to build a business, we have to take gigantic steps, but it’s really about incremental changes every day,” she says. “I can help entrepreneurs play to their strengths and figure out how to grow their businesses based on their own needs and values.”
It is, after all, the philosophy that guided her to start myCEO.

Despite their formal Rise mentorship having ended, Glorie and Heidi still meet monthly. And Glorie continues to volunteer with Rise, most recently as the Sales and Growth Expert for the Rise Community online. There, she meets a variety of entrepreneurs, each with unique challenges and aspirations. And while she does not give to get back, Glorie says her investment as a volunteer has borne many returns, both professionally and personally.

“Working with Rise has made me a better coach,” she says. “It’s allowed me to connect with people from different walks of life and learn many more layers of business and humanity.”

It’s also given her a sense of gratitude for her own journey and an awareness that “everyone needs help, somewhere, somehow.”

“We all have challenges, we all have baggage, we all have wounds and triggers,” she says. “That I can share my experiences, my challenges and my wins with others to help them move forward—that absolutely fills my cup.”

And, hopefully, many chapters to come.

Congratulations to Glorie Averbach, 2023 Scotiabank Volunteer of the Year.

Tia Upshaw is a successful business owner, though not by choice. At least not in the beginning.

“It wasn’t like I woke up one day and thought, ‘I want to be an entrepreneur,’” she says.

Instead, she was driven mainly by necessity. A Black woman in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with a history of mental health challenges and conflict with the law, she says traditional job options were limited, and the prospect of a criminal record check deterred her further. But she also had three children to raise. So, in 2013, Tia decided to try turning a passion into profit.

“I’ve always loved cleaning,” she says. “I mean, I love, love, love it … So literally, I went to the dollar store and grabbed some supplies. At the time, I was delivering newspapers at night; then I’d knock on doors all day with my cleaning supplies.”

Slowly, she built her first business, Top Notch Cleaners. Fast forward 10 years, and Tia has transitioned ownership of that company – now with more than a dozen employees – to her 24-year-old daughter. She’s also built several other businesses in the meantime.

While Tia may not have become an entrepreneur on purpose, today, purpose drives her.

“I went from just trying to survive to making money, to really understanding entrepreneurship, to finding purpose and passion in working with women that look like me,” she says.

That’s the inspiration behind Blk Women in Excellence (BWIE), a registered non-profit Tia founded in 2020, dedicated to empowering and supporting Black women entrepreneurs. Recently, she’s extended that mandate to support a broader base of business owners through her newest enterprise, Femme Noir Business Consulting. A small for-profit firm, Femme Noir leverages the expertise of Black women professionals to support entrepreneurs of all stripes from marginalized communities.

Introduced to Rise in 2022, Tia says its mission to empower individuals with mental health and addiction challenges through entrepreneurship resonated immediately.

“When I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression, no one cared. They didn’t even believe me. People would say I was just tired or being moody … I couldn’t be open about it.”

Tia contributes her depth of wisdom and experience to Rise as a volunteer mentor and a member of the Loan Review Committee (LRC), which adjudicates Rise loan applications. She says she can relate to many of the challenges applicants face and looks at each one as a whole person—not just a credit score.

In all her endeavours, Tia says she’s resolved to fix Canada’s “broken” entrepreneurial ecosystem, which doesn’t benefit women, women of colour, non-binary individuals, people with mental health and addiction challenges, or any marginalized communities.

“The system wasn’t built for us,” she says. “We need to dismantle it and rebuild it into something that will benefit us all.”

Currently pursuing an Executive MBA with the University of Fredericton, Tia also works with other universities’ entrepreneurship and business programs to help proactively cultivate a new kind of graduate—one for whom diversity, equity and inclusion aren’t reactive business policies but cultural imperatives integrated from the start.

It’s a grassroots approach—something she also appreciates about Rise.

“Rise is engaged in the community. It’s there. It shows up … It’s about giving second chances and believing in individuals when no one else does.”
That’s an apt description of Tia, too. For her commitment to Rise and profound contribution to entrepreneurship in Canada, she has received the 2023 Dave Richardson Champion Award.

“To be recognized as a leader in a community of individuals who may look like me, have a history like mine, have [made mistakes] like mine, but who still show up—it means a lot.”

Congratulations to Tia Upshaw, recipient of the 2023 Dave Richardson Champion Award.

