Change the future of small business owners and entrepreneurs! We're looking for talented people who want to help make an impact with the most passionate self-starters on the planet! There are currently no open positions. Have any questions? Send us an email to community@pier-five.com !

Celebrating Creativity and Community at the OOAK Show '24 PIER FIVE COMMUNITY DINNERS LEARN MORE Latest Posts Catch up with our latest conversations and events. Nov 26 5-Tips On Brand Building From Kuwalla Tee's Founder Yaniv Abecassis Oct 21 Toronto Community Court Day Recap: A Slam Dunk Success Sep 25 Pier Five Community Canvas For Kuwalla Tee Sep 22 Community Court Day MTL: Pier Five x PUMA x Ball Her Way x Double Dribble Jul 31 Pier Five Community Dinner: Volume 1 Apr 24 Your Number One Resource With Nishal Kumar of No Days Wasted Mar 11 Playing the Game Better With Drew Stevens of Margin Skincare Feb 7 Doing It Yourself With Carol Pak of Makku Jan 9 Creating Your Identity With Jun Arnaiz of Neutria Nov 21, 2023 Ready For Anything With Bimma Williams Nov 8, 2023 Building Your Own Spaces With Monday Girl Oct 9, 2023 Protecting Your Brand With Zak Kurtz of Sneaker Legal Explore All Guests

Events Recaps of the latest Pier Five events designed to bring creatives and entrepreneurs closer together. Celebrating Creativity and Community at the OOAK Show '24 Pier Five Community Dinner Vol. 2 - Financial Foundations Toronto Community Court Day Recap: A Slam Dunk Success Community Court Day MTL: Pier Five x PUMA x Ball Her Way x Double Dribble Pier Five Community Dinner: Volume 1 Pier Five x PUMA: Mental Health Strength Day - A Triumph of Community and Wellness Pier Five’s 2023 Food Drive: Supporting Community and Fighting Food Insecurity Pier Five x PUMA: Community Court Day 2023

Pier Five Social Media Lead (Part Time, Toronto) About Us Pier Five is a dynamic community-driven brand and platform that fosters and uplifts creative entrepreneurs and small business owners. From our content and funding to engaging events and our athletics club, we bring together small businesses, creatives, and entrepreneurs with a shared passion for innovation and collaboration. We’re looking for a skilled Social Media Lead to take our digital presence to the next level. If you have a knack for storytelling, an eye for design, and a strategic mindset, join us in shaping Pier Five's online community and brand identity. We are looking for a team player who is communicative and not afraid to ask questions or share ideas with us; someone who is willing to grow with Pier Five, elevate our content and continuously add value as a key member of our team. Role & Responsibilities As a Social Media Lead, you will be responsible for developing and executing creative strategies to grow Pier Five’s online presence. You’ll manage day-to-day social media activities, create content (strong emphasis on video), engage with our community, and collaborate with our team to ensure our platforms reflect Pier Five’s values, voice, and vision. This is a part-time role with an expected workload of approximately 10-15 hours per week with potential increases to hours for events & special programming. Strategy Development Design and implement a social media strategy aligned with Pier Five’s goals. Build out content formats and series that are on trend while also resonating with our community of small business owners. Analyze trends, target audiences, and platform algorithms to optimize engagement and reach. Content Creation & Management Create, curate and schedule visually appealing and engaging content (videos, posts, stories, reels etc.) Prepare storyboards, moodboards and scripts for content planning sessions. Write compelling captions that embody Pier Five’s brand voice. Collaborate with the Pier Five team (Co-Founders, photographers/videographers) to create high quality assets for content. Be available to be on site at shoots and events to collaborate on creative direction and content capture. Community Management Foster meaningful interactions with followers by responding to comments and messages. Monitor online conversations and engage with relevant content to expand brand visibility. Analytics & Reporting Track and analyze social media metrics (engagement, reach, conversions). Leverage analytics and reporting to inform on actionable content insights and improvements. Trendspotting Stay updated on emerging trends, tools and best practices in social media. Suggest and experiment with new formats or platforms to enhance Pier Five’s digital footprint. Qualifications Proven experience as a Social Media Strategist, Manager, Lead or similar role. Strong knowledge of major platforms (Instagram, TikTok, Youtube Shorts, LinkedIn, etc.) and their algorithms. Exceptional storytelling, copywriting, and editing skills. Proficiency in design/editing tools like Canva, Kapwing, Adobe Creative Suite or equivalent. Data-driven mindset with the ability to translate insights into actions. Passion for building online communities and connecting with diverse audiences. What We Offer A creative and collaborative work environment. Opportunities to influence and grow a brand at the intersection of creative impact and community. Great way to meet like-minded individuals and grow your network of creatives, entrepreneurs and small business owners. Flexible work arrangements. Salary: $1,250 - $1,650 per month depending on experience. How to Apply Submit your resume and examples of social media accounts or campaigns you’ve managed to community@pier-five.com . Please subject your email with Application: Social Media Lead - [Your Name] . Tell us why you’re excited about joining Pier Five (cover letter is optional), how you can help elevate our online presence and be part of our journey to inspire, connect and create for the creative entrepreneur and small business community.

