British Columbia Success Stories
British Columbia
We are starting off in the most western province, British Columbia, to bring you stories of local entrepreneurs in celebration of the #EDP25Anniversary celebration!
Hannah McCormick – HM Virtual Assistance/Showing Up Solo
Our first entrepreneur spotlight is of a Richmond, BC resident who is on a mission to demystify digital marketing for any new, aspiring, or veteran solopreneur with her business HM Virtual Assistance and brand Showing Up Solo.
Hannah McCormick is a neurodivergent entrepreneur and recognizes that the business coaching and therapy funding through Community Futures contributed to not only her business success but feeling both seen and understood.
Tune in every Wednesday to Hannah’s “Showing Up Solo” podcast for easy-to-implement advice, enlightening conversations with guest experts, and yes, plenty of food analogies to make learning engaging and fun:
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/showingupsolo
Connie Quayle – Moon Cat Magicals/ Rainbow’s Edge
Meet Connie Quayle of Whaletown, BC! Connie is the owner of a micro-business Moon Cat Magicals that produces witch crafted potions for energetic healing and transformation made of wild harvested and organically gardened plants with metaphysical integrity.
Connie has these words about being an entrepreneur with a disability:
“I’ve taken a very slow approach by choice as I learn and heal, investing back into my business only what I earn from sales and what I have the capacity to maintain. And it’s working, markets are busy, store sales are steady and growing bit by bit by bit…and for many people with disabilities that sort of patience and dedication is just part of how we live our lives”.
https://www.facebook.com/MoonCatMagical
Kaytlynn Davidson & Paige Murphy – Fern & Co. Creative Collective
The co-owners of Fern and Co. Creative Collective have combined their 18 years of experience in personal care and their sincere desire to make others feel comfortable to launch Salmon Arm’s first non-binary personal care services.
Through Community Futures BC, they were able to participate in the Entrepreneurial Development Programs for Persons with Disabilities (EDP) which allowed Kaytlynn Davidson and Paige Murphy to solidify their partnership and grow their team creating a safe and relatable space for everyone to build confidence and self-love!
https://www.facebook.com/fernandco.collective
Danielle Gibson – All Balanced Bookkeeping
If you are looking to outsource your business bookkeeping, then this next #EDP25Anniversary business story will be right up your alley!
Danielle Gibson is the owner of All Balanced Bookkeeping from Abbortsford, BC and she provides full cycle bookkeeping including reconciliations of banking, accounts receivable/payable, GST/HST, PST, WCB, payroll and or training and setting up company books.
Like the support she provides to her clients, Community Futures gave her the tools and confidence needed to get started. Danielle always appreciates the various training and educational seminars they offer too.
info@allbalancedbookkeeping.ca
Patrick Gilmore – Pat’s Premium Flies
We continue the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program (EDP) 25th Anniversary celebration, with a business story about Patrick Gilmore who is using his 40 years of fly-fishing and fly-tying expertise to put together custom fly collections for his customers.
Pat shares this about his experience with the Community Futures:
“I can’t say enough about the help I have received and the ongoing help I may receive in the future. It feels good to know you have support in this challenging stage of your business and I look forward to offering my expertise to others in the future”.
Pat’s Premium Flies may be based in White Rock, BC but you can place an online order for local pick-up or shipping anywhere in Canada or the United States!
https://www.patspremiumflys.com/
Tanner Fadrey – Grey Space Adaptives
Tanner Fadre is on a proactive mission to “unlock the inaccessible” in the sporting world for disabled athletes.
Grey Space Adaptives is a Nelson, BC based disabled sporting equipment manufacturer working on extremely light weight versatile designs to reduce the physical limitations of entering disabled sports. They also use advanced manufacturing technologies to reduce the cost of manufacturing these products while removing the cost prohibitive barrier to entry many disabled athletes face.
https://www.greyspaceadaptives.ca/
Cassandra Frechette – QuirkNSpite
Our next #EDP25Anniversary entrepreneur highlight dives into how Cassandra Frechette combined her passions and skillset in a way that nurtured and supported her mental health. With the encouragement she received from her Community Futures Business Coach and her enrollment in the IDEA Small Business Development Program, QuirkNSpite was born!
This Vancouver BC business offers pretty, practical, and profanity-adorned clothing and accessories as well as educational mental health content, all served with a side of dark relatable humour.
Diane Campbell – Diane Campbell Designs
“Honestly, if someone like me can do it, anyone can. It takes enthusiasm and confidence. I believe that it has to be something you enjoy doing and have great knowledge about it. The work experience comes in time, so that’s where the patience kicks in”. – Diane Campbell
Our next #EDP25Anniversary entrepreneur clearly finds satisfaction in being in a business that brings unique transformations to spaces as a commercial and residential interior designer.