Andria Barrett wanted to be a public speaker.

She reached out to all sorts of agencies and organizations. She applied, sent demo tapes, did the follow-up, but didn’t get any response.

“Unfortunately, I’ve always felt like I was the only Black person in the room,” Andria says. At conferences, workshops or gala dinners, she says she would never see many people who looked like her. Yet, at the same time, she often found herself trying to help event organizers connect with diverse speakers. From that juxtaposition, Andria says she realized that if she wanted there to be an agency that represented people who look different from the status quo, “I would just have to create it myself.”

So, she did.

In 2016, Andria founded The Diversity Agency—a speakers bureau that specializes in representing BIPOC speakers. The agency also has a consulting arm that provides Diversity & Inclusion training and strategic consulting to companies that want to connect with and better understand Black communities.

Early in her journey, Andria sought entrepreneurial support from Rise’s Peer Supported Startup Program.

“Rise made us walk through our business plan from beginning to end to know what our product was, know who our target audience was, know how to break down out costs, [etc.],” Andria says. “It was so helpful because with a strong foundation, you save yourself from a lot of mistakes.”

Today, as The Diversity Agency CEO, Andria leads a team of three. She is also one of 15 diverse speakers on the bureau’s roster who represent a wide variety of expertise. She is a Wellness & DEI Speaker. As a nutritionist working with people who have prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes, Andria speaks to managing blood sugar and leading healthy lives with diabetes. As a small business advocate, she speaks to corporations and fellow-entrepreneurs about learning how to balance stress, wellness and business—a talk that she has had to learn to walk for herself.

“As an entrepreneur, in the beginning you abandon all things healthy. For me personally, I was doing everything that I tell my clients not to do—working morning to night, just go, go, go,” she confesses. “Now, every day before I start work, I go to the gym. It’s great for me mentally and physically … and helps me perform better at work.”

For many entrepreneurs, mental and physical wellbeing are common sacrifices, but Andria says, “We need to make sure people are doing the little things [for their wellness] so that when they’re business is growing and flourishing, they are healthy enough to celebrate and enjoy it.”

And it seems, as The Diversity Agency gears up for major opportunities in 2023, including Black History Month and Women’s History Month, and looks towards expanding in the coming years, Andria is enjoying it.

“Rise was such a positive experience for me that helped me set the foundation to get started,” she says. “What motivated me was a lack of representation of BIPOC speakers, and I’m proud that I’ve been able to give people the opportunity to work and share their message.”

Congratulations to Andria Barrett on being named the 2022 Rotman Family Entrepreneur of the Year.

Michelle Tasa is the owner of Artpourings Studio in Calgary, Alberta—a safe space where people can take classes that teach everything from drawing and sewing to simple robotics.  

But, Michelle says, “It’s not really about art or making anything. It’s actually about helping kids develop creativity, problem-solving and resilience.” 

At Artpourings Studio, students don’t complete identical artworks or follow step-by-step instructions. Instead, they’re encouraged to design their own projects and work through the process of creating them.  

“They’re going to come up against difficulties, and that’s where I can step in as a mentor to help them build their skills,” Michelle says. “But the goal is in their perseverance; in learning that they can count on themselves to fix a problem. That is resilience.” 

In many ways, Michelle’s approach to education mirrors her entrepreneurial journey. 

Once a small-town teacher in Northern Saskatchewan, in 2015 Michelle was made redundant. At the time, her husband was ill, her two kids were seven and nine, and the nearest job 40 minutes away. She says that she explored every option, but instead of the daily commute, decided, “I’m actually going to move to China, because that is going to give us life that I can actually survive in.” 

Michelle spent five years living in China with her kids, teaching at international schools. Then, in early 2020 the pandemic struck. Suddenly, she found herself locked down in Shanghai, during which time her husband passed away.  

After months enduring grief, trauma and uncertainty, Michelle decided to move back home to Calgary in the summer of 2020. 

“That’s when I struggled the most [with my mental health],” she says. After three months in hospital, she was diagnosed with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). By the summer of 2021, she knew she would need to get creative again to provide for her family.  

“I knew I couldn’t go back into fulltime teaching, and I didn’t want to go back into that box of the education system … So, I had to stop and figure out something else. For me that’s resilience.” 

