IMPACT STORIES

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. 

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.

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. 

Donovan McKenzie says it was the pressure to be seen as a “real man” that kept him silent about his depression for years. It wasn’t until he decided to see a therapist and open up about his mental health challenges that Donovan discovered an opportunity for himself to play a role in redefining masculinity. 

“I started [my business] Heart of a Man to revolutionize manhood,” he says. “I wanted to inspire men to have the courage to share their pain and get the help need.”  

But his entrepreneurial journey hasn’t been an easy one. As a speaker and community mental health advocate, he struggled to turn his passion into a business.  

Before finding Rise, Donovan says, “I lost hope and felt like it was time to give up … [But] Rise believed in me.” 

As a Small Business Lending Program client, Donovan says he not only accessed a loan to help him invest in merchandise and his digital presence, but he also gained the support of a mentor who taught him how to make sound business decisions. 

Today, Heart of a Man produces unique t-shirts that symbolize mental health advocacy and hope; Donovan publishes blogs to help people learn about mental health issues and build coping skills; and he organizes open discussion groups that encourage individuals experiencing similar struggles to connect and communicate.  

And that’s just the beginning. 

Donovan says his priorities are to keep growing the Heart of a Man brand, to sell his socially conscious apparel in stores, to do speaking engagements for corporations and schools, and last but not least, get his Master’s in Social Work. 

“My role as a mental health public speaker has inspired me to make a difference in the lives of those who need hope and support,” Donovan says. “Running this business has allowed me to see how important my brand is for this generation.”  

And, importantly, he adds, “I have learned what it means to love what you do.”

Heidi Nagtegaal is a tarot reader by trade. Their business, Tarot Time with Heidi, was already established when the pandemic rendered their studio space too small to host clients safely. 

“I’ve always wanted to make tarot-inspired clothing and decided [during the pandemic] was my time,” Heidi says. “My reading room transformed into a clothing cave, and By Tooth And Claw Clothing (BTACC) was born!” 

In just over two years, Heidi has turned their long-time idea into a clothing and accessories line that sells online and consigns in 11 stores across Canada. 

“I’ve had [BTACC] planned out in my head for years. To bring it out of the ether was pure joy—a lot of hard work and learning, but rewarding and fulfilling, too.” 

Heidi says that effort and education includes overcoming “straight up gaps” in their experience. As a Small Business Lending Program client, they’ve received mentorship and financial support to help bridge those gaps. Self-described as “extremely neurodiverse,” Heidi says they run their business like an art project—which has its advantages.  

“But pair that with my mental health and the fact that I didn’t really have any business experience before this, and I’m a mess when it comes to time management and knowing how to grow. [My Rise Mentor] Glorie helps me prioritize things so I don’t waste my time and helps me understand how business works so I can maximize impact.” 

As for their loan?  

“Rise helped me invest in merchandise, so I could grow my consignment … Since I was able to use the loan to release one of my early lines, I was able to get feedback from the stores I consign with, and they are game for the new lines when I release them.  

“Knowing that I have active buy-in to scale is a great confidence booster to expand and grow!”

“My values include openly sharing knowledge and learning from the process of giving back and paying things forward,” says Kareim M. Abbouda, Founder and Executive Director at Kinsey McAllen and Chief Strategist at ZenBillions.com. “I knew that volunteering with Rise would be the best platform for me, given its support system geared towards clients and volunteers.” 

Kareim has been volunteering with Rise since 2016 and has worked with clients from both the lending and training programs. He says his approach to mentorship is to be an active listener and help entrepreneurs work through their business challenges holistically.  

As an example, Kareim says that with one mentee, helping them see the connection between their personal well-being and their professional progress was an important support.  

“For example, we uncovered intricate issues relating to their cash flow and how discrepancies in a positive inflow may affect their ability to withstand personal emergencies … Ensuring they understood and felt right about taking only measured risk, meant that they would be better prepared.” 

To anyone contemplating volunteering with Rise, Kareim says that what you give, you get back in spades. 

“Be prepared to be amazed by your own ability to grow and by your accelerated learning. Your involvement with Rise will uncover new possibilities in your own life and business that you may not have even thought of.” 

