A Conversation With Blume Bunny & Taran Ghatrora are the founders of Blume, a Canadian self care and period products brand that is building a safe space for young women to "learn, grow and become their badass selves." Bunny & Taran are experts in fundraising and brand building and are recipients of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Award. @blume // @bunny.ghatrora & @taran_smiles Whether for a teen or parents of a teen, what are 5 pieces of advice you’d give to young females as they embark on their journey with puberty? Remember that you're not going through this alone! Everyone has or will go through puberty and what you're experiencing is *normal*!! Keep doing the things that make you feel good, whether this be painting, running, playing sports or riding horses. If you have hobbies you love, keep doing them! Make time for self care! Prioritize it! Keep away from things that don't make you feel good. This could be friends that make you feel bad, social media or other. If it doesn't make you feel good, you don't need it! If you have questions about the changes your body is going through, ask a friend, family member, guardian, teacher, doctor or other adult you feel comfortable speaking to! Many siblings are great friends but you have taken it one step further! What are 5 tips/tricks for running a business with your sibling? Communicate often & clearly. Sometimes it's easy to assume the other person *knows* what you're thinking, and sometimes that is totally the case (one of the benefits of running a biz with a sibling) BUT that's not always the case and can get you into trouble if you lean on short hand communication too often. Prioritize your meetings the same way you would with someone else on your team. Show up on time, be attentive, have an agenda, etc… Set time aside to hang as just siblings! Keep that time separate from work time. Always remember that you're on the same team when it comes the business. You always have each other's backs and you're both rowing in the same direction. Be mindful of the other person's schedule: Running a biz with a sibling can often feel like the two of you do *everything* together, so when/if ever one person has plans or is doing something else, or taking some much needed time off, be sure not to bombard them with work related questions. You have raised some serious money for Blume over the years. What are 5 tips you'd share to someone looking to raise money for their startup? You have to raise money FULL TIME. Tightly pack your meetings into a concentrated period of time and devote all of your energy to this. You ideally will have a co-founder/employee who will keep things running while you're devoting your time to this. Otherwise, this can drag on and diminish your sense of urgency. Ask for a yes or a no! Investors will always say maybe, because they don't want to say no. They want to keep the conversation open and might change their mind. They want to see if someone else invests or something changes. But saying, kindly but firmly, that "I really need a decision from you so I can move on" forces people to make a decision. Create a sense of scarcity. Say up front that you have "X" amount committed (only if you have, of course!) and that there's only this much left in the round. Blume specifically was only looking to raise about 1.5K, and through creating the sense of scarcity, ended up raising more! Be very clear about what impact that money is going to have your business. i.e. "I am doing "X" amount of revenue now, and with this much invested, I'm going to do "Y" amount. It is going to come from these specific channels and my team is going to be this big." Don't just say "I'm going to use the money to grow my business", be hyper-specific! Find a lead investor. People are going to ask you who your lead is, and they want someone to take the lead and start the trend. Tier 1 or Tier 2 investor is best, but also make certain that there's value alignment, that you've checked their references and - if it makes sense for you - ensured that they have follow up capital. What are 5 must-see/try spots when visiting Vancouver? Bike or rollerblade the seawall (a must!) Day trip to Whistler Whytecliff Park or Jericho Beach for a picnic and views! Earnest Ice Cream & Miku Sushi are both amazing Brunch at Jam Cafe! Last but not least, which one of you fits each of the 5 following categories? The Partier - Bunny The Dancer - Both The Clumsy one - Taran The Bookworm - Taran The Foodie. - Both