You can find Diane providing interior design consultation, property styling & staging, and project management in Cranbrook these days, but she will be transferring to the Parksville area in future!
https://www.facebook.com/dianecampbellinteriors
Makaela Lazar – Makaela’s Destiny
Our next British Columbia #EDP25Anniversary business story leads us to Langley where entrepreneur Makaela Lazar with the support of Community Futures BC, was able to access a variety of resources that helped her elevate and scale up her successful home-based family business!
Mikaela explains “every time I talked to them; I had a realization of my potential. Since working with CFBC, I feel very confident and supported in my business.” Now she runs a thriving wholesale business where you can find her original artwork depicting the beauty of Canada’s West on tourist mementos all around the province!
Email: lunalazar@outlook.com
Leona Bourcier – Rite Publishing
Our next British Columbia #EDP25Anniversary entrepreneur highlight introduces us to a children’s book author and publisher, Leona Bourcier.
Based in Crofton, Rite Publishing was a business idea supported by Community Futures from the very beginning! The team was an emotional support to Leona and helped her find mentors and funding to allow her to develop her dreams.
“After suffering a stroke in 2006, I had to learn to walk, and talk all over again, so the thought of my dreams of writing Children’s books to become reality seemed nearly impossible, now looking forward, anything is possible, and more than I could have imagined.”- Leona Bourcier
Email: Leona@leonaBourcier.com
Chiranjiv Singh – Acumen Advisers
“Community Futures has helped in ways I could not ever have imagined or anticipated, and may not have enough words to thank them. From tangible support such as financial and intellectual resources to intangibles such as guidance, mentoring, etc. in difficult situations, there is a plethora of support.”
These are the powerful words of our next #EDP25Anniversary entrepreneur spotlight on Chiranjiv Singh in Delta, BC who runs a Canadian organization but has experience serving clients based in multiple geographies and countries.
He is the owner of Acumen Advisers which supports leaders of businesses and organizations of all sectors of the economy in managing and optimizing their operations and processes, through analytics and advisory services.
https://www.acumenadvisers.com/
Danny Takhar – Climate Carbon
We continue the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program (EDP) 25th Anniversary celebration, with a business story about a Vancouver based company Climate Carbon.
Owned by Danny Takhar, Climate Carbon specializes in assisting corporations in their journey to decarbonize and achieve net-zero emissions by reducing and eliminating carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Their focus areas include carbon credits, offsets, and renewable energy certificates, as well as providing support for project funding.
Danny thanks Community Futures as their support was instrumental in helping Climate Carbon establish its presence and thrive in the global carbon markets.
Erica Scott – Creating Consent Culture
Next up, we’re highlighting a British Columbia business, Creating Consent Culture, whose mission is to bring consent culture to the world one workshop at a time!
The founder, Erica Scott (they/her) is a non-binary entrepreneur and educator who aims to provide the most effective and enjoyable consent education tools and to be a part of a global shift to a more collaborative, kind, and compassionate world.
You can find more information about Erica’s work, including the handbook they co-authored geared for educators at https://www.creatingconsentculture.com/
Wulfric D. Odinson – Happyland Designs
Wulfric D. Odinson (he/him/his) describes himself as a loud, out, trans man and 2SLGBTQIA+ activist creating a happy place for all!
His introduction into the services at Community Futures in BC was a very positive and uplifting experience and he expressed appreciation for the fact that he didn’t need to provide any ministry or medical paperwork to join the IDEA Small Business Development Program!
Now based in Edmonton, Alberta Wulfric’s soon-to-be launched business Happyland Designs creates products and experiences consistent with the needs, desires, and values of the worldwide queer community.
https://www.facebook.com/happylanddesigns
Erin Burden – Yoga with Erin B
Our next #EDP25Anniversary business story shines light on a Nainamo, BC entrepreneur whose unimaginable loss has empowered her to support mature women and grievers by offering gentle, trauma-informed, and mindful yoga classes and retreats.
Erin Burden’s yoga teacher training began with her beloved daughter Dakota (pictured on the left) but was abruptly halted when Dakota unexpectedly passed away in 2018. Through Erin’s grief and entrepreneurial journey, which has included dealing with considerable cognitive damage, she says that the Community Futures programming has been so instrumental in helping her with her business and believing in her vision.
“Today, I stand before you, having completed the Yoga Teacher Training that Dakota and I had started together, and I am determined to honor her memory by building a business that not only fulfills our dream but also offers solace and support to others who are enduring the profound pain of grief, or any kind. I choose to live in the light of Dakota’s life, rather than the shadow of her death”.
Mona Stickley – Mahjong Party
Our final #EDP25Anniversary British Columbia spotlight is a Vancouver-based entrepreneur who shares the experience of her business journey developing Mahjong Party after surviving a brain injury.
“My time with Community Futures inspired growth that is taking me in directions I never saw as possible before. It is very emotional and deeply satisfying to know that what you can offer the world can bring people joy, purpose, or solve a problem for them.” – owner Mona Stickley
Mahjong Party introduces the game of Mahjong and its many benefits through education, merchandise, books, and online courses. No familiarity with the game is required!
