At a time when more Canadians are rethinking what retirement looks like, lifelong sailors and retired brand builders Sian Roberts and Kevin Dunal offer a compelling second-act founder story.
While living aboard a 95-year-old Dutch barge in the Netherlands, the couple encountered a problem familiar to many downsizing consumers: traditional cookware simply wasnāt designed for tight, modern living. Their search led them to nesto by Cook Vision, a German-engineered nesting cookware system that reduces storage needs by up to 50 per cent without compromising performance or durability.
With more than 50 years of combined experience launching and scaling brands across North America, Roberts and Dunal quickly recognized a broader market opportunity, particularly as Canadians move into smaller homes and prioritize longer-lasting household investments. Though officially retired, they made the deliberate decision to return to entrepreneurship, leading nestoās expansion into Canada.
Today, they are building the brand around a system-based, “buy better, buy once” philosophy, positioning nesto as a premium alternative to cluttered cookware sets, and a case study in opportunity-driven retirement entrepreneurship.
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Dylan Munro is co-founder of Spot & Tango, a fast-growing U.S. based direct-to-consumer dog food company, which launched in Canada in March. Canada is the brandās first international expansion and is being led by co-founder Munro, a Toronto native who is bringing the brand he helped build in the U.S., back home.
The move reflects both the growing appetite among Canadian pet owners for premium, human-grade nutrition and Dylanās personal desire to introduce the product to his own family, friends, and fellow Canadians.
Spot & Tango delivers human-grade, vet-developed dog food through a subscription model, including its best-selling FreshDryā¢ļø “UnKibble,” which combines the nutritional integrity of fresh food with the convenience of dry. The company has served more than 100 million meals in the U.S. and is now adapting its operations specifically for Canadian pet parents.
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Chanelle Chalazan is the 15-year-old founder of Chic & Charmed Boutique, a Canadian jewelry brand she launched at 13 that scaled nationally in under a year. The brand has exhibited at major shows across Canada, runs year-round billboards, has been featured on C95 Saskatoon, and won the Saskatchewan Wedding Industry Award for Best Unique Wedding Service. Chanelle speaks on youth entrepreneurship, confidence in business, and building a national brand while still in high school.
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A compelling story not just about what they built, but how they built it as partners in life and in business, balancing vision, execution, and accountability at the highest level.
Isaac Langleben and Jacqueline Prehogan recognized that the global food system is broken, and pet food, often overlooked, is one of its most powerful drivers of change. Their entrepreneurial vision emerged from a search for better nutrition for their rescue dog, revealing a deeper insight: pet food sits at the intersection of global agriculture, animal welfare, and consumer trust, yet is shaped by opaque supply chains and inconsistent welfare standards. Isaac and Jacqueline saw this disconnect as both a responsibility and an opportunity to challenge industry norms and build a business aligned with nutrition, animal welfare, ethical sourcing, and transparency at scale.
Founded in 2014, Open Farm develops premium pet nutrition with thoughtfully sourced ingredients. The company pioneered ingredient traceability, enabling pet parents to see where every ingredient originates, while holding partners to rigorous third-party animal welfare and sustainability standards. As Chief Executive Officer, Isaac provides the operational discipline and systems thinking required to scale a values-led global supply chain, while Jacqueline, as Chief Brand Officer, shapes Open Farmās purpose-driven culture and consumer trust.
Today, Open Farm feeds more than a quarter of a million pets annually and is sold direct-to-consumer and via 8,500 global retail locations. As a Certified B Corporation and one of the fastest-growing brands in the category, Open Farm demonstrates that transparency and ethics are not constraints on growth, but drivers of long-term value. Through their leadership, Isaac and Isaac are reshaping expectations within pet food and influencing how responsible food systems are built for the future. They have recently been recognized as EY Entrepreneur of the Year Canada 2025 winners.
Isaac and Jacquelineās entrepreneurial achievements have driven them to become the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Canada winners. This is a terrific achievement, and we look forward to them representing Canada in the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Yearā¢ļø Awards in Monaco.
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Malika Rajani is Founder and Creative Director of Malika Rajani, a Leather and Outerwear store primarily online with pop-up locations. She is also the General Manager of High River Toyota, a family-operated business. She is an emerging womenswear fashion designer based out of the Calgary area. Her namesake clothing line MALIKA creates clothing for conscious, modern women. The label has gained popularity for its Soft, luxurious lambskin leather Jackets, Dresses and Pants. The labelās philosophy lies in the appreciation of high style, quality of finish, and luxury of fabric.
The brand embodies modern refinement, offering luxury defined through thoughtful craftsmanship. Every piece is styled with intention, showcasing expressive silhouettes paired with a bold identity. The designs are unmistakably bold, meticulously designed for a distinctive presence in any setting. The collection is curated for everyday life, delivering effortless luxury perfect for real moments and genuine experiences. The philosophy is designed for now, where a modern vision seamlessly meets timeless detail. The aesthetic is truly bold, profoundly refined, and unapologetically you.
The clothing line encourages the wearer to step into the season with unwavering confidence, embracing an elegant, bold, and meticulously refined style. Each creation is thoughtfully crafted for the woman who confidently owns her unique story and narrative. The brand’s essence is where luxury meets comfort in a harmonious balance. The collection ranges from perfectly tailored jackets to exceptionally soft knits, all purposefully made for effortless layering, ensuring versatility and ease of wear.
