Chasing Your Curiosity With Carolyn Chen of Dandylion The powers of curiosity are truly incredible! Carolyn Chen, founder of dog care brand Dandylion has learned this throughout her life as a serial entrepreneur with years in the beauty industry and now pet care industry. As she follows her passions and curiosities, she finds that doors continue to open, much of which by the people she meets along the way and the communities she builds with likeminded individuals. We got the chance to speak with Carolyn about her experience founding Dandylion and tapped into her tricks and advice for new entrepreneurs looking to turn their everyday passions into full-time businesses. Hi Carolyn, for those who aren’t familiar, can you tell us a little about yourself and Dandylion? My name is Carolyn Chen and I am the founder of Dandylion which is a community powered dog grooming brand on a mission to clean up and add transparency to the dog grooming industry. Dandylion launched just over a year ago and was inspired by my life as a parent to a dog with itchy and easily irritated skin, finding that there weren't a lot of products out there that were effective and transparent (like the products in human skincare/grooming) in terms of the ingredients in the solution. Where did the name come from? I wanted a name that captured the essence of a childlike carefree-ness to the world. One day I was listing to that song "Dandelions" by Ruth B and loved how the word captured that feeling. I also liked the play on words with “dandy” and “lion. It also helped with trademarking which, from my time founding other brands, I know is very important when it comes to picking a name. Speaking of other brands, we know you have some history founding beauty brands. How did that help inform the process for creating Dandylion? Yes, so I've had 4 years as a DTC beauty brand founder. It all starts with understanding the problem you are trying to solve for. For Dandylion, I was trying to solve the itchy skin issue for my dog, but I wanted to validate the idea to see if other dog parents experienced the same pain point. I started with 100 interviews with dog parents and then once I dialled in on the problem, I brought in a vet dermatologist and human skincare chemists to help develop a solution for dogs. It was important to have experts to bring the latest thinking from human formulation and understand how to best formulate for dogs. For example, the PH level of dog skin is different than human skin, which is something we learned from our vet dermatologist. Since its launch, Dandylion has seen hugely positive reception IRL and online. Can you speak to what you think was key to achieving this. A few things for sure. Asides from the product needing to perform well, we try to come up with innovative solutions and formats and involve our community ever step of the way. The community that we have built has been so integral in helping Dandylion grow so quickly. From support on social to friends and family helping me pack and ship boxes, everyone has really come together to help which I am so thankful for. Looking more at the product, from the packaging to the creative ads, everything seems very premium and almost high-end. Why was that important for you? I'm glad you see that! It took me a very long time to develop and I learned Adobe Illustrator on my own to design this [laughs] so thanks for noticing! My brand is really going to be for this next generation of dog parents so when I look at the brands they're consuming, I have to fit within that. I'm looking at brands like Glossier or Recess or Aesop which connect so well with millenials and Gen Z and that was how I drew inspiration for Dandylion. Dandylion comes in at a price of $22 per bottle whereas most brands come in around $8-$10. Has there been any difficulty entering the market as a more premium product? So far it's been well received but I think it all comes down to brand values which are: High quality ingredients Proven by experts and scientists Eco-conscious formula and packaging Better Value. Dandylion uses less product per application so you get more uses out of each bottle than the regular brands That's great to know and we definitely understand this. With the brand growing so quickly, what are you thinking about most as you scale? For us it's always about planning ahead and being prepared for things before we need them. So, thinking about things like supply and demand. If I have 10 orders per day now, what does it look like when I have 100 orders per day and what do the pieces around supply chain and operations look like then. the set up process to scale those operations so it's very important to look ahead. Another big thing for me is optimizing cash flow. So, finding ways to hold onto money longer, whether that is finding ways to pay suppliers later or finding ways to get money from customers sooner. If you can optimize for cash flow and plan ahead, you'll be in a great spot to grow. Those are 2 great pieces of advice! Before we let you go, what are some pieces of advice you'd give to any young entrepreneur that is looking to start their own business? The biggest thing is to follow your curiosity and see where that leads you. Try as many things as possible, fail fast and learn from it. I think this will give you a lot of new perspective that you can incorporate into any project that you're working on. I also think goal setting is very important but keep those goals flexible. It's great to have something to work towards but you want to ensure that if something changes, you can account for that. Lastly, surround yourself with people who uplift you and can make the process of starting something a lot more enjoyable! Make sure to check out Dandylion on Instagram for news on new products and community events and keep it locked to Pier Five for more conversations with inspirational founders just like this!

