Embracing Your Community With Sarah Sukumaran of Lilith NYC The realities of starting any business always have two things in common. The first is you can't predict your path. There will always be unknowns. The second is that no matter where that path might take you, anything is possible. Sarah Sukumaran, NYC-based tech exec turned sneaker designer and now founder of Lilith NYC has embraced that wholeheartedly and has some great antidotes for anyone looking to turn their creative passions into a business. The learnings that she has acquired over the years with traditional tech roles, a predictive analytics gig at Nike - a natural fit for a sneaker-loving software product director - to now the life of an entrepreneur, have set her up for years of success and are something we could all benefit from. Scroll down for some gems from the conversation with Sarah. Hi Sarah! You're a big advocate of embracing your community. How did that play a part in getting Lilith off the ground? It's amazing. When you put out in the universe that you're doing something, people will naturally gravitate towards you and start making those connections wherever they can. Lean into that. When I started vocalizing and putting it out there that I was starting a footwear company, people all of a sudden had these connections for me and that's how all of my contacts, angel investors and other people I now work with, have come about. What's it like going from the tech world to now being recognized as a sneaker designer and brand owner? I worked in tech and I thought that was my life. I was ready to become a DevOps engineer and I really thought that's where my career was headed. So now, it's so nice to explore this creative side that I didn't know I had. I really love colour theory and working with materials. When I'm in Portugal, going to the leather supplier and looking at the suede that we're going to go with, or looking at the colour swatches; I have such a strong passion for that. People now refer to me as a creative and I'm still getting used to embracing it because I still am this nerdy tech person but now I'm a creative too which is pretty cool. Any advice to someone who was in your position looking to start their own brand while working a 9-5? I am a big proponent of not quitting your job and working on your side hustle when you're getting a nice check at your current employer. The only reason I quit [Nike] was because it was a clear conflict of interest working for a footwear brand and starting my own. If I was working as a tech company I would definitely have done this as a side hustle and just kept collecting a check. You need to be able to financially support yourself or have savings to be able to take that leap on your dream. Work full time and spend more hours after each day building your startup. There are so many little things you can do to get your startup off the ground, especially in footwear. You can source the factory on the internet and spend $200 to get a sample made. Everything is possible. You just need to take those small steps and making it work doesn't have to involve quitting your job and going bankrupt throughout the process. Lilith has done a bunch of pop-ups and is in a few retailers. Is expanding that a big goal of yours? I think for any brand, you always need to have a multi-channel experience. In year one, we started getting approached by retailers but I just felt like I wasn't ready. However, I realize now how important that is and we're definitely working on getting into more and more doors and doing more pop ups. Online is great but getting people to try on the shoes, especially at my price point it key. Just like any portfolio, you need a diversified approach as an entrepreneur. So true! Lastly, has been one of your biggest learnings since starting Lilith? Shifting away from traditional seeding and actually using your customers as the influencer, that's been an interesting shift and learning for me. I was wasting time seeding people who would post once and never wear the shoe again. Now, I'll surprise a customer who's bought two or three pairs and be like, here's a free shoe because I know that they're going to wear the hell out of it and that's probably better marketing at the end of the day. They're the ones who post the authentic photos, wear the shoes and get complimented in person and get way more excited! They're their own ambassadors to the brand. I love it and they love it. Make sure to follow Lilith for news on their pop-ups and releases and keep it locked to Pier Five for more conversations with creative entrepreneurs like Sarah!

