“After many years working individually in the Social Services field in Ottawa, Karen and I met over our last job posting where we worked together to home the chronically homeless supporting the ‘housing first’ model.”
Mad Radish - Stephanie
“Born in Montreal, I moved to Belgium at the age of seven and lived in Brussels for eleven years. My father worked in the hotel industry so I had the opportunity to travel all around Europe and visit some beautiful cities.”
NU Grocery - Valerie & Sia
“ We both have been working towards living zero waste. It's been a 6 year journey for me and 2 years for Valerie, of course, with its ups and downs! We opened the store with an idea of having a one-stop shop for zero waste shoppers like us to make this lifestyle more accessible and convenient.”
By Fabiola Design - Fabiola
“I am a daughter to two dentists so growing up I always thought I was going to study dentistry. As a child I always excelled in Arts, as well as Science.”
Interlangues Language School - Christiane & Barbara
“In 1976 I decided to start my own language school with small groups. I loved Carleton University but I had 25 students per group and would see them only 3 times a week for 55 minutes. Not enough to do a meaningful job as a language teacher.”
Chantsy - Chantal Sarkisian
“I am a Communications and Marketing professional, so just like any industry, it’s expected to keep on top of trends and tools. I use my personal channels to test, explore and become an expert in the field. “
Pop Up Podcasting - JP
“I worked as a freelance radio journalist for several years, making short radio documentaries and stories, mostly for CBC Radio. Before that I worked in communications at the University of Toronto, creating web content and writing grant applications. I feel really lucky that podcasting had a resurgence when it did!”
Re4m - Heather
“ I graduated from the Industrial Design program at Carleton University which is the reason for my relocation to Ottawa back in 2009. I fell in love with this city and stayed ever since!”
A Date by Kate - Kate
I do all sorts of random things; from playing volleyball, to training my dog, learning how to sew, going to craft shows and events with friends. I’ve got quite a large family to visit back home!
The Art House Café - Gen & Joe
“We wanted to create a space that was a hybrid of several business models to bring people together and expose them to art and culture.”
Merivale Vision Care - Joelle
“Major science nerd & total mom. Love dark chocolate, my husband’s hugs, music & working hard.”
Alicja Confections - Alicja
“I’m originally from Winnipeg, first generation immigrant from Poland! My whole family was born there, I was the only one born in Canada.”
Lunch - Tim
“Ottawa is my hometown, I was born here and my family and most of the people I love live here. I care about this city and I’m happy my three kids are growing up here. I started LUNCH a little over ten years ago and I think it’s my small contribution to helping Ottawa grow.”
Freewheeling Craft - Amanda
“I host craft markets 4+ times a year, popup shops (this is our third, soon to potentially be a permanent spot), and workshops with local makers. I’d love to get into learning, doing business classes for makers and networking for creatives.”
Revelle Bridal - Earleen
“The perfect day for me outside of being at the shop would be to sleep in till about 9; get in a good workout; grab a delicious brunch, have an afternoon nap, not cook dinner and not open my laptop to work. This usually happens on a Sunday and I cherish that day of the week.”
Heart & Crown - The Bradley Family
"Ottawa being home to many Irish settlers, I’ve always tried to keep the Irish authenticity alive in the capital. Actually, most of our furniture and bars were made in Ireland and shipped over here. When the Irish are homesick, they tend to gather in our pubs."
Grow Your Roots Cafe - Melanie
"Being vegan 8 years ago was extremely different than what it is now. And I also lived in an area where hunting and typical “meat and potatoes” was life. I was forced to learn how to cook.
Active Health Institute - Franco
"I was born and raised in Nepean, before accepting a hockey scholarship to Niagara University, where I played Division 1 NCAA hockey. I finished both my hockey and university degree at the University of Western Ontario, where we won the National Championship and I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree."
Pot & Pantry - Robin
"I love to cook and bake, and owning a kitchen store means I can talk about those things all day. I love getting to know people through what they're cooking."
Clocktower Brew Pub - Patrick & Sean
"We don't need to change what we are doing, in some ways it is more important that we stay consistent while the industry changes around us. The craft scene is very collaborative and friendly, we are all eager to help each other out."