By distilling your own values and experience to support others, and by helping them delve into their unique challenges, Kareim says that, as a mentor, you will go on a journey of exploration and discovery that is rare and exceptional.  

“That, in my opinion, is the value of being a mentor at Rise.” 

The idea of becoming a business owner always held a bit of romance for Rebekah Thibeault—romance, but no realism.

“I didn’t think I was smart enough,” she says. “And even though there were a million things happening in my brain, who was going to believe in me when a lot of my peers, teachers and so forth, didn’t?”

Rebekah lives with Dyslexia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Irlen Syndrome, and even though everything told her she couldn’t be her own boss, that romance deep inside still drove her to try.

It was after leaving a career in the funeral industry that she decided to gamble on something she’d been passionate about since childhood: fashion.

More specifically: thrifting.

She found a business partner and set out to open a consignment boutique. After being rejected by the banks, she discovered Rise and applied to the Small Business Lending Program.

More than a loan, Rebekah got the support and mentorship to help her build a solid business plan and eventually launch Bee & Key Boutique.

“I think the people at Rise were the first people to actually believe in me,” Rebekah says. “They broke down so many business things that I didn’t think I could ever understand, and I got to join a community of people just like me, who were experiencing the same troubles.”

And there were troubles.

Within just a couple months of opening their doors, Rebekah and her partner reached a breaking point. Suddenly she faced a major decision: fight to keep her business or quit.

“At one point I thought about giving up,” she says. With her anxiety and depression triggered, she remembers saying to a close friend, “maybe I should just back out before it’s too late.”

Her friend responded, “What do most successful people have? Perseverance. And I know you have that.”

Rebekah decided to fight, and eventually won, taking the company solely in her name.

She says her husband and three kids have been an invaluable support system, and that Rise has helped her understand how to manage it all. Through mentorship she’s learned how to identify and avoid burnout and has also learned to trust her entrepreneurial instincts.

Instincts that have helped her not only survive but thrive during a pandemic.

Once lockdown restrictions were loosened, Rebekah introduced private shopping appointments. As things opened up more, she contracted an in-house stylist to add to the experience and started allowing small group bookings so friends could shop together, complete with wine and charcuterie.

“We created a VIP experience like Gucci. You come in and there’s champagne waiting—but it’s a thrift store and we’re not creating any clothing waste.”

The goal of “wasting not” is central to Rebekah’s ethos. She’s built partnerships with other local boutiques to bring specific items in for her customers, and also to give their unsold merchandise a second chance.

“We’ve built a beautiful little community,” she says. And she extends that community to helping empower other women as entrepreneurs. In July 2020, a Bee & Key Boutique opened in nearby Beaumont, Alberta, but Rebekah doesn’t own it. One of her consignors-turned-franchisee does.

“I want to create a franchise to help women succeed,” Rebekah says. “What Rise did for me was give me a foundation, and the process was so easy. Why not make the process of opening a thrift store easy for someone else? We call it Rebekah’s Recipe to Success. I did all the dirty work so nobody else has to.”

A romantic idea that the unstoppable Rebekah Thibeault is making very real.

Congratulations to Rebekah Thibeault, recipient of the 2021 Dr. Paul Garfinkel Resilience Award.

Meryl Cook owns a very important pair of red cowboy boots.

In a roundabout way, that story begins in 2015, when after 20 years as a homeopath, Meryl was diagnosed with breast cancer. Wanting to commit her energy to healing, she made the decision to leave her practice and shifted her focus to journaling and rug hooking.

“I’d been a rug hooker for years, but this meant sitting at the frame, hooking and writing full time,” the Nova Scotian says. “In the first year, I wrote a couple of books and started a new business.”

Before homeopathy, Meryl had worked in management consulting. Drawn back to the corporate world, she developed a way to introduce her art into the boardroom.

As founder of Meryl Cook Engagement by Design, she began facilitating hands-on leadership and team-building workshops centered on rug hooking. Bringing her equipment into workplaces, she’d lead teams through the process to create a rug design representative of their corporate vision. After the session, Meryl would leave behind her tools so groups could work on their rugs, to eventually be displayed in the office.

“It was pretty great,” she says. But of course, this was all before COVID. As it did for so many people, the pandemic pushed Meryl’s work online.