Outworking The Competition With Eric Chong of R&D As the city prepares for a big reopening, we got the chance to sit down with Eric Chong, winner of Master Chef Canada, co-host of Wok The World and owner of one of our favourite restaurants in Toronto, R&D. Eric's success started very young and he has quickly been making his ascent as one of the top chefs in Canada. While doors have been open and closed over the last two years, Eric has stayed very busy and had lots to talk about. From building a strong team, sharing some cooking secrets, giving his honest opinion on the restaurant industry and his craziest tales from the TV world, this conversation was full of gems. Read and listen below! A Family Affair "When we hire people, it's really about how they work with the team than their resume. We really build a family oriented staff. A resume is great but you really have to click with the team because we see each other more than we see our family and friends." "The only way to earn their respect, is to outwork them. I've been blessed but I've put in the work. Don't ever get complacent. Don't ever get comfortable because you'll only get to the top by pushing." All About Consistency "The hardest thing about a restaurant is consistency. If I were to cook you a dish and a cook who was just hired yesterday cooked you a dish, you shouldn't be able to tell the difference and that's a very difficult job to achieve. I have twelve scales in the restaurant...so that everything in the restaurant is exactly the same." Tips to enhance your wok game... Understand that the end result will be different at home and at the restaurant. An open flame is a must! Electric doesn't get hot enough. Make sure you get that wok smoke! Never burn your food by keeping things constantly moving. If you don't have high enough heat, you can use a cast iron. Eric's 5 Must Haves In The Kitchen MSG - Adds depth of Umami (one of the key flavour profiles). Eggs - Used in nearly everything! Rice Soup noodles - "I've been eating a ton of these. I'll make a big batch of stock and get fancy with my noodles!" Pasta - "My bolognese slaps [laughs]" Do people ever just pin you as the "Master Chef guy" and not look at all the other stuff that you're doing? There was a period in my career where I was a bit frustrated but it's what started me. It's good to have an identity. Like, I'm sure Daniel Radcliffe doesn't just want to be Harry Potter but it's better to be known for something than nothing at all. (Listen Above) "It's always a challenge to find new things to teach them [the staff]. What's beneficial at R&D is anyone who is in the back of house management role doesn't just learn how to cook...they actually learn how to manage a restaurant." What's the craziest thing that has ever happened to you on TV? (Listen Below) If you want to be a successful restauranteur, your job doesn't end when you clock out. If you're looking for a 9 to 5 job, this ain't it. If you're looking for a job where you have a good work-life balance, this ain't it. If you actually love cooking and love this industry, prove it! There's no excuse not to know how to make any dish at this point, but how to make it your own is the real challenge. Make sure to follow Eric on Instagram for news, tips and tricks to help step your kitchen game up, as well as R&D if you're ever in Toronto and keep it locked to Pier Five for more conversations with the coolest entrepreneurs, designers, artists, activists and more out there.

July Guest Picks: Home with Sylvia Hoang Guest: Sylvia Hoang, founder of Studio S 1. Bearbrick Figurines "Bearbrick is for everyone that loves art, fashion and culture. From their "basic" designs to limited edition collaborations, this is a conversation starter and essential piece to elevate your space." 2. Virgil Abloh's Markerad Clock "With Virgil's iconic quotation marks, this clock is a clean and minimalist design that does not include numbers yet it challenges the notion of function vs. art with this homeware design." 3. Hype Books & Magazines "Get inspired everyday by having a copy or two of any streetwear related hardcovers in your home. When not in use, it's a perfect coffee table set up for the next reader." 4. Murakami Plush Pillows "These are more than just flowers. They will brighten up your space and comfort you, with this iconic motif by Murakami nodding towards the history of Japanese culture and art." 5. Studio S Swoosh Incense Holder "This is a functional art piece, inspired by the swoosh, that could either be used just as decor or to relax your aura with incense sticks." Check out all of our guest picks for July here and stay tuned to Pier Five for more stories and interviews with the coolest people around.