Alpha/Beta: The Next Chapter With Raised by Wolves Our friends at Raised by Wolves sent us some pieces from their upcoming collection to check out. The 200 piece collection is made entirely of upcycled, reworked and repurposed garments from overstock, samples, returns and leftover fabric from a decade of past seasons, with the purpose of giving old pieces a new life. We connected with Raised by Wolves owner and mastermind behind the collection, Cal Green, to learn more about the inspiration behind Alpha/Beta, the all-natural design process and what he thinks a collection like this can mean for the future of the brand and fashion industry as a whole. Lookbook Photos: William Smith Model: Marisa Gallemit 2 Years of Planning. 10 years In The Making. One day I was in my office and saw this wall of boxes behind me. Over the last ten years we had overproduced certain collections, had accumulated a ton of samples, held onto returned items or defects, etc. When COVID hit, most of our factories shut down so we knew we needed to find a way to make do with what we had and find a way to sell all of these older clothes by repurposing them. The first project was making face masks in Ottawa and that's what sparked the idea to create a full collection which would become Alpha/Beta. Where does the name Alpha/Beta come from? The name is in reference to the hierarchy of a wolf pack. The Alpha line gets access to the most interesting materials and older samples. It's more experimental and is a lot of outerwear and pants. The Beta line is made up of derivatives from the Alpha line and are more simplified. This will be things like tees and sweatshirts. We've also built out a Delta line which is some homewares and other accessories made from scraps, like keychains, coasters, wooden and incense holders. With this new thought process behind production and design, how is Raised by Wolves thinking about its ecological footprint? I'm hypersensitive to overproduction now. It definitely won't be an afterthought anymore. I think with this, Alpha/Beta will evolve over time. With this collection, we've produced maybe 200 pieces but that's just scratching the surface of the inventory we had. I ended up donating about forty-thousand dollars worth of clothing to local youth organizations in Ottawa. I figured it was better to give the product to someone that will value it than get rid of it another way or destroy it, which was never an option. Created by hand around North America The majority of the pieces in the collection were all reworked by hand and treated with natural techniques to give unique looks to each garment. Black bean dye Beach dye Rust dye Flame finishing on demin Hand-stitched sashiko Apparel by : @atelier_dnhn (Montreal, Quebec) Quilts by : @e_patton (Dayton, Ohio) How will this collection play into the future of Raised by Wolves? I've thought about doing something like Patagonia's Worn Wear program that encourages people to send their gear back when they're done with it and then we repurpose it for Alpha/Beta. It doesn't even have to be Raised by Wolves product. It could be vintage denim or band tees. Ever since I've started working on this project, I've seen a lot of brands that I really respect doing similar programs. So, I definitely think we're headed in the right direction, for sure. Big shoutout to Raised by Wolves for giving us an early look at the new collection! Check out the Pier Five Instagram for more content on some of the incredible pieces. Make sure to keep up with Raised by Wolves on Instagram for more information on the Alpha/Beta collection dropping this month and keep it locked to Pier Five for more conversations with the coolest entrepreneurs, designers, artists, activists and more out there.

