20 Fempreneurs to Watch
- Suzanne Zandbergen
- 07 Jul 2017
Women Helping Women to Succeed
By Suzanne Zandbergen
Women are one of the fastest growing groups of entrepreneurs, and in Hamilton there is a strong community of women supporting each other’s business ventures, propelling them quickly forward. In 2015, the Hamilton Fempreneurs group started as a small Facebook group with monthly meetups, and has grown to over 850 members. Here are just a few to watch for:
Erika MacKay
Owner and principle designer for Niche for design, Erika recently started Hamilton Office Pro, an office supply and furniture business. The second business was a natural fit and gives opportunity to pass on great prices on office furniture and accessories to design clients.
Alicia Thoms
Creator of Soul Sessions, Alicia has now started Just Do You Boo, a company that helps you “hone in on your own superpowers and passions to create a soulful business that slays the world!” Alicia’s own superpowers include connecting people and helping budding entrepreneurs make their dream business come true.
Kristin Archer
Creator of the I Heart Hamilton blog and radio show, Kristin is well known for supporting local artists, musicians and small businesses through blog posts and social media promotion. Check out her latest venture, a blog called The Inlet, a powerhouse of Hamilton’s finest bloggers joining forces to cover arts and culture in Hamilton.
Heather Peter
When you’re looking for a review on a new local restaurant, Hamilton Small Fries is your go-to blog. Heather Peter knows food, and her photography always does it justice. She’s also an excellent graphic designer, and one of those powerhouses behind The Inlet.
Katie Cyr
If loose leaf tea is your thing, get to know Katie and her company Monarch Tea Co. Katie creates her own blends which are available in many shops around Hamilton including The Bumblebean in Westdale, Burlap and Twine on James North, and Canoe on Locke.
Erica Guide
Erica started Blend Catering with the idea of eventually creating a line of healthy gourmet meals to go for busy families, but her cuisine quickly became in such demand that she launched this service immediately. She also specializes in corporate drop-off meals using local and seasonal ingredients.
Brigitte Soares
Brigitte’s infectious laughter immediately puts you at ease at what should be a dry tax consultation appointment with her business Apostrophe Accounting. She quickly assesses your situation with her wealth of tax knowledge, and confidently gives her recommendations to ensure your business is set up most efficiently for tax purposes.
Amanda Pope
As Cable 14’s Generation Z host, Amanda is a young fempreneur to watch for. She started an elder care business called Living With Purpose as a teen in high school, and now mentors budding high school entrepreneurs. Watch for the Generation Z networking events Amanda recently launched.
Shannon Laity
Shannon just has that knack for style, and she’s turned her passion into a high-end second hand clothing boutique and wardrobe consulting business called Sidenote Boutique. She has a home-based shop near Centre Mall, and a satellite office out of CoMotion on King where she also holds runway fashion shows.
Veronica Dyer and Dilek Duman
This pair of fempreneurs is so dynamic as a duo, they had to be listed together. They’ve combined their design and marketing talents to create one fabulous branding studio called Dyer and Duman. They’ve recently expanded and opened up shop in a gorgeous main-floor office in the Lister Block. Watch for their upcoming seminars in this space.
Joanne Pettit-Myers
A recent transplant to Hamilton, Joanne has networked furiously, gathered friends and supporters, joined the coworking community at CoMotion 302, and is opening a new yoga studio in Dundas called Bend Yoga Studio – watch for it this month.
Kate Moverley
Kate is famous around Hamilton for creating beautiful scents wherever she goes. She’s the owner and maker of Crown Point Candles, made with sustainable crop EcoSoya wax and essential oils. Watch for interesting partnerships like Risky Business 80’s Night at the Casbah, scented with Kate’s beautiful candles.
Chawana Champagne
Talented graphic designer and owner of Bindle, Chawana’s work can be seen on the shelves at the LCBO on Nickel Brook products, and menus at The Other Bird restaurants. Watch for future events that Chawana is involved in – she has put on some unforgettable events in the past.
Nadine Ubl
If you’re a member of the Hamilton Tool Library, you may have met their Executive Director Nadine, but she has also recently launched Steel City Studio, a creative collaboration makerspace on King Street East, with partner Jennifer Donaldson. Watch for interesting community-centred events like coffee, music and art social nights.
Amanda Matfin
Amanda’s business, Greenteriors, is entirely unique. She creates living walls, corporate logos and custom moss art from live plants for a stunning effect in professional spaces. She recently collaborated with Dyer and Duman on a living art piece in their Lister Block office.
Raine Hewlett
The Wax Lounge, founded by Raine on Ottawa Street, is a spa with an emphasis on relaxation techniques like reiki that are used throughout all their services, even waxing. Raine has just added a Phibrows certification to her credentials, which is the administration of highest quality semi-permanent eyebrow pigment.
Amy Lafleur
Amy owns and operates Stamp Bookkeeping out of coworking space CoMotion 302. She works with small businesses, many of them within the coworking community, to keep their bookkeeping on track on a daily basis. She offers various levels of service, even small classes or one-on-one basic bookkeeping tutorials.
Sara Lang
Sara is one of the rare website designers that is as talented on the design side as she is on the functionality side of website creation. Her company, Prestige Digital, offers both branding and websites, and is multiple award-winning. Watch for her most recent work with the launch of Ottawa Street’s Honest Meat Co website.
Alexis Fletcher
Alexis is the founder of Kabuki Spa, an established business on Locke, but she has the vision and energy of a start-up, always searching for new, natural products to compliment the eco spa, workshops to educate on natural skincare, and partnerships to grow her connections and give back to the community.
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