Every single design redefines everyday sophistication with a contemporary edge. This is truly the season of expression, an opportunity to celebrate individuality in its purest form. Every piece is expertly crafted to ensure that the wearer’s personality shines through a lens of timeless minimalism and subtle grace. The style is bold by nature, yet remarkably refined by design, a commitment to superior quality. The woman wearing these pieces is invited to step into every moment with poise, showcasing a compelling fusion of inherent strength and sophisticated elegance. The entire line is made for the woman who deliberately writes her own powerful chapter in life’s unfolding story. The clothing offers a style that speaks volumes before you even do, a powerful non-verbal communication. The designs command the season with their inherent style, featuring bold, clean lines and exquisitely refined detail. This fashion is created for the strong woman who confidently owns her life journey and its trajectory. These are clothes made to stand out and capture attention.
The pieces allow the wearer to own the season with genuine confidence, embodying a perfect convergence where bold elegance encounters refined allure. Each item is thoughtfully designed for the woman who decisively defines her own compelling story and destiny. There is power in every single detail, a testament to quality and meticulous execution. The clothing is bold, inherently timeless, and effortlessly refined, specifically created for the woman who consistently leads her life with grace and undeniable confidence and inner strength. This is where authentic confidence finally meets superior craftsmanship, a partnership resulting in lasting style. The clothes offer refined beauty and a truly bold spirit, fashioned for the woman who lives her story completely unapologetically and authentically every single day. The seasonal offerings often include exceptional discounts, such as 25% off on the very latest collection of fresh arrivals, providing access to luxury.
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Kristen Gale is the spirited force and founder behind THE TEN SPOTĀ®ļø beauty bars’ rise from a singular Toronto location to an acclaimed international franchise with over 40 bustling bars across Canada and the U.S., with a dozen more in the pipeline.
Starting her business at just 24 years old, Kristen has become a trailblazer in the beauty and franchise field with her entrepreneurial flair garnering her numerous accolades, including a spot on Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, the Chatelaine Magazine W100 list, and recognition as one of EYās Winning Women. Under her leadership, THE TEN SPOTĀ®ļø has clinched prestigious awards such as Profit Magazine’s 500 Fastest Growing Companies for four consecutive years, Entrepreneur’s Top Global Franchise list for two, and the CFA’s Franchisee’s Choice Awards for five years running.
Kristen’s mantra, “LIFE AT A TENĀ®ļø,” is far more than just a slogan ā itās the driving force behind everything she does and is the embodiment of her approach to both business and life. Sheās passionate about empowering women to live their LIFE AT A TENĀ®ļø and believes business ownership is one of the very best ways to do so, since nothing gives you the freedom and control over your life and earning potential like entrepreneurship does! In addition, Kristenās newly launched signature online LIFE AT A TENĀ®ļø Program, shares her proven strategies, insights, and hands-on experience to empower high-achieving, overwhelmed women who “have it all” to CEO THE SHXT OUT OF LIFEĀ®ļø; helping women shift from stressed-out and stuck to optimized and energized, thriving in every aspect of their personal lives so they can create and live their own version of LIFE AT A TENĀ®ļø.
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Mitch Jacobsen is a former engineer turned beverage entrepreneur. He is the receptionist, the janitor, and sometimes the CEO at Rviita [pronounced Ree ā Vai ā Tuh and short for ārevitalizeā] Energy Tea, which is a natural energy drink now carried in over 1200 stores across Canada and is a top selling energy drink on Amazon and recently listed in select Costco locations. When he’s not obsessing over how to cram more goodness into a sleek, eco-friendly beverage pouch, Mitch is probably brainstorming ways to make energy drinks that donāt make you feel like youāve licked a battery. Armed with a passion for sustainability and fueled by his own product (literally), Mitch is on a mission to keep you awake and make the world a healthier place, one sip at a time.
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With a deep-seated passion for Ammolite, Amarjeet Grewal currently leads KORITE Ammolite and Iniskim Ammolite, where her focus is on expanding the market reach and elevating the brand globally. The journey began with a fascination for Canada’s gemstone, which has evolved into spearheading initiatives that showcase Ammolite’s natural beauty and iridescence to a worldwide audience. Her team’s dedication to innovation in jewelry design and marketing strategies has been pivotal in introducing this unique gemstone to diverse markets. She is President of KORITE Ammolite and Founder and President at Iniskim
Her expertise in operations management and new business development, honed over years of industry leadership, informs the execution of business plans that have consistently driven growth.
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Megan Szanik is the owner, visionary, creator and proprietor of espy. With a career spanning more than 20 years in all realms of the fashion industry she has truly lived every fashionistaās dream. Meganās vivacious and bold energy is hard to miss and she definitely knows how to make an entrance. Her ultimate desire alongside her team of professional stylists is to show you how amazing you look, and to make you truly feel your best, one styled outfit at a time. Standing at the helm of a multi-million dollar independently owned business, Megan and the stylish espy team have to date raised more than $500,000 for charitable causes close to their hearts, racked up thousands of followers on their social platforms, and proudly sold more than 60,000 pairs of jeans to their adoring retail fans.
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Holly Singer is the founder and CEO of Milk Jar, an inclusive candle company that creates job opportunities for people with and without disabilities. Milk Jar also supports inclusive spaces by donating $1 from the sale of every product to organizations that support people with disabilities to learn and grow and initiatives that create inviting spaces. In 8 years, Milk Jar has raised over $350,000 for programs worldwide, from Alberta to Ontario to the U.S. and the U.K! All areas where Milk Jar purchases come from so we can support our customer’s communities to be more inviting. Holly says her employees give Milk Jar a greater purpose and a positive work culture that she will be sharing with you today.
Holly plans to expand inclusive hiring in Calgary by starting a conversation around the benefits of an inclusive workplace and by connecting businesses to service providers and employees to support their inclusive hiring practices and create more inviting spaces.
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Entrepreneurs are the driving force behind Canadaās economy, and weāre here to support them every step of the way. For exclusive insights, tips, and success stories from Canada’s top business leaders, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
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