A Conversation With Chris Casuga of CNTRBND Chris Casuga is the owner of CNTRBND, one of Canada's premier boutiques for luxury street fashion. CNTRBND has 5 locations in Vancouver and Toronto and carries designer brands such as Raf Simons, Maison Margiela, Dries Van Noten and A-Cold-Wall. Casuga is also the owner of Off-White Toronto. @christphercasuga / @cntrbndofficial What are 5 of your favourite brands in the shop right now? I love the new brands coming for FW20 but my favourites are Dries Van Noten, Raf Simons, Maison Margiela, Readymade, Undercover. Who are 5 artists you're playing a lot in the shop right now? Definitely a lot of PARTYNEXTDOOR, Blood Orange, Young Troy, Aminé and Pusha T. What are 5 of your favourite trends that you're seeing from brands for FW20? Very into wide leg pants, puffer jackets, bold colours, layering and less all over logos. Can you share 5 tips for surviving COVID-19 as a retailer? I think it's very important to minimize fixed expenses and focus more on your online presence while doors are closed. Then, when the shops are open, create a safe and welcoming store atmosphere for customers, motivate sales staff and BE POSITIVE! What's in the rotation these days? Perhaps your 5 favourite pieces? My LV sneakers, Raf Simons cord bootcut pants, ALYX constructed shell jacket, UNDERCOVER wide leg dress pants and of course, a CNTRBND Toronto Hoodie. Any final thoughts on things before we go? Things are definitely tough right now with the amount of stores closing and also not being able to do in store events. It's hard to find excitement in retail right now which were, in the past, created by large crowds/customers but we're hopeful that things can get better. Just need to take it one day at a time!

Pier Five interviews and founder conversations. Our Blog Explore Pier Five's latest conversations with our entrepreneur community. Business (88) 88 posts Art & Design (65) 65 posts Streetwear (62) 62 posts Sneakers (43) 43 posts Wellness (32) 32 posts Food (23) 23 posts Activism (20) 20 posts Sports (18) 18 posts Photography (17) 17 posts Music (12) 12 posts Tech (2) 2 posts The Business of Belonging 6 days ago The Pull Up Dinner: A New Kind of Networking Event for Founders and Creatives Jul 6 The Difference Maker: How Canadian Small Business Owners Turned AI Into Action May 14 Why We Finally Incorporated - And Why You Should Too (With Ownr) Apr 26 Pier Five Turns Five: A Landmark End-of-Year Celebration and the Launch of Pier Five Studios Dec 15, 2025 The AI Studio: How Pier Five and HP Canada Empowered Canadian Small Businesses with AI Oct 15, 2025 Small Business Activation Grant Runner Up: Yueh Tung Restaurant Jun 22, 2025 Small Business Activation Grant Runner Up: Stimmie Jun 22, 2025 Small Business Activation Grant Winner: Grays Jun 22, 2025 Pier Five’s Mental Health Mixer: A Space to Reset, Reflect, and Connect Jun 5, 2025 Mental Movement Day with Pier Five and Puma Brings Toronto’s Creative Community Together for Yoga, Wellness, and Open Conversation Jun 3, 2025 A Spring Clean-Up Day to Remember Apr 30, 2025 5 Essential Tax Strategies for Small Business Owners to Save Money Mar 7, 2025 Empowering Women Entrepreneurs: Mastercard x Pier Five's 2024/25 Priceless Experience Mar 2, 2025 2024 Recipient: BocoBoco Feb 5, 2025 2024 Recipient: Lesley Hampton Feb 5, 2025 2024 Recipient: Mahara Mindfulness Feb 5, 2025 2024 Recipient: Paintillio Feb 5, 2025 2024 Recipient: Shawish Market Feb 5, 2025 2024 Recipient: Remix Snacks Feb 5, 2025 2024 Recipient: ImaginAble Solutions Feb 5, 2025 2024 Recipient: Folds Wear Feb 5, 2025 2024 Recipient: Bruized Feb 5, 2025 2024 Recipient: The Magpie Cakery Feb 5, 2025 Pier Five’s 2024 End-of-Year Celebration Dec 17, 2024 Celebrating Creativity and Community at the OOAK Show '24 Dec 5, 2024 5-Tips On Brand Building From Kuwalla Tee's Founder Yaniv Abecassis Nov 26, 2024 Pier Five Community Dinner Vol. 2 - Financial Foundations Nov 15, 2024 Toronto Community Court Day Recap: A Slam Dunk Success Oct 21, 2024 Pier Five Community Canvas For Kuwalla Tee Sep 25, 2024 Community Court Day MTL: Pier Five x PUMA x Ball Her Way x Double Dribble Sep 22, 2024 Pier Five Community Dinner: Volume 1 Jul 31, 2024 Pier Five x PUMA: Mental Health Strength Day - A Triumph of Community and Wellness May 15, 2024 Your Number One Resource With Nishal