Two months after opening Artpourings Studio, Michelle came to Rise for a small business loan and mentorship support.  

“My Business Advisor helped me to write my business plan,” she says. “It was exactly what I needed, and the loan from Rise literally sustained me and helped me market my business. Also, my mentor is really encouraging … I’ve gotten so much confidence from working with them.” 

Michelle says entrepreneurship has been amazing journey that’s allowed her to push into employment while still prioritising her mental health.  

That’s her priority for her students too – many of whom are kids experiencing anxiety – and for events, workshops and corporate clients looking to foster creativity and wellbeing.  

“I want to be known as a businessperson who has a mental illness because I think the more we are open about it, the less stigma we’re going to have,” she says.  

“And that word, resilience—I have absolutely accepted it as mine. I am resilient.”  

Congratulations to Michelle Tasa, recipient of the 2022 Dr. Paul Garfinkel Resilience Award.

Teama Publishing isn’t Reham Teama’s first foray into entrepreneurship.  

Born and raised in Egypt, she moved to Dubai in 2008, where she had her own business for several years. Then, in 2016, she immigrated to Canada.  

Initially, Reham worked for an insurance company here, but towards the end of her maternity leave with her first child in 2019, she decided she wouldn’t be going back.  

Instead, she launched a small business-to-business consulting firm.  

“I was enjoying what I was doing, but then COVID hit in 2020 and it was a nightmare.” 

Without a stable income and with the pressures of isolation and lockdowns, Reham says she started to experience depression. She can’t quite explain it, but she also started writing her memoirs, “out of the blue.” 

“I started writing my own blog on Facebook. I wrote about my life in Dubai and in less than a year this page grew from one follower to 10,000 followers!”  

Soon, Reham began to receive messages from her readers complimenting her as an author.  

“I didn’t even know I could write, but I thought, ‘maybe they are right,’ and that encouraged me to explore different aspects of myself.” 

As the blog’s popularity grew, Reham decided the next step was to try and publish it. Because it was written in Arabic, she found a self-publishing company in Egypt to work with but needed financing to move the project forward. 

As luck would have it, a couple of years before, she’d been introduced to Rise. She applied to the Small Business Lending Program and secured a loan to help her cover expenses such as printing, shipping, organizing a book signing in Canada and attending the Cairo International Book Fair.   

Both Cairo and the signing in Canada were a success.  

“I was on TV and then I sold like 500 copies in less than a year,” Reham says. “I thought, ‘ok, I’m a real author,’ and decided to believe in myself.” 

Thus, Teama Publishing was born. 

With the success of her book, the publisher in Egypt proposed making Reham its agent for North America. 

“I went from unpublished writer to published author and publisher too,” she says. All in little more than a year. “It has been a journey.” 

Today, Teama Publishing is working to increase the exposure of Arabic authors in North America by connecting them with the publisher in Egypt. It’s also working to raise the profile of Arabic literature. Recently, Reham organized the first Arabic book fair in Florida, and she’s currently planning the first Arabic-Canadian book fair, to take place in Mississauga, Ontario, in March 2023.  

She’s also investing in having her own book, Rosy Dreams, translated to English—which, incidentally, is the first of a trilogy.  

“Without Rise, my first book would never have been published,” Reham says. “I needed the loan, and I used every single dollar. Of course, I’ve invested more, but that was a great, great contribution to get me started … and I feel like my hard work is paying off.” 

Congratulations to Reham Teama, recipient of the 2022 Bell Let’s Talk Start-up Award.

Shaun Pingitore says he’s always been an entrepreneur, kind of.  

Growing up, he did the usual things like run a lemonade stand and shovel driveways, as well as some more inventive ventures. 

“Every Saturday I used to go to garage sales to look for electronics and video games,” he says. “I bought things I knew the value of so I could flip them at school the next week.” 

Despite his obvious penchant for business, Shaun says he decided to study psychology in university, with the intention of becoming a lawyer, like his older sister. But once he got to post-secondary, he realized law school wasn’t his path, and decided instead to apply his love for psychology to the world of marketing.  

Today he is the CEO and Director of Strategy at Atlas Marketing Group Inc. 

But it was while still attending Toronto Metropolitan University (then Ryerson) that Shaun launched his first “real” business – a successful window cleaning venture – thanks to a program called The Summer Company, which gave students training, financing and mentorship to start a business.  

