ENTREPRENEUR NOMINEES
For initiating and/or administering an enterprise or business.
Award Presented by:
Alex Kavanagh, Communications Specialist, Piller's Fine Foods
Rachel Bartholomew
Rachel Bartholomew is a 2 time entrepreneur who is now working on her second company, Hyivy Health, created after her recent fight with cervical cancer. Hyivy Health is creating a pelvic rehabilitation device for the 1 in 3 women worldwide who will experience a pelvic health complication in their lifetime. Rachel is a graduate of the University of Waterloo and has been working in various roles in the entrepreneurship ecosystem for over 10 years.
Janet Greener
Janet is a passionate volunteer and entrepreneur devoted to inclusion. Decades of volunteering and working in the community have fueled Janet’s enthusiasm to provide strength-based education while prioritizing the mental wellness of children and youth. Janet opened Beechwood Brainery in Cambridge in February 2020, just before the pandemic hit. Although Beechwood Brainery has not been eligible for any Provincial or Federal assistance, the community need is great, resulting in Janet opening a second location in Waterloo in September 2021. Janet’s perseverance in providing an accepting environment for everyone is one of her greatest strengths.
Ren Navarro
With nearly a decade of experience in the alcohol industry, a passion for encouraging personal and professional growth, and her trademark wit, Ren Navarro is here to educate, enlighten, and engage. Since launching Beer. Diversity. in 2018, Ren has become a known name at breweries, wineries, distilleries, and beyond. She has given talks on diversity and inclusion at several colleges and countless festivals, panels, radio shows, and podcasts internationally. In addition to being a diversity educator, she is a craft beer consultant for bars and restaurants in Ontario and an educator for countless businesses throughout the country.
Jill Sadler
Jill is a leader in the local hospitality industry. As a female owner, her goal is to provide an inclusive space for her employees to learn and grow while providing the best experience possible for diners. She has become a very vocal ally to the LGBTQ community, hosting monthly Drag Brunches at S&V Uptown and working closely with the community to create a safe space for the Region. She works tirelessly to ensure the restaurant is practicing and operating in a sustainable manner from the ingredients used in the kitchen to behind the bar in its one of a kind cocktail program.
Sarah Tieleman
Sarah is well known within the community for her commitment to raising money and awareness for so many organizations and causes through her business Sew Rustic Candle & Gift Co. Sarah uses her business platform to raise funds to support local organizations through candle sales and social media promotion. Sarah is always the first to help others through her business, wherever and whenever she can. Recently, organizing a donation effort for local Ukrainian refugees. Sarah has been recognized for her hard work and dedication by winning countless Record Readers’ Choice Awards. Sarah began her path to giving back as she was as a teen mother leaning on her community for support. She is a survivor of domestic violence and now serves as a board member for Women's Crisis Services.
Jessica Wylde
s the owner of My Perfect Pair, Jessica provides women in the Waterloo region (and around the world) a new bra alternative that is customizable to your body and neckline and provides them the ability to wear anything with confidence. Jessica's brand is all about empowering women and her product is size inclusive, sweatproof, and waterproof. Starting My Perfect Pair during the pandemic has been no easy feat but her resourcefulness has contributed to the thriving business being featured on the Marilyn Dennis show three times since its inception, winning many awards, and traveling to be a part of fashion events in New York City. My Perfect Pair is more than just a product, it is the feeling that you get when you wear your pair. Every woman deserves to wear what makes them happy and wear it with confidence, and My Perfect Pair is the perfect solution.
Jessica Burman
Jessica is simply a pioneer in green beauty and is helping the planet one face, body, beard and hand at a time. Cocoon Apothecary currently has more than 50 products available with EcoCert Organic and Natural certifications. Cocoon Apothecary products are available in over 100 retail spaces throughout Canada and they export thousands of products to China per year where Cocoon is known as a clean, trusted brand. Jessica Burman stands out as Kitchener's foremost skin care developer that is both local and eco-friendly. She is a true leader in the skin care industry.
Donna Litt
Donna is an extraordinary leader, a humble yet experienced startup founder and a tireless champion for female entrepreneurship and diversity in the tech sector. As Uvaro’s COO, she has established a culture of diversity and inclusion. Under Donna’s guidance, the Uvaro Community Fund through the KW Community Foundation has grown past $40,000 in value in just 3 years. She is empathetic. She is a champion for the marginalized. An extraordinary human, and approaches every thing she does with a whole heart.
Ainsley Poirier
As the owner of both Fresh Look Design and Harp and Fin, Ainsley is a tireless entrepreneur who champions the local approach. In both businesses she thrives on her relationships, and promotes and carries products from other local companies throughout the region. Her desire to be a role model for other female business owners and an inspiration to her two daughters is what keeps her moving forward and continually growing in business.Ainsley continues to give back to organizations and support the community any way she can. Including SASCWR, Habitat, Humane Society, Cancer Association, Best Friends and Oktoberfest, most recently making donations to a local Ukrainian organization.
Sabrina Sgandurra
Sabrina is turning heads in the private education sector with the creation of her business Knowledge Bump Tutoring and Editing Services. Sabrina’s mission is to provide high-quality, personalized services at an affordable rate, making private, one-on-one tutoring easy and accessible across Ontario. She has quickly and successfully grown her business in a short amount of time, earning numerous accolades. Her positive attitude and infectious energy inspire her staff and students, and her kindness, dedication, and integrity are an integral component of her success.
Pandora Wilhelm
Pandora is driven by her passion to save Indigenous languages from disappearing in the Waterloo Region and beyond. This passion has driven her to start an engravings business focusing on children's early learning resources to help preserve traditional dialects of First Nations, Intuit and Metis languages. She has brought together communities across the Waterloo Region and beyond through her engravings business, volunteer work and her recent mobile app development.
Catherine Young
Catherine is passionate about the environment and how bees play an integral role. She owns and operates The Backyard Honey Company as well as The Backyard Beekeeper Supply Company. Since opening the beekeeping supply business in 2014 she has helped hundreds of people get into this great hobby. Most recently, she has launched a retail store in Wellesley. Catherine is a woman who has a heart for humanity; she wants to share her love of bees with the world and knows it starts in her own backyard. She visits classrooms in the community and has taught over 1000 children about bees. She recently published her first children's book titled 'Bee-ing" and gives 10% of her proceeds to The David Suzuki Foundation. She is currently working on her second book.