Showing Up With Liz Beecroft After twelve very interesting months, we got the chance to catch up with one of our earliest guests; psychotherapist, LCSW, founder of MENTL.SESH and style queen Liz Beecroft. Liz has been on a roll since our last conversation, building and launching her private practice, making big moves with brand collaborations, leading in-person events promoting mental health and some of the best fit pics on social media. After a year of uncertainty but much excitement, it was only right that we catch up with Liz to chat about how she's feeling coming out of the pandemic and everything she has in the works. Check out the highlights from the conversation below! So, Liz! How have you been over the last 12 months? "Really good! There have been a lot of amazing opportunities that have been coming in. It's been really busy with a lot of restructuring with the team but all good and we recently had a great activation at ComplexCon and with MSG for Women's Empowerment featuring MENTL.SESH. I'm really spending a lot of time now trying to position MENTL.SESH properly so that we can do more in-person events which is really exciting!" Everything with MENTL.SESH lately has been really awesome! "We have a lot of exciting opportunities this year where we can quite literally meet people where they are and teach them how they can bring mental health into these spaces. We actually want to give you skills and get something for your mental health out of these experiences." March is the month where all the brands bring out their "Women's Empowerment" content but we keep an eye on who continues to do the same year round. May is the same for Mental Health. How are you looking at this when you see companies posting about these causes? "I’ve been doing a lot more trainings over the last year where I'm training companies internally on mental health in the workplace and I think that has given me a really good look at what brands are really doing it the right way and starting internally first and then going externally with that message. Having people who are not only really good at their jobs and talented in their respective craft, but who also have passions about a diverse range of causes, is really important because when you look at leadership, you want to make sure that those people are walking the walk and modelling that behaviour for other people. That’s also going to seep through to different teams and throughout the company." Liz on how to approach the world re-opening again. "Just like it was a huge adjustment to go into lockdown, it’s now going to be another huge adjustment to get back into what we've known. Our bodies and our minds have all adapted to slowing down. It’s OK to feel like you don’t really have the motivation and energy to do something all the time. It's normal." (LISTEN BELOW) TALK NICE TO ME! "If you aren’t feeling it, don’t force it. Listen to yourself, give yourself grace, be gentle and really start talking yourself in a nice way. We have to start first with ourselves because of the way we speak to ourselves matters. We need to really talk nice to ourselves and when we do that, everyone else and can also talk nice to us because we will be kicking ass!" You've mentioned that you don't just want to be known as the "Sneakerhead Therapist" anymore. How does tying into where you're at and what you're interested in to your brand? "I think it's all about growth. We have to be self aware and know what we do and don't want for ourselves because that's how we can set different goals and go after them. I've grappled with this for a while but I know that I can still love sneakers and I don't need to have a collection of 270 pairs and that does not take away from what I do and don't know about shoes." Lastly, we know you have a big wedding coming up! Any big plans for that? Yes! Can't wait to be together with all of my family and friends again. Crocs is sponsoring! White crocs for everyone! ...and I have a plan to get Post Malone to my wedding! (Watch Below) Make sure to keep up with Liz on Instagram as well as MENTL.SESH and keep it locked to Pier Five for more conversations with the coolest entrepreneurs, designers, artists, activists and more out there.