Stories Read the latest thoughts from Pier Five and its guests. Business (84) 84 posts Art & Design (65) 65 posts Streetwear (62) 62 posts Sneakers (43) 43 posts Wellness (30) 30 posts Food (21) 21 posts Activism (19) 19 posts Sports (18) 18 posts Photography (17) 17 posts Music (12) 12 posts 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 14, 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 4, 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 29, 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: Shawish Market Explore the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund Introducing Shawish, one of the ten recipients of the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund 2024! Founder: Amanda Bernard Location: Toronto, ON Discover Shawish Market online: Website // Instagram About Shawish Market Shawish Market is an Indigenous, fee-free platform - similar to an Etsy - empowering entrepreneurs by eliminating vendor fees and fostering sustainable growth within communities. It stands out for its rigorous vendor verification, ensuring authenticity and direct benefits to Indigenous communities. The platform incorporates Indigenous Ways of Knowing, responding to community feedback, and has reintroduced trading, a key cultural practice. Recognized as a 2023 MIT Solve Fellow and featured in several public platforms, Shawish Market supports Indigenous creators while fostering meaningful connections with customers. How will the fund make an impact with your business? With the Mastercard x Pier Five Fund, Shawish Market will invest the $10,000 CAD into hiring an Indigenous employee to help scale the business, focusing on marketing and vendor relations. This will not only create meaningful employment but also strengthen our capacity to support Indigenous entrepreneurs. Additionally, Shawish will allocate part of the funds to implement key feedback from Indigenous communities, such as integrating AI tools to streamline the platform for vendors and adding PayPal as a payment option. My ultimate goal is to ensure Shawish Market evolves to meet the needs of its vendors, as the platform is designed for their success. What is your long term goal for the company? One of my long-term goals is to transition to working on Shawish Market full-time. I currently work at a foundation supporting Indigenous youth, but my dream is to dedicate myself fully to growing Shawish Market and expanding its impact. I also aim to expand Shawish Market to include Indigenous artisans from around the world, creating a global platform for showcasing their work and cultures. I envision adding a feature that allows customers to filter products by specific Indigenous communities, fostering global connections and economic empowerment. Learn more about the Mastercard & Pier Five Small Business Fund, and discover the other 2024 recipients here .

Putting In The Hours With Dan Climan We got a chance to speak with Montreal based painter, Dan Climan, about the journey of mastering his craft through nothing other than patience, focus and lots of hard work. With art integrated into his life in many ways but only a couple years under his belt as a full-time painter, Dan has already amassed an impressive following for his work and is one of the most humble guys we know. For him, it's all about putting yourself in a position to do what you truly love and committing more time to it than anyone else. Read through some of the best takes from the conversation with Dan below. On putting in the time... "I think the more confidence you have going into work, the better work you’re going to make." "Put your head down. Do the work. Just because it looks good or feels good, doesn’t mean you’re done. No matter what state I was in my life, whether it was design, or tattooing or painting, I know that I’ve gotten better and I know that I’ve only gotten better because I continued to do it." On painting stuff he doesn't like... "Those are the important days. I still painted. I still put in the hours." "The difference between somebody who's a professional and somebody who's on the come up is potentially just putting in the hours and doing the work? "I believe in the work so much that I’m not afraid to invest in myself" Tips On Buying Art "Only buy the art that you can’t live without. If it speaks to you and it feels a certain way, it's worth buying. I look back at art that I bought when I was younger...maybe I liked it because it was trendy at the time but I don't want to look at it in my living room anymore." "If the work is appealing to somebody who’s, like, five years old, and somebody who is sixty years old, there’s something nice that’s happening there. It’s like a universal language with shapes and colour in the content." How much money do you want to make? "As long as I can make enough to paint every day then I'm happy. Looking back to my 13 or 15 year old self, like if I could see where I’m at today, I’d be thrilled!" Be sure to follow Dan on Instagram for news on his upcoming shows, including his solo exhibit at Gallery Youn in Montreal, and keep it locked to Pier Five for more conversations with the coolest entrepreneurs, designers, artists, activists and more out there.

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.