Perhaps more importantly, he says the experience set him on a path of volunteerism.  

“After completing Summer Company … I realized the massive impact a strong mentor can make.”  

In fact, Shaun says he’s benefit from mentorship in one form or another all his life. From childhood, he received guidance from his sister (the lawyer) and his dad and uncle, who both owned their own businesses.  

“I’ve avoided making a lot of my own mistakes because I’ve kind of always had someone tapping me on my shoulder [with advice],” he says. “I’ve been fortunate to have that, and I think being able to pay it forward to others is fantastic.” 

Shaun began coaching people in the early stages of the business-building and eventually, “I came across Rise,” he says.  

“As someone who struggles with anxiety and has been around a lot of mental illness in my life, I thought it would be a great opportunity to help people who are in need of particular entrepreneurial support.” 

As a volunteer mentor, Shaun works with Rise training programs, taking part in group sessions and providing advice to new and aspiring small business owners. He says his approach to mentorship is shaped by the motto, “Play the cards you’re dealt.” 

“I’m really resourceful, and I think that’s an important part of being a business owner … At the end of the day, you have to deal with what you have to deal with [and] I want to help people figure out how to best manage their individual challenges.” 

To Shaun, the gratification comes when he can use what he’s learned on his own entrepreneurial journey to inspire “lightbulb moments” in others.  

“When mentees leave calls with me visibly energized to tackle whatever business problem they’re facing, that’s the most satisfying feeling. Especially because I’ve been on the other end of it, hearing something that inspires me to persevere.” 

Congratulations to Shaun Pingitore, 2022 Scotiabank Volunteer of the Year. 

Martin Traub-Werner describes himself as a lifelong entrepreneur and his enthusiasm for business is clear.  

“I just love the business of business,” Martin says. “I like talking about businesses, I like understanding how they work, I like unpacking them, I like poking holes in them, I like thinking how big they could be … [Business] is a magical process, and it’s something that has intrigued me ever since I had a lemonade stand on the corner as a kid.” 

With a background in human resource management, Martin approaches business from the perspective of people, so perhaps it’s no surprise that when he learned about Rise’s holistic, mental health and people-first approach to entrepreneurship, it was the beginning of an important relationship. 

Since 2020, Martin has volunteered as both a group and one-on-one mentor with Rise’s lending and training programs. He’s also a member of the volunteer Loan Review Committee and is a generous donor and advocate, helping to build Rise’s network of supporters across Canada. 

That deep, multifaceted commitment is why Martin has been named the recipient of the inaugural Dave Richardson Champion Award. From 2022 on, the Champion Award will be presented annually to a Rise community member whose actions demonstrate a commitment to advancing Rise’s mission through various means.   

In other words, a community member like Martin.  

He says his dedication to Rise is rooted in the opportunity to help ease the challenges of entrepreneurship so that individuals with mental health and addiction challenges can create meaningful outcomes for themselves and their communities.  

“People think being an entrepreneur is glamorous — but no, it’s hard,” Martin says. “It’s hard, it’s lonely … and the fact that there is an organization that not only provides money but also provides some infrastructure and business support is massively important.” 

Just as Martin’s personal engagement extends across many aspects of Rise’s work, so too does his advice on getting involved.  

To new mentors, he offers three tips for building strong relationships with your mentees:  

“One, be invested but understand that it’s not your journey … Two, be available, be flexible, be realistic, and be a cheerleader … Three, listen a lot and be grateful.” 

As for individuals looking to invest in tangible impact, Martin calls the opportunity to help someone define and take control of their own productivity a “golden” one. 

“[Rise clients] are people who stand up and say, ‘a traditional job is difficult for me because I’ve got mitigating circumstances, but I can still be productive.’ And frankly, in many ways they become more productive because entrepreneurs are job creators … which is massively valuable to us all.” 

And on the topic of receiving the first-ever Dave Richardson Champion Award?  

“It’s always meaningful to be recognized by people who think you’ve done good work, but that should never be the end of the story, it should be the beginning,” Martin says. “Hopefully, in my case, it really is just the beginning of the story, because I love this organization and what it does.” 

Rise hopes so too, Martin. 

Congratulations to Martin Traub-Werner, recipient of the inaugural Dave Richardson Champion Award.