2024 Recipient: Shawish Market Explore the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund Introducing Shawish, one of the ten recipients of the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund 2024! Founder: Amanda Bernard Location: Toronto, ON Discover Shawish Market online: Website // Instagram About Shawish Market Shawish Market is an Indigenous, fee-free platform - similar to an Etsy - empowering entrepreneurs by eliminating vendor fees and fostering sustainable growth within communities. It stands out for its rigorous vendor verification, ensuring authenticity and direct benefits to Indigenous communities. The platform incorporates Indigenous Ways of Knowing, responding to community feedback, and has reintroduced trading, a key cultural practice. Recognized as a 2023 MIT Solve Fellow and featured in several public platforms, Shawish Market supports Indigenous creators while fostering meaningful connections with customers. How will the fund make an impact with your business? With the Mastercard x Pier Five Fund, Shawish Market will invest the $10,000 CAD into hiring an Indigenous employee to help scale the business, focusing on marketing and vendor relations. This will not only create meaningful employment but also strengthen our capacity to support Indigenous entrepreneurs. Additionally, Shawish will allocate part of the funds to implement key feedback from Indigenous communities, such as integrating AI tools to streamline the platform for vendors and adding PayPal as a payment option. My ultimate goal is to ensure Shawish Market evolves to meet the needs of its vendors, as the platform is designed for their success. What is your long term goal for the company? One of my long-term goals is to transition to working on Shawish Market full-time. I currently work at a foundation supporting Indigenous youth, but my dream is to dedicate myself fully to growing Shawish Market and expanding its impact. I also aim to expand Shawish Market to include Indigenous artisans from around the world, creating a global platform for showcasing their work and cultures. I envision adding a feature that allows customers to filter products by specific Indigenous communities, fostering global connections and economic empowerment. Learn more about the Mastercard & Pier Five Small Business Fund, and discover the other 2024 recipients here .

The June Roundup Welcome to Pier Five monthly round ups, a look back at some of the people, brands & things that caught our eye this month that we thought you should know about. Remixed by Tal for ntwrk x SneakerCon Natalya Amres ( @natalyaamres ), upcycle designer & founder of Remixed by Tal ( @remixedbytal ), has an eye for deconstructing and repurposing everyday objects into other useful objects with style. Think purses made from volleyballs, teddy bears sewn from blankets or clutches stitched from sneakers. Her creations are one of a kind and this past weekend she released her newest creation, Adidas Superstar Mini Bags, through drops app ntwrk for Sneakercon. The attention to detail on these is crazy and the creativity truly makes these one of a kind. Oasis Skateboard Factory x Bryan Espiritu Bryan Espiritu ( @bryanespiritu ), artist and founder of streetwear brand Legends League, recently launched a new skateboard deck in partnership with Oasis Skateboard Factory, a Toronto District School Board school design program that provides accredited classes on product creation, brand building and the business of the skateboard industry. The deck features Bryan’s iconic font type and is a perfect piece to add to your art collection or to take it out for a rip at the park. The deck is still available for purchase on Legends League’s website and all proceeds from the sales go directly back to help fund Oasis Skateboard Factory programs. Salehe x New Balance Following the success of his first reimagination of the New Balance 2002R, we were eagerly awaiting Salehe Bembury’s ( @salehebembury ) second New Balance footwear collaboration and it did not disappoint. Inspired by his appreciation for the outdoors, “Water Be The Guide” takes cues from Arizona’s Havasu Falls. The shoe stands out from the crowd with its vivid color palette of teal, rusty orange & neon greens paired with a material composition that really brings out contrasting textures of hairy suede, leather and mesh. Hopefully you were lucky enough to get a pair on the initial June 25th drop but if not, keep it locked to your local retailers for a global release over the following weeks. Soleburners Sneaker Trays and Yeezy Candles A sneakerhead and candle lover’s dream; hand poured soy candles inspired by popular sneaker silhouettes. Camille De Leon, founder of Soleburners ( @soleburners ), has made a splash with her recent restock of her sneaker inspired candles and matching sneaker sole trays. From Air Jordans 1s to Yeezy 500s, there is a candle for every sneaker lover and the newly released complimentary hydrostone “Sole Trays”, are the perfect pairing to help catch the wax of the candles. This drop was sold out in under 2 hours, but don’t worry as she will be restocking in July! Reigning Champ x Modernica Vancouver-based label Reigning Champ revealed its newest collaboration this month with legendary California-based furniture crafter Modernica. Drawing inspiration from the monochromatic elements of Reigning Champ’s signature Spalding basketball, Reigning Champ x Modernica: Series 001 reimagines two icons from the Modernica collection, the Case Study Arm Shell Rocker & Side Shell, with 100% full-grain aniline leather upholstery. The clean and simple design, paired with unmatched craftsmanship combines to make the perfect set. Both chairs can be purchased on Reigning Champ’s website and if the name indicates anything, be on the (hopeful) lookout for a series 002 in the future! Stay tuned to The Roundup series to discover the coolest new people, brands and releases each month and keep it locked to all of Pier Five for stories and interviews with our favourite designers, entrepreneurs, creators and more.