2023 Recipient: U Grow Girl Introducing U Grow Girl, one of the ten recipients of the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund 2023! Who: Crystal Wood & Leha Marshall Where: Kelowna, BC Instagram / Website U Grow Girl is a family-run flower farm located in Salmon Arm, BC (between Kelowna and Kamloops) that is dedicated to providing beautiful, locally grown flowers to the community. The farm grows seasonal flowers with a purpose - to support women who have survived child sexual abuse. Sales from each bouquet of flowers helps fund the "Time To Heal" clinically supervised retreat, which provides education, connection, and support needed to help survivors heal and reclaim their power. How will you use the $10,000 CAD for your business? One of the main uses for the fund is to increase the size of our “Bucket Program”, a tap-and-go flower sale service hosted in local shops that has significantly accelerated the growth of our business, by allowing customers to quickly make flower purchases on the fly. The rest of the fund would go towards infrastructure support on our Grey Water Initiative, an environmental project that helps collect and reuse water that has been used for plant growth. Finally, we would also use the funds for our website development, specifically for our online artisan marketplace that we’re excited to launch soon. What is your big goal for the future of the business? Our vision is to become the go-to of the floral industry in Canada, establishing a nationwide collective of local flower farms. We aim to make U Grow Girl synonymous with community empowerment, sustainability, and support for survivors of child sexual abuse. We will strive to expand our retreats, offering a sanctuary to countless survivors, and fostering an environment of healing and hope on a national scale. Learn more about the Mastercard & Pier Five Small Business Fund, and discover the other 2023 recipients here .

Making It Personal w/ Watch Parts Motorcycles by Pier Five Staff Writer Are you a fan of watches, art, sneakers and/or vinyl toys? If you’ve answered yes to any or all of the above then you very well might be into sculpture artist Dan Tanenbaum, aka Watch Parts Motorcycles. Over the last ten years, Dan has been honing his craft meshing watch parts and pop culture to create some of the wildest sculptures out there. With no two pieces being the same, Dan has created hundreds of watch part encrusted works for collectors, gallery curators, friends and family and celebrities such as rapper Chief Keef and DJ Steve Aoki. Dan has also amassed an impressive following of nearly one hundred thousand people on social media. With an attention to detail that is unmatched and a unique style, each of Dan’s sculptures come with a story. His work is revered by many and coveted by collectors, sneakerheads, artists and the like around the world. Dan started his career as an art director in his twenties and moved on to become a serial tech entrepreneur in his thirties which he still does full time. Early after the transition to tech, Dan started feeling his creative side taking a back seat and sought out to change that, leading to what is now a major endeavour in the art space. “I’ve always had art in my bones and once I stopped working as an art director, I felt myself missing that ability to create and design in that way.” Dan explains. “Then one day I took a trip out to one of my watch dealers in London [Ontario] and came across this box of hundreds of old watch pieces which the dealer said was his box of garbage… so I was like “I’ll take it!” While some of Dan’s most famous sculptures today are his watch encrusted Kaws and KidRobot Dunny figures, it didn’t originally start there. He initially used the pieces he sourced to make cufflinks and then graduated to, you guessed it, mini motorcycle sculptures which is where the name Watch Parts Motorcycles came from. “Once I started gaining traction from the motorcycles, I thought that was it. I was getting really immersed in the motorcycle groups and it was so cool seeing what these pieces meant to some of those people” Dan explained. “Besides using the art as an escape, I think the reveal and seeing the buyer connect with the piece was what I really loved about this and made me keep going”. From day one, Dan has focused on making sculptures that hold a lot of meaning and sentimental value. His favourite sculptures to make are the ones that are customized specially for the collector and this is why every piece that Dan makes, other than his recurring Time Bomb series, is made to order and a unique one-of-one. “I love consulting with a collector to make something relevant to their life.” Dan says. “Oftentimes, I’ll get messages for a Dunny or a Jordan sneaker but I’ll ask them about what else they collect and see if we can think of something that will be more personal to them.” Most recently, Dan encrusted a ski boot for a father to remind them of their time on the slopes and before that, a three foot tall Star Wars stormtrooper to add to an LA collector’s 8-piece stormtrooper collection from artists around the world. In addition, Dan likes to take personalization to another level by often including special watch parts into the piece. Whether it’s a dial from a client’s childhood watch or a strap that belonged to their grandparent, Dan will always go the furthest to make each piece as tailored to the customer as possible. What does a new tailored suit or a handmade bag have in common with Dan’s art pieces? For all of them, there’s always an amazing feeling that comes with getting something that you know took countless hours to make specially for you. From the initial consultation to the documented journey with Dan as he creates a piece for you and only you, the work of Watch Parts Motorcycles is almost more experience than art. “While I might go into the studio and work for four hours at a time without any breaks, I do try to keep the buyer in the loop. I think it’s cool to document the process and I think it adds a lot of value to the final product.” Dan explains about his works. Most of the time, it’s even hard for Dan to part ways with his work after it’s completed. “The hardest part for me is letting it go. Once they’re gone they’re gone.” Dan explains, thinking about some of his recent creations. “I’ve always marvelled at the idea of making multiples so that I could keep one but I don’t think I ever would.” he continues. So, if you own one of Dan’s pieces, consider yourself lucky because he likely had a tough time handing it over. If you don’t, the first thing to do is check out his socials and follow along as Dan encrusts the world in millions of watch parts, one piece at a time. Who knows, maybe one day he’ll turn that Mickey Mouse watch from your childhood trip to Disney World into the coolest thing you’ll ever place on your shelf. For more on Watch Parts Motorcycles, check out Dan’s Instagram below and keep it locked to Pier Five for more stories and interviews with the best in fashion, art, business, food & more. Watch Parts Motorcycles Instagram

