Business
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Small business spotlight: Weft and Whorl
The name of owner Kaitlyn Fortier’s business says it all. Weft and Whorl specializes in vintage clothing, but more specifically, “quality neutral basics,” says Fortier. “The meaning ‘weft and whorl’ is a play on words for the way fabric is created. Fabric is made up of warp and weft, and my artwork is based around that, so I came up with the name from there,” says Fortier. Weft and Whorl is a one-woman show, being Fortier’s full-time job, consisting of many levels of organization, sourcing and posting inventory and content on Instagram and Etsy. Weft and Whorl was created on Instagram in 2017, but the account was originally designed to…
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Making moves: Five Ontario women you should keep an eye out on
From business to science and technology, explore how these women are making an impact. Ontario is home to a remarkable array of women who are making significant contributions across various fields. From technology and business to social justice and the arts, these women are driving change and inspiring others. Here, we spotlight five Ontario women whose work is making a profound impact on society. 1. Melissa Sariffodeen Founder and CEO, Canada Learning Code Melissa Sariffodeen is a trailblazer in the tech education sector. As the founder and CEO of Canada Learning Code, she is dedicated to empowering Canadians, especially women and youth, with digital skills. Through her leadership, Canada Learning…
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Mejuri’s success: Noura Sakkijha’s take on jewellery
From earrings to bracelets, the Toronto-based company is rethinking luxury. Mejuri is on a mission to redefine jewellery. The brand’s CEO and co-founder, Noura Sakkijha, has been around jewellery her whole life. While living in Jordan with her family, Sakkijha’s father worked multiple hours per week as a jeweller. He followed in his father’s footsteps. Sakkijha wouldn’t enter the jewellery space until 2015. She studied industrial engineering at the University of Jordan before pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). She also worked full-time at CIBC before launching Mejuri. She believes that working a corporate job helped her gain the experience necessary to transition into running…
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Woman innovator: Tracee Ellis Ross
The actress and businesswoman uses her brand to celebrate Black beauty. Daughter of the powerhouse singer Diana Ross, Tracee Ellis Ross has made a name for herself in the acting world. She’s acted in main roles in successful series like Girlfriends and Black-ish. In 2019, she became a businesswoman when she launched her product line, Pattern Beauty. Ellis Ross has said she’s been building this brand since her days in Girlfriends. Let’s be clear: neither hair products nor curly hair-specific products are new (the term curly is being used as an umbrella term for all curly, coily and tightly textured hair). Ellis Ross’ sense of innovation is what makes her…
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Trailblazing leadership: Rania Llewellyn’s journey as the first female CEO of a major Canadian bank
Llewellyn broke barriers in her historical position. Rania Llewellyn’s journey to becoming the first female CEO of a major Canadian bank is a story of resilience, innovation and leadership. In 2020, Llewellyn was appointed president and CEO of Laurentian Bank of Canada. She began her career in the banking industry as a teller at Scotiabank. With her hard work and dedication to the business, Llewellyn demonstrated capability, which landed her opportunities to work in different roles at Scotiabank. She worked in areas ranging from commercial banking to international operations, which equipped her with the knowledge of what the industry is all about. Llewellyn had to face challenges and overcome obstacles…
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Women in business: life as a wedding planner
Considering wedding planning as a career? A real-life wedding planner shares her typical day and advice for to-be wedding planners. Codey Sher, a 25-year-old from Toronto, took an unconventional path to her career as a wedding planner. Initially set on becoming a criminal lawyer, Sher’s aspirations took a sharp turn when the COVID-19 pandemic struck and she decided to follow her passions. Despite her passion for law, the day-to-day reality of the profession didn’t excite her. “I started researching other jobs when I came across event planning. I felt like I just knew this was made for me. It took all my passions—food, fashion, design, organization, problem-solving, and just being…
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Only Fans: Women rebelling
Women rebelling against the porn industry with Only Fans. Courtesy of lyle simes Society, as we see it today, has become hypersexualized which has allowed the porn industry to become a normalized topic of conversation. While everyone knows about it, they aren’t necessarily aware of the brutal treatment porn actors have had to endure during their careers. Many people justify the industry because they believe women are consenting to it, but online porn has extreme underlying issues of sexual violence, addiction and exploitation. Just because these women feature in videos, doesn’t mean they like it or willingly consent to it. The porn industry’s underlying issues can begin with drug addictions…
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Interview with F45 owner: Andrea Lorenzon
An interview on business ownership with F45 owner: Andrea Lorenzon. Andrea Lorenzon is the owner of three F45 locations across Toronto, Ontario. She is a 33-year-old fitness enthusiast with a passion for living life to the fullest. She is an inspiring woman who was unhappy in the corporate lifestyle, took life by the rains and changed the course of her life to be happy and live it to the fullest. Andrea is originally from Maple, Ontario, but has lived in Toronto for 12 years. She is a dedicated dog mom to her 13-year-old puggle, Timmy, and he is Andrea’s best friend. She loves to take him on adventures. Throughout her…
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The making and the future of The Business Casual podcast
“As we navigate internships, full-time jobs, and negotiating salaries, we’re also including that in the episodes because a lot of the conversations we have in our personal life reflect the majority of conversations that people our age are having.” – Stacey Speranza, co-founder of The Business Casual Courtesy of The Business Casual The Business Causal podcast first started in July 2020, has since aired in 65 countries and gained at least 20,000 listeners. Co-hosts and sisters, Stacey and Marianna Speranza interview different female trailblazers every episode to discuss topics based on their guests’ careers, personal lives and everything they have learned. Stacey (22) and Marianna (19) started The Business Causal…