Kumar of No Days Wasted Apr 24, 2024 Playing the Game Better With Drew Stevens of Margin Skincare Mar 11, 2024 Doing It Yourself With Carol Pak of Makku Feb 7, 2024 Creating Your Identity With Jun Arnaiz of Neutria Jan 9, 2024 2023 Recipient: Joni Jan 9, 2024 2023 Recipient: Loba Jan 9, 2024 2023 Recipient: U Grow Girl Jan 9, 2024 2023 Recipient: Cubed Style Inc. Jan 9, 2024 2023 Recipient: Guests On Earth Jan 9, 2024 2023 Recipient: Dandylion Jan 9, 2024 2023 Recipient: Zing Jan 9, 2024 2023 Recipient: Inoki Bathhouse Jan 9, 2024 2023 Recipient: Spice Girl Chai Jan 9, 2024 2023 Recipient: Colour The Trails Jan 9, 2024 Pier Five’s 2023 Food Drive: Supporting Community and Fighting Food Insecurity Dec 29, 2023 1 2 3

A Conversation With Olivia Ho of The Give and Grow What is success if it is not shared with others? As a sports fanatic, houseplant enthusiast and advocate for female empowerment and growth, Olivia Ho has been on a mission to create change through what she loves. Noticing the barriers that existed for young females in sports, an activity which she thinks is imperative for developing confidence early on in children and teens, Olivia has set out to create new opportunities for Toronto’s female youth through community led initiatives and programs. We caught up with Olivia to discuss her work as a Sports Program Lead at MLSE Launchpad and to look back at a very successful first year running The Give and Grow, a women-led initiative building a community for women in Toronto. As someone with an inside lens into both big and small corporations working to make a change, Olivia is full of knowledge and advice that can help everyone work together to empower the next generation of leaders. Read our conversation with Olivia below and then head over to The Give and Grow’s instagram page to check out what they have coming up to celebrate the one year anniversary. @ohoxo // @thegiveandgrow Hey Olivia! For those who may not be familiar, tell us a bit about yourself and The Give and Grow. Hey guys! My name is Olivia Ho. I’m a cardiac sonographer at St. Mike’s Hospital in Toronto and a Sports Program Lead at MLSE Launchpad, leading sports programs for young women in the city. During last summer in the pandemic, with buzz starting around houseplants and as a way to stay creative, I started making basketball planters and it got the attention of some people on my socials. I started to think about how I could use the planters to bring together more people in the community and continue to empower young girls and that’s how The Give and Grow started. The Give and Grow, a pun on the basketball term “give and go”, is a women-led initiative centred around growth. We run workshops, many of which through Launchpad, to help young girls gain confidence and give them the tools they need to achieve their goals. A portion of all planters sold goes toward youth programming in Toronto and we’re working on expanding our programming and workshops to other cities in Canada and internationally. Through your work at MLSE and with The Give and Grow, you’re doing a ton of amazing work to create new opportunities for youth in the city. Why is this cause one that is so important to you? Growing up in a Filipino and Vietnamese household, basketball culture was huge for me and in my community. I always played in leagues but noticed early on that you’re always a bit of an outlier if you are a girl who is good at sports. I watched a lot of my female peers grow up without sports and it was hard to see the divide between how boys and girls were raised with sports. I also noticed all of the financial barriers that existed and wanted to create opportunities for as many people as I could through sport. This is really interesting and you’re definitely right in the observations you’ve made about youth upbringing with sports. How has Launchpad helped you achieve these goals? MLSE is great because they can help make amazing connections to enhance the programming run for the youth. Although they’re a big company, they really do care about helping smaller and less-privileged communities. In addition to the sports programming, they also run food programs and job training through Launchpad. All programming is free and we have an amazing team of staff that are representative of the groups of kids. We do this to help create a connection