Back in the late 1990s, John Neate had a brilliant idea: “Why not open a coffee shop and take on Starbucks?” You might wonder: why would he? John’s answer: “Well, I’m competitive.” 

When Ash Modha was 16, he decided that he no longer wanted to work for his mother’s photo studio. He wanted to run his own business – his own clothing business. He, his brother, his lifelong friend, and uncle banded together and started experimenting with one clothing item after another.

Cheryl Zealand is an accountant – a really good one. She’s also a mother – a really good one. And she’s an athlete – a really good one. Oh – and she pays close attention to the quality of food that she consumes.

On February 1, 2026, the Canadian Olympic team entered the iconic San Siro Stadium in Milan for the Armonia segment of the opening ceremony of the 25th Olympic Winter Games. The official jeweller to the team was Regina-based Hillberg & Berk, a company founded in 2007 by Rachel Mielke.

When the United States attacked Iran in April of 2026, Hugh Loomans was already making plans to reroute agricultural supplies head to his Hamilton, Ontario-based company, Sylvite. Staying on top of global events and responding quickly has been key to Hugh’s success as an entrepreneur.

Connor Curran’s entrepreneurial journey is a master class in starting a business with nothing, nada, zip, zilch – other than gumption. Determined to be the master of his working destiny, Connor moved to Sweden to clear his head and study entrepreneurism.

When Allen was 54 years of age, the Terry Fox Research Lab told him he had to spin off the company that was developing, producing, and selling products. So he did, working off the side of his desk and, in cooperation with the Lab, STEMCELL Technologies was established

“If you need anything, just whistle!” is Ron Foxcroft’s signature signoff. He is the grandfather of the professional referee whistle. His story is a journey of the determination to survive. As a teen, his dream of being the quarterback for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats was shattered due to a sporting injury.

Imagine standing on a mountain in Tibet only to see a monk pull a mobile phone from their pocket. If you’re like Amanda Hall, the founder of Summit Nanotech, you’d be thinking, “What the heck is that person going to do with a mobile phone? They’ve taken a vow of silence.” To her amazement, the monk started typing a text.

There are moments you measure your life by, as in before and after. For Danny Sitnam, that day was late August in 1977. He was working as a line cook at the Owl and Oarsman up on a hill overlooking Vancouver.