“My point of disbelief never stops, because I am so lucky to get work, and with some incredible musicians out there. But I would say my biggest moment of disbelief happened when I performed with L'orchestre Metropolitain from Montreal.”
David Gourlay
“I am a born and raised Kanata North kid and chose to stay here as I love the community we have become to raise a family. My Father was a career Diplomat and taught me the value of public service, giving back and the importance of self-respect and being a champion to educate others about our community….”
Escape Manor - Neil, Billy, Steve & Chris
“Escape Manor was created to add a dash of fun to Ottawa, and help our fair capital city break out of the nap room that everyone thinks we live in! You know exactly what we mean! We wanted to create a business that would get people excited, get them off their chairs and into the mix. There are more and more digital connectors out there, but our escape rooms force you to engage with real people, in real life ways, but in some very heightened scenarios.”
Spade Social Strategy - Robbin
“I'm a true prairie girl born and raised in Saskatoon, SK - and my career has taken me all across this beautiful country chasing my dreams in public media & marketing. In March of 2018, I started a new gig here in Ottawa with Rogers Media to host a daytime radio show called 'The Robbin & Ryan Show' on KiSS 105.3 FM Ottawa, and it is an absolute blast!”
Concept Medical - Sam
“I grew up in Oakville, Ontario and came to Ottawa for university. After 4 years here, I did a Masters degree in Kingston, follow by medical school at the University of Toronto, and then residency in family medicine at the University of Ottawa. Since 12 years of post-secondary education wasn’t quite enough schooling, I did a family medicine fellowship in dermatology following my residency training.“
Malenka Originals - Katrina
“It’s been a wild ride over the last 6 years, and I’ve loved every minute. I’ve been able to meet so many creative and inspiring people in this city, and have been very grateful to share and teach what I know about painted furniture and Chalk Paint.”
Wolfe & Co. - Theresia
“Most people would describe me as an extreme extrovert. I will strike up a conversation with just about anyone who will listen. I think it’s my love for connecting with people and listening to their unique stories and getting a glimpse inside their world that intrigues me about people and businesses.”
Louis Pizza
“5 generations have worked at Louis’. It’s truly an amazing feeling and hopefully more generations to come.”
123 Petits Pas - Amy
“First and foremost I am the proud maman of my beautiful boy Jude. I am a French teacher, new business owner of 123 Petits Pas, and am soon to be married to Jude’s Dada (this summer). I have lived in Ottawa for 8+ years and absolutely adore this city.”
Takaki Automotive
“Takaki Automotive actually started in the late 70's. Kunio started the business with a modified ice cream truck in '76. He then purchased this garage in '81. The location wasn't the safest at the time, but has since flourished. We have seen the community around us grow and change, and being in this location for over 40 years has been great. "Mechanicsville" as it's called, housed many repair shops.”
Biscotti & Cie - Manu
“Actually, it's been a long time dream... then an opportunity came up and I seized it. I wanted to created a small café where my two daugthers could have their first little job. I had read a book (fiction) about the life of a family growing up in Italy in 1950 or so. One of the character's name was Biscotti... I thought it sounded nice for a café :) ”
highJinx - Karen & Leigh
“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!