Which brings us back to the red cowboy boots.

“I like to incorporate chakra colours into my work and red is the colour of grounding,” Meryl says. “When I do presentations, I wear my red cowboy boots – even if no one can see them – because they give me a boost of confidence.”

She now runs virtual workshops focused on joy and self-compassion. She facilitates one called “Red Cowboy Boots: Choosing how to show up when life feels out of control,” where she explores intention and moving from feeling vulnerable to empowered.

With Meryl’s philosophy so closely aligned to Rise’s mission and values, it’s no surprise that she’s a good fit for mentorship.

“I’ve had so many mentors who have helped me, and it’s a great way to give back,” she says. “I’m especially interested in Rise because, by supporting individuals who might otherwise have difficulty getting into or sustaining entrepreneurship, it’s making a really decent attempt at breaking the cycle for people living in marginalized communities or in poverty.”

In 2020, Meryl was paired with Rise lending client, Colleen Moffatt.

Based in Yarmouth, N.S., Colleen is the owner of 3C’S Custom Leather Works, a family business that does saddle repair and makes all manner of leather products, from belts and bags to phone cases.

“Colleen’s work is beautiful, and I see huge potential for it, but I have to remember that it’s up to her to set the pace,” Meryl says. “I’ve learned to resist the temptation to just share everything I’ve learned in my 25 years as an entrepreneur. It’s Colleen’s business, and how fast or slow it grows is also Colleen’s business. The most important thing I can do is hold space for her to work through her experience.”

Having submitted Meryl’s name for Volunteer of the Year, Colleen clearly appreciates the empowering approach.

In her nomination, she thanked Meryl and wrote: “I was in a dark place when I applied for Rise. Now, I am finally starting to see a light.”

“Feeling like I can actually help has been very rewarding,” Meryl says. “I’ve watched Colleen progress over the year—she’s gaining knowledge and experience, and she’s really gaining confidence.”

Almost like she’s got a pair of red cowboy boots on.

Congratulations to the 2021 Scotiabank Volunteer of the Year, Meryl Cook.

In 2015, Katy Evans was injured in a car accident, which left her with chronic migraines that contributed to the end of a 20-year career and the start of a deep depression.

She describes it as the “lowest point” in her life.

“The loss of my career was devastating to me, yet it also presented a unique opportunity to start something completely fresh,” says the single mother of two. “I made the brave choice to start my own business.”

With support from Rise, in Fall 2019 Katy launched Cloud 9 Kids, a re-sale boutique that curates brand-name, gently used children’s wear and new/nearly-new books, toys and gifts.

But just six months after Cloud 9’s doors opened in Lucan, Ontario, they were forced shut by the pandemic. And Katy was forced to expand online much sooner than planned.

“The most fulfilling experience over the past year has been learning how resilient I can be. Being agile, creative and flexible has been key to surviving—skills I’ve discovered I’m pretty good at!”

Indeed, the online sales that supported Cloud 9 Kids through COVID closures now account for nearly half of weekly sales. Katy’s been taking social media marketing courses and with her bricks-and-mortar back open, she’s looking to expand again—this time to a larger retail space in a more lucrative location.

And while revenue is one of Katy’s measures of success, it’s giving back that sends the entrepreneur afloat.

Accordingly, Cloud 9 Kids sources from local vendors, fundraises for local charities, and runs clothing drives to ensure local kids stay warm in the winter—pandemic or not.

“I find that at our lowest, if we can reach out and help another, it comes back double.”

More than a decade ago, Tara Omorogbe took a quiz that told her she wouldn’t make a good entrepreneur. Life, however, taught a different lesson, and today, Tara’s lived experience is at the heart of her business, Articulate Tee.

In both 2013 and 2016, Tara experienced homelessness. Living in Toronto’s shelter system, she saw how quickly mental health challenges, addiction, disabilities, and poor choices could derail lives. Ultimately, earning a scholarship from TD & WoodGreen and completing a Human Resources diploma helped Tara overcome homelessness. But still, she couldn’t let go of a burning question: Why, so often, does it take experiences like homelessness before people can get access to personal development services and life skills training?