Shaking Up An Institution With Colin Li of Hong Shing The restaurant industry is cut throat and one that is constantly evolving, which requires drive, creativity and an attention to detail and consistency to stay alive. For Colin Li, owner of Hong Shing, one of Toronto's most well-known Chinese restaurants, this challenge is one that he loves and his ability to innovate has led him to great heights. Since taking over the restaurant from his parents 8 years ago, Colin has built Hong Shing, a 25 year-old institution, not only into a notable location for Chinese eats but also a locally recognized brand and we got the chance to sit down with him to learn about his journey. Read through the interview below! Hey Colin, thanks for having us into the restaurant. You took over from your parents 8 years ago and the growth has been incredible since then. Can you speak more about that journey? The pleasure's all mine. It's definitely been a pretty wild 8 years and I'm really proud of that growth but the real accomplishment is that Hong Shing has been around for 25 years. When a restaurant, especially a Chinese restaurant which do not often stick around this long, gets to that point, it becomes an institution and being a part of that has been incredible. I came into this with no formal restaurant training but have been working hard over the last 8 years to learn every aspect of the business, from dishwashing and serving to everything in the kitchen and bar, to ensure that I can run a tight ship and turn Hong Shing, not only into a known restaurant, but also a well rounded brand. Can you speak more about Hong Shing the brand and what that entails? Yes, of course. Once I took over the restaurant, I started doing some research and came to understand that people really only think about restaurants at 11am and 6pm, right before meals when they're hungry. This means that for all of those other hours during the day, I needed to find a way to be top of mind. This is where stuff like the merch or the basketball team sponsorship comes in. I've always been into fashion and the merch idea first come from just wanting to re-invent my staff's uniform to be more casual, comfortable and approachable and it has become a really fun project that I work on with my team. For the basketball team, we sponsor a youth girls team which has been an awesome opportunity to get more involved in the basketball community and watch these girls grow into great basketball players and human beings. Wanting to uplift youth seems to be something you are passionate about. It definitely is, especially with young chefs. In the Chinese restaurant industry, almost all of the chefs are over 50 years old. Traditionally, Chinese restaurants only hire based on experience, like how many years do you have behind a wok, so no young chefs are getting into Chinese restaurants and if they do, older Chinese chefs are not normally so welcoming so young chefs out of culinary school choose to go to fine dining restaurants or other European cuisines. I'm really trying to break down those barriers and support young chefs in the Chinese community. Many of them are more experienced in the kitchen than I am but I believe I have a lot to teach them about running a successful restaurant. It's great that you take on that mentality to share your knowledge. Did you learn that from your time as a kid growing up in your parents restaurants? Not at all actually. My parents never used to speak with other Chinese restaurant owners. They would undercut each other and just tell me to focus on myself. There wasn't anything wrong with them. There was just a real sense of competition in the Chinese restaurant community back then. I wanted to change that once I took over so the first thing I did was put all Chinese chefs that I knew, young and old, into a group chat to exchange ideas and learn from each other. We can only grow so far on our own. Building this together is what will really take things to the next level. I always tell my managers "what's the point of being in first class if your friends aren't with you?" We couldn't agree more. What is something you did learn from your parents that you think was very valuable? There's a saying that my parents used to say which was "You need to learn how to be a human before you can run a business." If you know how to be a human that is kind hearted and respects others, then you will run a good business. That's a good one. Before we let you go, what are some things for the restaurant that you're looking forward to? There's a lot. Lunar new year is going to be big this year. I've spent a lot of time designing a menu that draws inspiration from my childhood which I think our customers will love. I'm also working a lot more on our retail business, so creating products for grocery stores like pre-made frozen meals and spices and sauces. As we continue to expand, that will become a huge part of our business. Lastly, we're also about to completely redo the bar area which is going to be great. It will allow us to expand our drink offerings, such as focusing on baijiu cocktails, and make for a better space to throw events this year. I want to make the space one that different creatives and groups from the community can host their own events here. I think that will be a great way to expose new people to Hong Shing but also continue to uplift other creatives which I'm passionate about. So stay tuned for that! Make sure to check out Hong Shing at 195 Dundas St. West in Toronto and check out their Instagram for updates on the restaurant and HS brand and keep it locked to Pier Five for more interviews with entrepreneurs and creatives just like this!