between everyone and so that the youth can see themselves in their leaders. You’ve said that The Give and Grow was never about basketball planters but they’ve clearly been a great outlet to bring women together and empower the next generation of leaders. Why do you think this has caught on as such a successful part of The Give and Grow experience? I’ve seen a few people do them before I did, including one of my friends who helped me learn to do them and it was very fun. House plants have become so popular and I think making the planters is a great activity to bring the community together. They also fit into the brand well under the idea of growth. Besides the workshops, what can people do to get involved in a cause they feel passionately about? Really immerse yourself in the space that you care about. Find people doing work for the cause and interact with them. Follow them on instagram, go to their events, send them a message etc. Reach out to people a ton and ask questions. Just go for it and don’t be afraid of rejection. You will start to connect with people with a shared vision, like I have, and that will be the building blocks for your involvement in change. Taking that leap isn’t always so easy. What are some ways you’d advise someone to help them get out of their comfort zone? Sometimes all you need is a prompt to understand how you are feeling. A big part of our workshops consist of activities to help people get out of their comfort zone. We have booklets with prompts to help get people talking and thinking about what is important to them, what their goals are, stories from their past, etc. These activities help show people that we’re not all so different from one another. You’ve partnered with some amazing people and organizations to help run workshops and create opportunities for women. What are some tips you’d give to anyone looking to find the right partners? Most importantly, make sure you truly understand who you are and what you want. Ask yourself what you are trying to achieve and that will help you evaluate new partnerships. Secondly, do your research on others to make sure that their brand and mission aligns with yours. Don’t let money or following size be the main factor in your decisions. If they are, it will be difficult to make decisions that fit with your goals. Also, don’t forget to do spot checks every now and then to ensure you’re still on track to achieve what you set out to achieve. That’s great advice. Is there a person or company that you would really love to partner with? I think the WNBA would be an amazing fit. I was lucky enough to work with the Toronto Raptors but doing something with females in basketball would be such a perfect partnership. That would be amazing! Who are 5 women or female led groups doing amazing work that people should know about? Dez and Steen from Patchwork Collective (@patchwork.collective). They were the first community partners that The Give and Grow worked with. They’re all about self discovery and creating a community for women. Emily Gilpin is a good friend and indigenous journalist out in British Columbia. She is the Managing Editor at Indiginews (@indiginews) and has done a great job documenting and raising awareness around everything that’s been happening with indigenous communities lately. Gaby Estrada is a coworker at Launchpad and the founder of Girls and Women in Motion (@gwinmotion), a program in Scarborough that focuses on engaging women and girls in physical activity. Kim & Shanelle, founder of The Villij (@thevillig). They run a fantastic online wellness platform that offers accessible workouts for women. Meghan Young is the founder of The Sad Collective (@thesadcollective), a community platform that offers workshops for youth and women and promotes mental health and wellness. We’ll definitely need to look into these! Lastly, if you could ask one thing to those who are reading this, what would it be? “Lift as you climb.” It’s important to remember that as you grow and become more successful, you need to continue to lift up others around you. The more we work together, the more successful we all will be and the higher we can climb. Check out Olivia and The Give and Grow and keep it locked to Pier Five for more interviews and stories with the coolest entrepreneurs, designers, artists, activists and more.