She decided to start Articulate Tee, where she curates personal growth strategies to help people with challenging socioeconomic backgrounds become the best versions of themselves. Articulate Tee offers workshops on topics such as conflict resolution and diversifying revenue streams, and Tara offers keynote services on themes like manifesting success.

As a single mother diagnosed with several serious mental health conditions, Tara says, “I am still on a journey to recovery, and I use my lived experiences to connect with my audiences from a place of authenticity and openness.”

Tara has received support from Rise through the My Start-Up program, run in partnership with Elizabeth Fry Toronto. Currently, she’s focused on building her brand presence and authority in the self-development sector.

As for the 10-year-old quiz that told her business ownership was the wrong move?

“I was on a mission to prove that quiz — and myself for believing it — wrong, and Rise helped me do just that! I now live my life fearlessly and without inhibitions.”

Passionate about helping to empower others, Ghinwa Merei was looking for volunteer opportunities to be of service in her community when she came across Rise.

“I was blown away,” she says.

As president and founder of EnVisionary Innovative Consulting and with more than 20 years of strategic leadership experience empowering financial service professionals and Fintech entrepreneurs, Rise’s mission felt like an immediate fit.

“Rise’s values were in total alignment with mine. It doesn’t just offer a quick fix to help ease the pain; it goes deep to empower people and lends them a hand to rebuild their lives and envision new futures.”

As a mentor in the Rise Small Business Lending Program, Ghinwa was paired with mentee David Kellett, a.k.a. Sunshine Dave. As founder of The Sunshine Bliss Project, he helps individuals seeking alternative healing options through services including Reiki, VortexHealing, meditation and sound healing. Though Ghinwa was not an expert in the field, with her years of experience helping leaders unleash their potential, she wanted to help Dave feel confident and empowered as a business owner.

“I did my best to be open-minded and let him educate me on the spiritual experiences and the services he offers. I tried to allow him space to be as authentic as possible, without fear of judgement, and encourage him to celebrate his resiliency.”

Similar is the advice that she offers to new and prospective Rise volunteers.

“Be as authentic and open-minded as you can. Enjoy the experience and be proud to be part of someone else’s transformation journey. This experience is not only impactful for your mentee but also for you and for the whole Rise community. It’s a win-win-win relationship!”

For Alex Smeall, much of the motivation to volunteer with Rise came from a desire to pay it forward.

“I’ve been very fortunate in my life to have had access to high-quality education and career opportunities, and through both, I’ve met some truly inspiring and supportive mentors,” Alex says. “I wanted to find a way to give that support to others.”

Well, Alex found Rise — “a perfect fit.” He joined the Small Business Lending Program as a volunteer mentor and was paired with Alistair Melville, founder of Serenity Harbour Inc.

As a digital performance manager with experience in digital marketing, social media and digital retail, Alex felt the mentoring relationship was another great fit.

“When Alistair and I met, he had a business plan and a draft of his novel, Great Shep,” Alex says. “In the year since we’ve been working together, Alistair has published his novel via Amazon and has gotten up and running on Instagram to advertise it.”

The first-time author is also working on his second novel, which is almost ready for review.

Not a writer himself, Alex says the most important thing a mentor can do is simply be available to their mentee.

“You are not going to have an answer or a solution to all of the challenges that they are facing in their business, but you can always be in their corner. The best thing you can do is be an ally and help keep them accountable to their goals and timelines as best as possible.”

Exiting the shelter system just over a year ago, Elizabeth Tremblay faced significant barriers to entrepreneurship, including the stigma of being part of the criminal justice system, financial bankruptcy, a lack of formal education, a mental health diagnosis and chronic pain. Since early adulthood as a young mother of four, Elizabeth had wished for mentorship to help guide her through life’s challenges; instead, she struggled alone with anxiety, depression and alcoholism, which led from couch surfing to street homelessness, to sleeping at drop-in centers and living in shelters, then a transition house.

“It was the worst time of my life, but it was also a time when I made connections within different social services,” Elizabeth says. “Those connections led to my finally learning the skills and tools that I truly needed but hadn’t known how to find.”