A Conversation With Aran Raviandran of Get Fresh Company Aran Raviandran is the Creative Director and Strategist for Canadian streetwear brand Get Fresh Company. Aran is an expert in style and collaborations and has been at the frontlines of special projects with organizations like Puma, Remy Martin and The Toronto Raptors as well as the City of Toronto for the annual Caribana Block Party which brings over a million people into the city. @aranvandelay // @getfreshcompany Aran great to chat again! Canada has been a melting pot for creatives and new brands lately. Who are 5 designers or brands that you're really excited about right now? So much great talent out there and I'm really feeling: Apply Pressure Adidem Asterisks Mr. Saturday Prescribed Shelter and Get Fresh Company (of course!) It seems like lately inspiration has been harder and harder to come by with the lockdown but where are 5 places in Toronto that you go to get inspired? Honestly it’s hard to pin-point one single place, let alone 5 [laughs]. The city is so diverse and everywhere has something unique to offer from east to west. I will say any Hookah bar is a good start. I’ve done some of my best scheming’ there! Even though we're not getting out much, fashion trends are definitely still coming and going? What are the trends you're really feeling these days? Staying in has changed what I'm into for sure but I’ll forever love a comfortable fashion trend. No matter how fly it looks, If I don’t feel comfortable I don’t want it. We've been putting out some new sweats lately that are perfect! What are 5 things that are key to building a brand in Toronto? Have an end vision and don’t veer from it Only pivot when absolutely necessary - this doesn’t mean pivot on the vision, more so on how to get there. Build a strong team / network Listen to your customers, we live in a end user society. Truly love what you’re building or else it’s not going to happen. Lastly, we've been seeing some unreal photoshoots from GFC and would love to know, what are 5 tips to a successful fashion photoshoot? Lint roller Give yourself more than enough time Prep your key shots ahead of time Create a pose board / vision board Have a good playlist ready to bump

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 .