2023 Recipient: Dandylion Introducing Dandylion, one of the ten recipients of the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund 2023! Who: Carolyn Chen Where: Toronto, ON Instagram / Website Carolyn Chen started her dog-care brand Dandylion, when she struggled to find a solution that worked to help her puppy Mocha with his regularly itchy skin. Shefound many conventional grooming products on the market were laden with harsh, drying, and irritating ingredients that exacerbated her puppy’s problem. Carolyn was shocked by the lack of ingredient transparency in the pet grooming industry, a stark contrast to the rigorous standards we expect in the human beauty world. Determined to make a difference in the industry, Dandylion products are meticulously formulated in collaboration with vet dermatologists and human skin care chemists, offering superior dog grooming products that put the dogs' health first and can be trusted by all pet parents. How will you use the $10,000 CAD for your business? The $10,000 would have two instrumental purposes for Dandylion. The first half would go towards research and development for new products with innovative application design, something that’s never been done before on dog-care products. The second half of the fund would go towards our community content initiatives, which have helped garner a ton of awareness and sales for the brand thus far. What is your big goal for the future of the business? One of our most significant long-term goals, spanning the next three to five years, is to expand our presence into mass retail. Our vision is to make better dog care products accessible to all dog parents. By broadening our distribution channels to encompass mass retail, we aim to reach a more extensive and diverse audience of dog owners. This strategic move will not only allow us to bring our innovative and health-focused products to a wider market but also enhance the well-being of countless dogs across the Canada & US. Dandylion was recently accepted into retailers Indigo and Chewy as a new brand for 2024! Learn more about the Mastercard & Pier Five Small Business Fund, and discover the other 2023 recipients here.

2023 Recipient: Guests On Earth Introducing Guests On Earth, one of the ten recipients of the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund 2023! Who: Jackie Prince Where: Toronto, ON Instagram / Website Guests on Earth is counter-worthy home care that feels like self-care, and cares for the planet. The brand launched their first products in 2022, an All-Purpose Cleaner, Foaming Hand Soap and Waffle Cleaning Cloths with the vision to build and lead in a new category of Home and Planetary Wellness. In only a year and half, Guests On Earth has won numerous awards, generated thousands of new customers and is selling in over 20 retailers across Ontario. Guests On Earth was also recently certified a B Corporation, meaning it meets the highest standards of social and environmental impact and is dedicated to creating a positive effect on the world beyond financial gain. How will you use the $10,000 CAD for your business? The funding would go towards the production and marketing of our new product launch in Q1 of 2024. We have some really incredible ideas on how to effectively bring our new launch to life and the funds would enable us to enhance our production capabilities. With this launch, we hope to cover more touchpoints in our customers’ homes allowing them to live their best “clean” life. What is your big goal for the future of the business? Our big goal is to develop a robust hospitality strategy for the brand. We want to get our products into vacation rentals, yoga studios, and restaurants. These are spaces where customers can become aware of the brand while trying our product. It would be a new channel for us and will take time to learn and build. We are currently testing the market with sampling but hospitality could be an incredible catalyst for mass sustainable expansion in the years to come. Learn more about the Mastercard & Pier Five Small Business Fund, and discover the other 2023 recipients here.