Inoki Bathhouse Who: Helen Yim Where: Toronto, ON Instagram Website How would you use the $10,000 CAD fund for your business? See All Winners

A Conversation With Florence Tang of Lot Stock & Barrel Florence Tang is a co-founder of Lot Stock & Barrel, one of LA's premier design studios and clothing stores with a specialty in chain stitched designs and vintage garments. Florence is a Toronto native with a background in graphic design and relocated to California to continue her studies and pursue a career as a visual merchandiser for Levi's before starting LSB. @florencewtang // @lotstockandbarrel LSB has put together some really cool projects over the years. What are your 5 favourite you've worked on? The most interesting projects would be: Coachella LSB x Mastercard Collaboration ASOS x LSB Collaboration Lucky Brand x LSB Collaboration Nike x Carhartt launch Each of these projects were so interesting, combining all of our teams' talents with product that really shined. What are 5 keys to a successful collaboration? Theres only ONE and that is letting each team do what they're best at! Meaningful collaborations combine talents to create innovative product, and should be the ultimate goal. We have been lucky enough to work with some great partners that have allowed us to showcase our craftsmanship and have respected our creative processes. Besides all of the great stuff LSB does, who are 5 designers or brands you're really into right now? This one is really hard, there are some great brands out there, doing really innovative stuff! Heavy hitters that continue to impress are Stone Island, Jacquemus and Sacai. Nicole Benisti has beautiful quality outerwear and I'm also a huge fan of Ruslan Baginskiy headwear. Who are 5 brands that you would you love to work on a project with next? The dream client pool is large, but top 5 would include: Prada Maison Margiela MSGM Alyx Proenza Schouler Lastly, everyone starts small but it seems like you have figured out a thing or two. What are your top 5 tips for growing your business? Be clear in your vision Be able to adapt quickly Treat everyone with respect Foster and cultivate your team. Your company is only as good the people who make it what it is. Don't be discouraged when things don't go as planned. Put your head down and keep working!

Pier Five x PUMA: Community Court Day 2023 Earlier this month, Pier Five proudly hosted its first ‘Community Court Day’ event in Toronto in partnership with PUMA. The event was designed to give entrepreneurs and creatives a new way to connect outside of the office in a space that was conducive to conversation and relationship building. As big proponents of 'breaking up the work week', Pier Five brought out 25 of Toronto's cultural change-makers, including business owners, artists, content creators and brand leads to spend a day on the court, a place that fostered so many relationships for us growing up. The day got started with guests arriving to a care package with some of PUMA's newest basketball gear; of course we had to hook them up in the best. From the beginning, strangers instantly started becoming friends and learning about each other. There's something about trying on new sneakers with others that get spirits high. After some introductions, basketball coach/trainer and founder of Core Basketball, Ali Nizam, started the day with warmups and partner drills designed to get people out of their comfort zone. Regardless of experience, every single person was sweating by the end of it. Spirits were definitely high, and safe to say we were all on an equal playing field after that. The warm ups were followed up refreshments from our friends at Neutria and Barbet who kept us hydrated throughout the day and a good 'ol fashioned 'name game' - of course we had to bring some summer camp memories back - to help everyone learn a bit more about who was in the room. After that, guests were put into teams to put their skills to the test. Every single person was playing hard and throwing it down! Lastly, we wrapped the day with a roundtable-style discussion focused on getting out of your comfort zone , something that is key for entrepreneurs and that every guest of the day demonstrated so well that day. The #1 goal of the day was give creatives and entrepreneurs a unique space to get to know each other and we couldn't be more proud of how much that was accomplished. In an age of social media connections and a non-stop grind to the top, finding time to meet likeminded individuals in-person, even those in our own backyard, can be very difficult but when you find a way to do it, break down all of the walls, and just let people jam, the results are incredible. A major thank you to every single person who came out with an open mind and willingness to learn. We can't wait to see how these conversations turn into incredible things outside of the gym doors. As well, thank you to Neutria and Barbet for the incredible drinks and of course, thank you so much to PUMA for supporting our vision of creating unique spaces for inspiring people to connect and grow. We can't wait until the next one!