A Conversation With Titi Finlay Titi Finlay is a Scottish creator and artist residing in London, UK and currently holds the position of Social Media Manager at LacedHQ, the UK's top resale sneaker platform. Titi has built a following through her artwork, impressive sneaker collection and advocacy for women's empowerment in the sneaker and fashion industry. @ttfinaly You received a lot of recognition recently for a quote “ We don’t need women's exclusives. We need inclusive sizing .” and we couldn’t agree more that the sneaker world definitely has some catching up to do when it comes to inclusivity. Besides inclusive sizing, what are five things you think brands could do to make footwear more inclusive for everyone? Make everything unisex. Get rid of women's exclusives. The brands right now are giving women different (often times worse) shoes but we want the same shoes the men do. There's no need to keep styles separate. Innovate with sneaker models. Shoes like the new Nike Fly Ease Go which is a "hands free" shoe make cool sneakers more accessible for people with disabilities. I'm curious to see how they develop styles around that to give everyone a cool shoe. Storytelling should be diverse. We're always seeing the same women or men in campaigns. It's always a celebrity or popular hypebeast but what about the mum in Manchester with a huge Airmax collection? Increase representation of African Americans in sneaker media. There's no denying that most of this culture comes from black culture and it should be represented as such. Reconsider how you run gifting programs. Similar to point 3, it's always the same celebrities receiving pairs from brands. I understand the influence big celebs have but brands should also seed to the creators and collectors actually into the products. Bonus thought : Overall there's too much gatekeeping from brands but also the community as a whole, telling young people they can't be into Jordans because they didn't see him play or telling skaters they can't rock SB's. None of that matters. If you like the shoes, that's what matters! We definitely need to talk about your “Power to the Female” AM90 which was so purposeful and amazing! What were five things you wanted to achieve with this collaboration or get out of the experience? I wanted to make a shoe for the female sneaker community to celebrate and enhance the conversation around the topic of women in sneakers. I wanted to give other women a platform with the promotion of this shoe. I was lucky enough to be able to collaborate with a lot of my friends and women in the space on some content which I think really helped grow the conversation. I wanted to make it unisex that anyone could wear. I used the slogan "By women. For everyone" to sum that up and I think it worked well. I wanted to show people that it wasn't only the big influencers that can create. Hopefully this inspired young up and comers to keep working and show them that anything can happen. Lastly, this [sneaker design] was a new discipline for me and it was awesome to get my hands dirty and really learn the ins-and-outs of the process. What are some things you love or dislike about the UK sneaker scene? LOVE : The Community - I've made so many friends through social sneaker groups in the UK. There's something called Pickup Days where the raffle winners go get their shoes from OffSpring and it's such a fun time meeting everyone, before COVID that was. LOVE : Sneaker culture really blossomed in the UK so there's a ton of history. For example, it's all Adidas in the North of England but if you go to London everyone loves Air Max's. LOVE : Lots of small pockets in the UK that you wouldn't expect actually have a dope sneaker scene. Glasgow has Sneaker Laundry, Edinburgh has some wicked skate shops and Dundee has a great sneaker hangout spot even though it's a small town. DISLIKE : This one isn't so UK exclusive but there is a lot of gatekeeping in the space. We need to be more open and not let the history or the "OG's" keep people out. You’ve done a great job building the LacedHQ brand on social and helped foster a strong sense of community with the #lacedcommunity. As the Social Media Manager for LacedHQ, what are five tips you can give to a brand or individual trying to build up their community on social? Create content that people can own themselves. For example, my quotes are content that resonate with others and that they can share on their own stories and feeds. Have a solidified POV. Have personality and stay true to and support your opinions throughout. Create something that can be engaged with. Posting polls for people to vote on is fun and builds engagement. Give a platform to other creatives and showcase their work. The LacedHQ feed is fully on regrams and it's a great way to build relationships and get intro'd to new creators. Data is everything. Use your insights to see how your content is performing. Bonus thought : Don't forget to pay attention to the aesthetic of the full feed and not just the individual posts. Being an advocate for inclusivity in the sneaker industry, who would you say are 5 other people that are really paving the way for change within within the sneaker community/industry? Liz Beecroft - Pier Five Alum!! She does an amazing job blending mental health with sneakers and streetwear. ( READ PIER FIVE <> LIZ BEECROFT INTERVIEW ) The Air Vegan - He's a co-creator of the Business of Hype podcast and also runs a platform called FutureVVorld which shares information about how the sneaker industry can be more sustainable and more earth friendly. _womeninsneakers - Steph who leads the page works for ON Running and on her page showcases everyone from female influencers to designers at the brands that are doing awesome things in sneakers. Coco Mell - She used to work at ASOS and is now a freelance stylist for sneaker brands. She is really campaigning for black women in the sneaker culture and has been doing clubhouse chats with women in the industry (ex. Jazzy Ray - OG in sneakers) Arielle (A_ebz) - She's a colour designer for Nike in Portland and has worked on making colourways more inclusive and pushing against women's exclusives and men's exclusives. Lastly, we need to speak about your puppy! How has having a dog changed your perspective on life? It's been amazing, like having a therapy dog full time! Maple has really helped with my anxiety throughout COVID. It helps me take my mind off of things and relax. Having a dog helps maintain a routine. Things like needing to go for 2 walks a day really force you to wake up and start your day. I try to look through her eyes and see how simple life can be. It's a great way to stay calm and level out. I think I've become smarter and more productive thinking about how I use my time for myself and with Maple.

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!