2024 Recipient: Paintillio Explore the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund Introducing Paintillio, one of the ten recipients of the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund 2024! Founders: Lyssa Kayra & Jess Devenport Location: Vancouver, BC Discover Paintillio online: Website // Instagram About Paintillio Since its founding in 2017, Paintillio has been dedicated to creating high-quality, collaborative paint-by-numbers projects that foster community growth through artistic expression. As Canada’s only provider of large-scale, premium paint-by-numbers murals, made possible by proprietary software, Paintillio empowers people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to contribute to a shared creative goal. These projects build teamwork and a sense of accomplishment, whether at corporate teambuilding events, festivals, or public mural installations sponsored by companies to strengthen local communities. Paintillio’s unique approach has attracted major clients like Coca-Cola, Amazon, and Toyota and earned the company nominations for awards like the BC Small Business of the Year. With support from Mastercard and the Pier Five Fund, Paintillio plans to bring even more communities together through the power of shared artistic expression. How will the fund make an impact with your business? With $10,000 from the Mastercard x Pier Five Fund, Paintillio will be able to scale its production capabilities through the development of an advanced software program. These funds will be used to hire a full-time developer for two to three months to work alongside Paintillio’s current developer, enhancing the software to meet both current and future demand. The goal is to increase production capacity to 100 murals per day while reducing project turnaround times from 3-4 weeks to 1-2 weeks, ensuring Paintillio can meet the needs of time-sensitive clients and event planners. By investing in this critical upgrade, the team will also be able to redirect resources toward marketing campaigns and business development in the U.S., supporting the company’s ongoing growth and international expansion. What is your long term goal for the company? One of our long-term goals is to reach $2 million in revenue within the next three years, and our current demand puts us on track to achieve it. However, our in-house software, which transforms client images into custom paint-by-numbers murals, has become a bottleneck. It can take up to 24 hours to render large-scale images, limiting us to one mural per day and a 3-4 week turnaround time. Upgrading this software is crucial to meeting demand, reducing turnaround times, and unlocking new business opportunities. Learn more about the Mastercard & Pier Five Small Business Fund, and discover the other 2024 recipients here.

2024 Recipient: Remix Snacks Explore the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund Introducing Remix Snacks, one of the ten recipients of the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund 2024! Founder: Isabelle Lam Location: Toronto, ON Discover Remix Snacks online: Website // Instagram About Remix Snacks Remix Snacks is an Asian female-led company founded by dietitians that creates bean-based snacks using upcycled ingredients to reduce food waste. Their mission is to make beans fun and approachable, highlighting their delicious and nutritious qualities while addressing common hesitations about them. The company offers two high-protein, high-fiber snack lines: Bean Bark, a dark chocolate treat made with 70% dark chocolate, black beans, and upcycled fruit, and Beanies, a savory puff made with mung beans and upcycled carrots. All products are diet-inclusive—free from nuts, dairy, gluten, and preservatives—and are Plastic Neutral certified through the rePurpose Program, removing plastic waste from the environment. How will the fund make an impact with your business? Remix Snacks will use the grant to fuel growth and streamline operations. For in-store sampling ($2,000), which has driven over 200% sales lifts at retailers like Sobeys and Metro, the grant will help hire brand ambassadors to expand sampling nationwide, increasing reach and sales. For R&D ($500), we aim to lower ingredient costs to improve margins and offer more affordable products to consumers. A Walmart campaign ($2,500) will combine digital and in-store activations to double business with the retailer while boosting brand awareness. Lastly, for cash flow and packaging updates ($5,000), the grant will fund large production orders for expanding retailers and improve case packaging to enhance visibility and sales at Walmart. What is your long term goal for the company? As we solidify establishing our brand in Canada, we plan on expanding to the US market over the next few years. We’re specifically looking at the states of Washington and New York, as they are close to the border for shipping and distribution, and have consumers that align with our target markets and values. With our mission of using beans as the base of our snacks, and upcycled/imperfect ingredients to reduce food waste, the product possibilities are endless. We plan on expanding our product offerings, and entering into new CPG spaces such as the breakfast and other snacks spaces. Through all of this, we plan on reducing over 50,000kg of food waste over the next 3 years. Learn more about the Mastercard & Pier Five Small Business Fund, and discover the other 2024 recipients here.