Among the support organizations she accessed was Elizabeth Fry. A counsellor there suggested she enroll in the Rise My Start Up training program, and in 2019, Mentor/Mentee Canada was launched as a seed organization to provide mentorship within the shelter system through Lived Experience Leadership and the creation of Lived Experience Employment.

“In the shelters we understood one another because of our lived experience,” Elizabeth says. “We helped one another navigate the system by sharing resources and learnings, and we saw how shelters, emergency rooms, and incarceration units could be made better for our own recovery and the recovery of our peers. But no one was asking us for our lived expertise. We were in a broken, expensive system that needed mentoring itself —mentoring to listen, share, learn and collaborate, like we were doing as a community of peers.”

Beginning by developing a 10-week Peer Support training program for recovery and wellness in employment and housing, in its first year Mentor/Mentee Canada graduated nine trainees. The organization then led a series of panel discussions for people with the lived experience of homelessness, sector staff, and executives to facilitate conversation, listening, learning and collaboration amongst stakeholders. Now, Elizabeth has evolved Mentor/Mentee Canada to be a model for others to build industry connections, and to advance the Peer Support movement by bringing Peer Support training and employment to street encampments, hotel shelters, and supportive housing across Canada.

Through support from Rise, Elizabeth was able to raise her voice to influence Toronto and Canada’s housing and recovery systems while working through her own personal recovery.

“I knew I wanted to develop my skills when I signed up with Rise, but I didn’t realize the motivation and empowerment journey I was in for,” Elizabeth reflects. “I’m continually managing my mental health, but I’ve overcome stigma, oppression, failure and regret, and most importantly regained my family, who are proud of the changes I’ve made.”

While correcting the present, she is planning for a future that includes developing peer programming for within new COVID-19 housing environments and scaling recovery-based peer support training for all, including Front Line Workers and management.

This and more is why Rise has selected Elizabeth to receive the 2020 Dr. Paul Garfinkel Resilience Award!

“If there’s one thing that it takes to be an entrepreneur, no matter how heathy you are, it’s resilience.”  Elizabeth says, “I think that’s why the homeless are powerful —because we have such incredible resilience. It means there is hope.”

When he started looking for ways to volunteer his time, Ian Wayne didn’t have anything particular in mind. He’d never even heard of Rise.

Then, about a year-and-a-half ago, he stumbled on a call for mentors posted on a generic volunteer website.

“I read the Rise opportunity and it resonated with me immediately,” Ian recalls. “I really liked the mission—everything that Rise was about interested me, and it seemed like something I’d enjoy being a part of. And with the experience I’d gained in my career, I thought I could be valuable to a mentorship program as well.”

Ian has a diverse and interesting CV. Born in London, England, he has lived and taught English in Japan, worked in the film industry in Vancouver, and earned his Master’s in Organizational Psychology from the Manchester Business School.

After graduation, Ian accepted a job in Canada’s Capital at Human Resources tech firm, HRSG, where he currently heads-up product development.

“I’ve been in Ottawa for coming up on nine winters now,” he jokes.

A sense of humor is just part of why Ian’s first and only Rise mentee so far, Krista Ryan, nominated him for our 2020 Volunteer of the Year award.

The two of them have been collaborating for more than a year to build Krista’s business, Sassy Threads, where she sells custom-made sensory items, such as weighted vests and blankets, designed for people calmed by deep pressure stimulus—like her son, who is on the Autism spectrum.

“Working with Krista, I’ve had a lot of exposure to stuff that I wouldn’t have come across otherwise,” Ian says. “What she’s trying to do is in a domain that I didn’t know anything about, so it’s been very interesting for me to uncover the questions that drive her business and how she can try to grow.”

Connecting every two or three weeks, Ian and Krista have truly built an award-worthy mentor/mentee relationship. In her nomination of Ian to our top volunteer honour, the Sassy Threads founder lauded him for encouraging her, respecting her definition of success, being responsive, honest and transparent in their communications, offering practical, realistic business advice, always listening and never judging.

“Ian has been a blessing,” Krista wrote. “He’s just been the most positive person I could have hoped for to help me reach my success.”

The feeling certainly seems mutual.

“I feel quite invested with Krista,” Ian says. “I’d like to see her continue to grow and help if I can.”

So, what is our 2020 Volunteer of the Year’s advice to anyone considering becoming a mentor?

