Visionary founders drive the success of remarkable Canadian brands with passion, dedication, and innovation. Portfolio.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine celebrates their resilience, risk-taking, and global impact. Supporting these founders strengthens Canadian entrepreneurship and invests in exceptional products and services.
Our lead feature delves into the journey of Andrew Aziz, the founder of Bear Bull Traders, a 7 Summit mountaineer, and a best-selling author. Aziz’s story is one of calculated risk-taking, both in financial markets and on the world’s highest peaks, demonstrating the mindset needed to navigate both extremes.
From the world of bridal fashion, we highlight Ou Ma, the founder and lead designer of couture bridal OUMA. As she expands her sustainable and bespoke collections, Ma is reshaping the landscape of ethical fashion while making her mark on the global stage. Meanwhile, in the tech and healthcare innovation space, Matthew Housser shares his transition from Fortune 500 companies to launching Convergence and Simuhealth, pioneering advancements in digital health solutions and artificial intelligence-driven wellness.
Creativity takes centre stage with Fares, an Egyptian-born queer creator and the Creative Director at BBT. Fares is expanding his brand into the immersive event space, curating experiences that blend artistry, gender, emotion, and storytelling. In Victoria, Jordan Brandon, a self-taught leatherworker, is crafting luxury designer handbags and accessories under eponymous brand, J.D. Brandon, showcasing the timeless appeal of handcrafted artistry.
In the world of fashion, Anastasia Besiou, co-founder and Co-Creative Director at The Sartorial Shop, works side-by-side with her partner Zahir Rajani, to meet the growing demand for high-quality, affordable suiting for both men and women. Similarly, Elena Kawa, founder of Ethereal Bridal, saw a gap in the bridal market and is rapidly growing her business into a new storefront in the Tri-Cities area.
Beyond fashion and design, we feature Laura Widgett, a professional opera singer who has seamlessly applied her skills to trauma-informed services at The Healing Lounge. Christina Petry has built Red Carpet Ready by Christina, an award-winning makeup and hair artist, by staying true to her authentic self with her high-profile and international clients.
Lastly, schoolteacher Heather Dawson is proving that slow fashion has a place in modern wardrobes, steadily growing Heather Lynn Cashmere with meticulously designed, high-quality apparel that appeals to women seeking timeless elegance. These entrepreneurs exemplify the heart of Canadian business—passion, perseverance, and purpose. In every story, there is a lesson in dedication, an example of resilience, and a call to support the visionaries who are shaping the industries of tomorrow.
We invite you to dive into this issue and discover the people behind the brands that deserve our attention, admiration, and investment.
Author Profile
- Helen Siwak is the founder of EcoLuxLuv Marketing & Communications Inc and publisher of Folio.YVR Luxury Lifestyle Magazine and PORTFOLIOY.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine. She is a prolific content creator, consultant, and marketing and media strategist within the ecoluxury lifestyle niche. Post-pandemic, she has worked with many small to mid-sized plant-based/vegan brands to build their digital foundations and strategize content creation and business development. Helen is the west coast correspondent to Canada’s top-read industry magazine Retail-Insider, holds a vast freelance portfolio, and consults with many of the world’s luxury heritage brands. Always seeking new opportunities and challenges, you can email her at helen@ecoluxluv.com.
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