2023 Recipient: Inoki Bathhouse Introducing Inoki Bathhouse, one of the ten recipients of the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund 2023! Who: Helen Yin Where: Toronto, ON Instagram / Website Inoki Bathhouse was founded by Asian-Canadian management consultant turned serial-entrepreneur Helen Yin, to offer accessible and affordable spa-grade tea bath experiences at home. The brand offers homemade tea bath sets, coupled with a digital app offering curated music and bath ritual tools. This combination transforms any bathroom into a tranquil sanctuary through the art of mindfulness and bathing. Inoki Bathhouse offerings are rooted in cultural practices of traditional medicine and bathing, featuring ethically-sourced premium tea and herbal plant ingredients that benefit both the mind and skin. The tea baths are packed with powerful tea antioxidants and contain an abundant amount of nutrients for the skin. Unlike bath bombs, soaps, and syrups, Inoki’s bath blends are pH balanced, safe for sensitive skin, and provide a unique aromatherapy experience. The business is also passionate about giving back, with over $25,000 CAD donated to the #StopAsianHate movement along with many in-kind donations and volunteering hours given to local charities and non-profits. How will you use the $10,000 CAD for your business? The $10,000 will go towards our first full-time hire. As the business continues to grow rapidly, I have hit my maximum output and having someone to help me full-time will allow me to focus on larger projects and innovations for the business that have been left to the side for too long. Some of these ideas include trade shows around Canada, developing new bath mixes to expand our product catalog, and working on finding a new office/warehouse space for the company in the near future as we have already outgrown our current space. What is your big goal for the future of the business? My long term vision for Inoki Bathhouse is to become, not only the world's first, but largest remote bathhouse company, accessible by anyone. I'd like to expand our product line to cover bathhouses inspired by every region in the world and create timeless, aesthetic bath ritual items that transform the home into a peaceful sanctuary. Most importantly, I want to help this generation find moments of peace and prioritize their well-being in the way I did during my own critical time of need in this chaotic and busy worl Learn more about the Mastercard & Pier Five Small Business Fund, and discover the other 2023 recipients here.

2024 Recipient: Mahara Mindfulness Explore the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund Introducing Mahara Mindfulness, one of the ten recipients of the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund 2024! Founders: Sheba Zaidi and Genevive Savundranayagam Location: Toronto, ON Discover Mahara Mindfulness online: Website // Instagram About Mahara Mindfulness Mahara Mindfulness is a Canadian, female-founded business dedicated to improving mental health through mindfulness. Their flagship product, The Human Being Journal, is a guided monthly journal designed to help users manage mental health, gain perspective, and live more fulfilled lives. Inspired by the pandemic’s impact on mental health, Mahara sought to create an accessible, scientifically backed tool for stress and anxiety management. Featured in outlets like The New York Times and Oprah Daily, and endorsed by wellness icons like Reese Witherspoon and Jessica Alba, the journal bridges the human and being aspects of life to unlock true potential. Committed to sustainability and inclusivity, the journals are made in Canada from recycled materials, with diverse quotes and gender-neutral designs. Mahara also partners with organizations like CAMH, Restorations Second Stage Homes, and Holt Renfrew’s H-Project, aligning with their mission to support underserved communities and promote mental wellness. How will the fund make an impact with your business? At Mahara Mindfulness, our biggest challenge is finding the resources to build a community around The Human Being Journal. While COVID pushed us to focus on e-commerce, our vision has always been to create workshops and events to help Canadians connect, reflect, and embrace mindfulness. These events would teach journaling, meditation, and breathwork while addressing Canada’s growing loneliness epidemic. This Fund will help us launch our first event in 2025, covering infrastructure, speakers, marketing, and outreach to ensure success. With a loyal audience already engaged through social media and newsletters, we’re confident this event would spark a movement and advance our mission to improve mental health through tools and community. Winning this grant will allow us to take this critical first step. What is your long term goal for the company? We’re a small, Canadian-grown business with big dreams of expanding The Human Being Journal across North America and globally. Currently available in retailers like Indigo, Holt Renfrew, Paper Source, and Barnes & Noble, we aim to bring this powerful mindfulness tool to homes worldwide, including the U.K., Australia, and India, over the next 3–5 years. As two female, BIPOC founders who bootstrapped this business during the pandemic, we’re proud to follow our passion for making a difference in mental health. Learn more about the Mastercard & Pier Five Small Business Fund, and discover the other 2024 recipients here.