Slipp Who: Victoria Lyons Where: London, ON Instagram Website How would you use the $10,000 CAD fund for your business? See All Winners

June Guest Picks: Music with Kishan Mistry Guest: Photographer Kishan Mistry "The playlist is motivated by the nice warm weather entering Toronto; something to throw on while going on a road trip / kicking it in the backyard. Good vibes all around!" His & Hers Internet Money ft. Don Toliver, Lil Uzi Vert & Gunna (Single - 2021) Waves of Blue Majid Jordan (Single - 2021) Down to Miami Emotional Oranges ft. Becky G (Single - 2021) The Weekend Mac Miller ft. Miguel (Single - 2015) The Thrill Wiz Khalifa (Single - 2011) Check out all of our guest picks for June here and stay tuned to Pier Five for more stories and interviews with the coolest people around.

The Tale Of A Sneakerhead Who Found Running A couple months ago I had a sneakerhead epiphany. I have too many shoes. This happened around the time I secured one of my grails, the Nike Air Max 90 ‘Bacon’ and then only wore them twice in the preceding month. I waited a full year (since the rumored 2020 release) for this shoe, got them out of luck, and then only wore them twice! Why was this? Well, only one reason. I have too many shoes. Since I've always been a bit of a collector, having a lot of things never bothered me much. The issue with sneakers is how much less each pair gets worn as I continue to buy more pairs. I grew up loving the cycle of beating a new pair of sneakers down and then replacing them only once my toes stuck through the front. Nowadays, I can’t remember the last time I’ve actually worn a pair into the ground and yet the new pairs keep on coming in. I can tie my sneaker consumption habit to a few causes. The first is that I’m a big nerd for design. The technology keeps on getting better and the fact that I do get to wear something, albeit minimally per pair, that I consider almost like art, is awesome. Secondly, I love the hunt which is a huge part of sneaker collecting. Lastly there’s a bunch of other reasons that I’m not as proud of like “hype made me do it” and the occasional “flip”. Yes, I admit that I occasionally resell sneakers, but all of these factors are what has fuelled the obsession that I, along with many others, have for sneakers. So, what does this have to do with running as mentioned in the title? Well, around the same time I was questioning all my decisions regarding footwear, I was also getting more into running. I learned that if I transferred all of my obsessive characteristics to running, I was instantly more fulfilled. The design and tech aspects were obviously there, it was a new hunt for a product I had no idea about and I could regain that satisfaction of really wearing my shoes like they were meant to be worn. It also got me outside way more and made me feel healthier and happier. Running was my ultimate saving grace as a “struggling” sneakerhead and I am riding that wave like no other. The thing with running though, is that while it’s a simple activity at its core, it can be intimidating. It took some time to learn and get into the right groove to really start loving it. So, in hopes of helping other sneakerheads (or anyone for that matter, but this story be most relevant to sneakerheads) who may be interested in exploring this culture that I’ve recently become obsessed with, I reached out to other more experienced runners to share their knowledge on the sport, community and gear. The Guests: Mario LoConte Mario is a co-founder of vintage convention ThriftCon and streetwear label Station. He is a big time runner and is a part of a running team with 48forchange, a non-profit that raises funds for underprivileged and marginalized communities through run challenges. His team is currently sponsored by ON Running. Jes Woods Jes is a running legend! Day-to-day, Jes is a Nike Running coach in New York and also serves as a trainer and coach for Brooklyn Track Club and Chaski Endurance as well as manages a Mile High Run Club location. Jes recently came second in a solo-run, three-hundred mile race from Los Angeles to Las Vegas which she completed in under six days. Daniel Navetta Dan, also known through his social media as The Air Vegan, is an NYC based director and content creator. He is the founder of video production company BRYGHT YOUNG THINGS and fashion sustainability platform news FutureVVorld. Dan is an avid runner and vegan sneaker collector and brings a fresh perspective to the sport and culture. Q1: Why do you like running & how does it make you feel? Mario: Firstly, running is a great way to explore your own city and see it in a different light. I also think that it's fairly easy to progress, but in your progress, the ceiling just keeps moving up and up, so it's a great way to stay motivated. The thing that I might appreciate most about running however is the fact that it isn't enjoyable sometimes. It's hard, it