“Do it!” Ian says. “It’s tremendous work. It’s very fulfilling and interesting, and it’s work that gives you something to learn while making a real difference in the community.”

“I have always wanted to work in the wedding industry because I have always loved ‘love’,” says Jocelyn Wong.

She’s worked as a wedding dress advisor and a florist, even shadowed as a wedding coordinator and completed her wedding planner certification. It wasn’t until after she’d experienced an all-time personal low, however, that Jocelyn decided it was time to take a chance and do the one wedding role she’d always dreamed of, but never tried: photographer.

With a loan to help offset start-up costs, Jocelyn launched aster & lily. While there have been financial hardships along the way, her perseverance has translated into steady personal and professional growth.

Jocelyn says she’s become more level-headed as a business owner, building the skills to manage customer relations and diffuse high-stress situations. Always searching for effective ways to overcome her challenges, Jocelyn believes that there is light at the end of every tunnel.

Matti Charlton applied to Rise for help to turn their underwear business, retromatti, profitable. Using their art and engineering skills, Matti designed both the patterns for a collection of retro briefs and the original font jacquard woven on each waistband.

But when things didn’t work out, they found opportunity in what could have been defeat.

“Instead of being discouraged, Rise helped me see how else I could put my skill set to work,” Matti says.

Motivated to become self-sustaining through their creative talents, Matti has diversified their work across four income channels, generating passive but increasing earnings. Today, Matti has a video license and more than 20 publications on Amazon; their digital art downloads have actually increased during COVID-19; and their music is now available across all streaming platforms, earning royalties every month.

Much of Matti’s work, especially musically, celebrates diversity and the unique qualities that can often lead to torment, especially for kids—a message they connect with personally.

“I grew up very different in many ways—mental health issues, autistic, transgender, queer—and I was bullied incessantly at school,” Matti says. “I’d never been given a chance to shine in a classroom or as a leader like I experienced in the Rise program. Rise was a chance for me to re-form myself and, in a way, overwrite those childhood experiences with new ones where my differences were seen as strengths.”

It’s an attitude they wield as an antidote to failure.

“I know it’s cliché, but it’s true—a challenge is just a success that you haven’t seen yet.”

Donna and Serena Murphy Del Cueto’s business Magic Hour Cross Stitch Supplies started as a hobby, making and selling cross stitch patterns on Etsy. With an undeniable passion for the art and decades of experience between them, when the mother-daughter duo had the chance to buy a large amount of hard-to-find cross stitch materials at a great price, they were faced with a decision—keep dabbling as hobbyists or grow the business into something bigger?

Luckily for stitching enthusiasts, they chose the latter.

In 2018, Donna and Serena became a Rise lending client, securing a loan to help build a new website so that Magic Hour could increase its independent online presence and be less reliant on Etsy.

Today, 20-30% of their income originates from platforms other than Etsy, and Donna and Serena are focused on building their online community. Already they’ve more than doubled their Facebook audience goal, now with 680+ followers.

“We both love working with our customers and finding creative solutions to difficulties,” Donna says.

Difficulties like COVID-19. With the onset of the pandemic, sales unexpectedly increased 15-fold, making Magic Hour’s competitive advantage of shipping products within a few days a tough promise to fulfill.

“Sometimes orders took weeks to fill, and some customers got nasty,” Donna says. “It created a very stressful situation, but we learned a lot about prioritizing, handling unhappy customers and finding diplomatic solutions!”

With business booming, Donna and Serena are working towards providing a good living for themselves. They look forward to the prospect of hiring help soon and cementing Magic Hour as a go-to supplier for stitchers across Canada.

Lisa Allain

Talent 2 Design

What began in 2016 as a solo operation in Lisa Allain’s home kitchen quickly grew into an award-winning bakery in downtown Welland, Ontario. There, Lisa and her Talent 2 Design team design decorative “edible pieces of art.” Her cakes and treats have earned multiple local awards and she’s also been recognized as Welland’s woman entrepreneur of the year and a top 40-Under-40 business leader.

Lisa’s story is one of unique perseverance. After college, she worked as a nurse, but suffered a serious brain injury after a car accident in 2008 and required extensive rehabilitation. Two years later, doctors diagnosed her with a brain tumor, ending her nursing career. A single mother of three kids, she relied on the food bank to feed her family.

