“The people of Ottawa deserve delicious donuts! ”
All in Events
PROCARE Family Centre - Tiffany & Erin
“ The core idea behind PROCARE was a centre that's inclusive, educational, FUN, safe, vibrant and supportive for children to blossom into their individual beings all while learning through a play base program. “
allsaints event space - Leanne Moussa
“From the get go we have been an open and inclusive space. We are always delighted in sharing the rich history of the building. Many people we've met over the years attended church, got married, and celebrated all sorts of occasions here, and it was important for us to continue the tradition of having this building serve as a space of celebration and community. “ Leanne Moussa
Al's Steakhouse - Justin Merner
“We take pride that we’ve always butchered our meat on-site, which allows us to quality control what is coming in, and what we’re putting out.”
Big Rig Brewery - Lon Ladell
“My favourite part of the job is probably recipe development. It's fun to wake up in the morning and think about the type of beer you want to drink that day, then build a recipe and make it come to fruition.”
True Bijoux + Howard Fine Jewellers - Lindsay & Stephanie
“It is a lot of work. It helps that we each take a lead in a specific store. Working in any partnership requires respect, communication and a shared set of core values. “
Dayna's Petsitting - Dayna
“I’ve always enjoyed building and creating, and I think I’ve always been a leader. “
Timm Holmes - Timm
“ I’m an author of children’s books but I’m also a father to two young sons that my wife and I adopted in 2013. Our bond as a forever family was formed over our mutual love of reading books and storytelling. I knew I wanted to tell stories after I won a storytelling contest in grade one telling Robert Munsch’s “Mortimer”.
Critter Jungle - Kelvin & Jeff Stanke
“I love working with my wife, children, my brother, and my nephew. This family feel is the essence of our business. Our customers, our wonderful staff, and the people we deal with behind the scenes all are like family to us, enriching our lives in so many ways, sharing the joys and the heartbreaks that life offers.”
GEM Conference - Amanda
"By building community, we all rise up together. Gem Conference was built out of the desire to offer inspired experiences that delivers deep, meaningful content"
J'adore Beauty Bar & Lounge - Jenny
“I basically grew up in the industry as a second generation. My mother was in the Esthetics industry for over a decade and I gradually just followed in her footsteps not knowing how much I really enjoyed being in the industry. I studied business and entrepreneurship then eventually took a course in aesthetics but working with my mother is where I got the most learning experience from.
Venus Envy - Sam
“I feel really lucky to be part of a network of thoughtful, conscientious, community-oriented business owners in Ottawa. There is something so special to me about businesses who see it as their mission to give back to the communities they’re a part of. I think that also resonates with people living in Ottawa, and has helped to build the strong ‘Shop Local’ ethic here.”
Hey Sugar - Debra
“ For me though, I tend to like the ones that take a bit of ingenuity to create or rely less on commercial flavours. My very favourite has to be the Margarita. I put just a tiny bit of flaky salt in the mold before I pour the candy in so the first few licks you get the sense of the salt rim on a margarita glass.”
The Peace Room - Chelsea, Catherine & Jean-Luc
“ Focus on your breath. Your thoughts will start to wander but that's normal. Just bring it back to your breath and eventually it will become easier. “
Mayor of Ottawa - Jim Watson
“Ottawa has become a much more metropolitan city with a vibrant restaurant scene, hundreds of festivals and a growing business community. “
upSpace - Jenn & Charlie
“Our mission is to ensure that space availability is never a barrier to holding an event.”
LIVE! on Elgin - Jon & Lawrence
“We have a great deal of respect for each other and what we bring to the table. We have our areas of expertise and are careful not to cross the lines into each other's territory. I learned early on to leave everything pertaining to music to Jon. He knows the biz, he knows the people. That's the line in the sand. There is not real final say. We discuss, weigh pros and cons, and compromise based on what's best for the venue. We are 50/50 partners in every way. Granted, we don't have much social time together! One of us is always here.”
Ottawa Tool Library - Bettina
“We set out to build a library for people to come, meet, get advice, and borrow tools. Often, those with the knowledge have built themselves a full workshop. We want to appeal to a broader demographic, especially those without the money and space for a massive collection of tools. And not just tools, but also the necessary ideas and expertise to use them safely. We wanted to make a community hub that empowered people, promoted sustainability, and collaborates with other community groups in the city. “
Desk Nibbles - Cassy & Emil
“We enjoy solving problems. This one just happens to be a pretty big one for most companies. Not only for snacks, but for ordering any high volume consumable. There is so much inefficiency. Companies are overspending millions of dollars and there is a lot of waste as a result.”
Cellar 82 - Kasey
“Fast forward many years and many jobs in the industry (wineries, liquor reps, bartender) My husband and I took a trip to Chicago and fell in love with a tiny champagne bar and wanted to bring that concept back to Ottawa. When we started looking for locations we realized we would have to basically open a restaurant and that isn’t something that we wanted. We really just wanted to open a tiny tasting bar. Not seeing a location that would suit our needs, we decided to take it mobile! “