hurts and it makes you want to quit, but you find ways to push through, and I think that ultimately translates to other areas of your life. Jes: How much time do we have? [laughs]. Running makes me feel accomplished. There’s goal setting and working hard to achieve that goal but at the same time, running doesn't always have to be that serious. It’s also a social thing that I get to enjoy with my friends. If you're doing it right, running can be and should be enjoyable. Daniel: I like running because it gives me a break from the outside world. There is a state of "flow" that has become easier to achieve during my runs, and that's the feeling I find myself seeking. When everything is clicking, there is a euphoria and bliss that I don't access in other areas of my life. I also love the community aspect of it. Q2: Are you a collector of running shoes? Mario: I see my running shoes as work boots. I get a new pair and I instantly start setting mileage goals for them - 350-500 - and wonder how fast I can get there. I want them to be completely spent by the end of those miles and I want them to look like it too. Daniel: I wouldn't say that I collect running shoes, because all of my running sneakers get used. I think there's definitely more "collectible" running sneakers than ever before, but I seek them out to put miles on them. Jes: I genuinely don't consider myself cool enough to collect lifestyle sneakers, so my collection is very much running sneakers focused with a dash of lifestyle. Oh, and maybe the Bad Bunny Crocs too! Q3: Many are shifting spending from hype to more technical footwear. Have you seen your behaviour shift like this at all over the last year? If yes, why do you think this is? Daniel: Yes. I think everyone has suddenly discovered a greater appreciation for the outdoors and a small shift away from “hype for the sake of hype”. I'm grateful that I learned this lesson years ago, because I've spent my free time and expendable income on travel and experience as opposed to coveting a bunch of sneakers that sit in storage. Jes: Yes! Thank goodness technical gear is now considered fashion because it's the only thing I'm wearing 99% of the time. Hopefully this shift sticks around for some time. Mario: I would say so. I am starting to think more about the actual composition and construction of all of my clothing and see others doing so as well. I’m making an effort to be more mindful with my purchases and surround myself with more functional, timeless products to cut down on my own waste and consumption. What are you wearing on the road? Mario Shoes: ON Running Cloudflow Apparel: ON Running Lightweight Shorts , Performance T , Performance Long T Jes Shoes: Nike ZoomX Invincible Run Apparel: Jordan Track Cargo Pants , Nike Trail Gear Daniel Shoes: ZoomX Vaporfly Next% Apparel: District Vision Air-Wear Longsleeve , Satisfy Running Gear , Nike NSRL Transform Jacket What are you listening to on the road? Mario: If it's a short distance run I’ll throw on some rap or a random metal playlist (which I never listen to) because it's nice to just have some wild music playing in the background that I can push to. For longer runs, I’ll do something more mellow:, rap, pop, 90s/00s stuff. I'll even throw on a podcast every once in a while to try and learn something while I run. Jes: Here we go! The Greatest Showman soundtrack. On repeat. Over and over again. Sometimes for upwards of 9 hours (on a 50 mile run). Daniel: Wild story - For the first marathon I ran, there was a rule against headphones, so I had to run in silence...that was quite an experience. Nowadays, I listen to everything from the DJ Premiere/RZA Verzus playlist, to "War on Drugs", to the NY Times "The Daily" podcast, to books like, "Power of Now" and "Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself". I'm always trying to dial in the right mood, for the right day, to achieve the perfect run. Final Thoughts from Pier Five The purpose of this story was not to tell you all to stop buying shoes. I can’t honestly say that I am going to stop and I am not the right person to tell you to. If you do want to learn how you can think about your consumption more responsibly, Daniel’s FutureVVorld is an amazing platform for this. Ultimately, this story was meant to inspire you to try something new. For me, it was running but there are a million activities that exist that we can bring our compulsive sneakerhead characteristics to that can make you happier. Finally, if you made it this far and you’re still no more excited to try something new, then all I can say is the next time you overpay for some kicks on StockX, at least wear the damn shoes more than twice a month! For more on Mario, Jes & Dan, check out their IG and keep it locked to Pier Five for more stories and interviews with the best in fashion, art, business, sports, food & more. Mario: @imnotmars Jes: @jeslynnyc Dan: @theairvegan