Rising Up

After discovering a passion for baking, she launched Talent 2 Design in 2016. But challenges persisted. In January 2018, a flood destroyed her home and commercial kitchen. Lisa pressed on, opening the storefront bakery two months later in a “sink or swim” gamble. Then in June, doctors discovered her tumor had grown and she was rushed to surgery. Still, in this critical time for her business, she kept at it.

Today, Lisa employs a small staff – each of whom has a disability – and is eyeing expansion to a second location. She is also an ambassador for the Brain Tumour Foundation and the Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation.

“Rise believed in me, saw something in me that I did not see myself. I was given a second chance, and my goal is to do the same for others with disabilities. I can not only provide for my children but give back to the community.” – Lisa

Ashley Gordon

AEG Designs

For the last nine years, Ashley has operated AEG Designs, a successful graphic design and photography business in Sudbury, Ontario. She found it difficult to find full-time work in her field after being laid-off during the 2009 recession. With the help of the Ontario Self-Employment Benefit program, she decided to follow her dreams and become an entrepreneur.

Over the years, Ashley has built an established clientele, most of whom have turned into long-term clients, and even some into friends. In 2017, she suffered a serious setback after sustaining a concussion in a car accident. She suffered from memory lapses and forgetfulness, which led to some missed meetings and appointments. When she spoke, she would often lose her words and slur her speech, which made it difficult when consulting with clients, causing anxiety and embarrassment. Exhaustion, severe migraine headaches and vision disturbances forced Ashley to reduce her work load, as it became difficult to work in front of a computer for long periods of time, or be in brightly lit environments. It was the biggest challenge she’d ever faced while running her business.

Rising Up

Despite lingering symptoms associated with Post-Concussion Syndrome, Ashley was determined to build her business while recuperating from her injury. By the end of 2018, while continuing to attend weekly rehabilitation therapy and counselling appointments, Ashley had doubled her business income from the previous year thanks in part to the loan from Rise which helped her purchase new equipment to continue to generate more business.

From January to May, 2019, Ashley surpassed the total income she made in all of 2017 – in only five months! On top of that, she welcomed her first born son Dawson, who arrived unexpectedly, one month early, in February, 2019 – and she was back at work a few days later with baby in tow.

“Rise could not have helped me at a better time. Throughout my recovery, business equipment was in need of repair and new items needed to be purchased. The loan allowed me to buy and repair office equipment that was crucial to the success of my business and allowed me to recoup the income I had missed out on since the accident. Despite a few setbacks in the last two years, my business continues to thrive and it truly is a rewarding and humbling feeling of accomplishment” – Ashley

Melissa Fanjoy

T’S Bookkeeping and Tax Preparation

Melissa Fanjoy owns and operates T’s Bookkeeping & Tax Preparation in Kingston, Ontario, providing bookkeeping, administrative and tax services for owners of small businesses.

In a niche offering, Melissa offers affordable pricing to those who benefit from such an approach: students, social service recipients and even recently released inmates from Kingston Penitentiary trying to build small businesses.

For seven years, Melissa worked for a global tax preparation corporation, but found herself bristling at the fees they charged customers who often had little income. She felt she needed to serve small businesses in a different capacity, through affordable bookkeeping.

Rising Up

T’S Bookkeeping & Tax Preparation is now two years old. In that time, Melissa has gained 40 businesses for bookkeeping services and nearly 440 for taxes. Her clients are appreciative of her pricing and services, and Melissa loves the feeling of helping others succeed. She is growing primarily through word of mouth referrals.

Melissa is settling into her business, sometimes spending long hours working. She is still working out the ebb-and-flow of income coming in and her own expenses being paid. Nonetheless, she wants to widen her net through a website and potential advertising so she can serve more in-need small businesses and, in so doing, “feel good and sleep well at night.”

She is expanding her office to have more space to meet with clients – and has recently begun adding staff members, to support her business.

“Rise has helped me start my business and I wouldn’t be here today without them. My mentor has been so important, listening and lending much-needed advice any time I need it. She is amazing.” – Melissa