Behind The Curtain With Nicko Bruno Everyone’s got something to say but far fewer can actually back it up. This feeling is one that Nicko Bruno, founder of Adidem Asterisks, a Toronto based upscale brand that aims to connect music and fashion through elevated products and events, thinks about constantly. As someone who grew up addicted to fashion and its surrounding cultures, Nicko was quick to develop tastes and opinions but understood the importance of educating himself of what goes on behind the scenes to ensure that he could both develop a stronger appreciation for the works of others and also be able to speak his mind without being hypocritical. We got the chance to catch up with Nicko after the first of AA’s many pop-ups lined up for the season and talk about how he developed his always-curious mentality, how that helps him foster a strong team, what goes on behind the scenes at Adidem Asterisks and what they have in the works for 2022. Hey Nicko! Things are booming for you right now with all of the events and upcoming drops. How are you feeling? Oh man [laughs]. I’m not chilling as much as I thought I’d be able to. Things are really busy right now but it’s great. With each event, there’s always prep and post work we need to do and then it’s on to the next thing. I was doing a ton of follow ups and thanking sponsors and everything this morning and then I’m heading to a design meeting afterwards. Love to hear that there’s so much happening. What are the design meetings looking like right now? So before each meeting we decide what type of item we want to make and we all pull references so that we can go into the meeting ready to brainstorm. Miguel who runs our design team then helps coordinate the conversations and design planning. We’ll get into technical drawing and thinking about patterns, cuts, etc. What’s dope is that everyone is on Adobe illustrator sharing designs and stuff right there and we’re all going back and forth with ideas. The goal is for everyone to make five unique designs and then we all bring them together and vote. Adidem Asterisks F/W '22 Preview How do you choose which products to work on? We have a set of questions that we always ask ourselves before diving into any product like what purpose does the product serve and is it consumer facing or a brand building product? For example, a basic vest might be consumer facing and a more wild experimental piece is meant to build the brand up since it might be more memorable. We’ll also go deeper into things like “what song does the product sound like?” and thinking about the kind of vibe that the product evokes. Speaking of vibes, this is one thing that AA is not short on within its products. In addition to music which we know is a big inspiration, where do the design inspirations and ethos for the brand come from? I came into all of this as a consumer first. I’ve spent my whole life really putting a lot of thought into my outfits and understanding what looks nice. Hip-hop, basketball and street and pop culture all obviously play a big part in my inspirations but it’s really always evolving as I grow. The designs will change over time based on what we’re feeling and learning about but no matter what, the main focus is always to create great products that add value to our customers and the brand. Blog: Adidem Asterisks We heard that you have a pretty wild story about starting the brand. Can you share how that all started with your partner, X? Before I got started with X I was always super into this stuff. I remember doing an exchange program outside of Paris for school and that’s what really showed me how many opportunities and possibilities there were in this industry if you go and find them. I ended up failing out of my program because I skipped so much class to go into Paris to go to events. I remember when my mom called me and said I was going to get kicked out if I skipped more class and I literally booked a ticket right in front of her. It was my birthday and Paris fashion week. I didn’t care about school then at all I had to go [laughs] to the shows. I was doing anything I could to be a part of things, learn and build relationships. I was super driven and still am. After that, X, who I’ve been friends with forever, designed some tees for a project of his. I was going to China and he asked me to take the shirts out there and shoot them. I didn’t know anyone out there but was on a mission to get it done. I found two people at a nightclub, got them to shoot with me and it turned out pretty well. The experience was dope and I told X like “yo, let’s do this for real.” After these experiences, I knew this is what I needed to be doing and that drive hasn’t stopped. And besides shooting, you’ve learned how to do everything now like pattern making and tech packs for the brand, right? One hundred percent. I’m a firm believer that you can’t have strong opinions on stuff if you don’t know how to do it yourself. Sure, I can think things are nice or not but I can’t talk s**t or criticize if I don’t know what goes into it and haven’t done it myself. If I want to make a brand that is better than all of the others, I can’t just have ideas. I need to know how to execute. Even if I’m not making the tech packs all the time or if I’m bringing in a team to help, knowing how to do it, pump out designs and speak that language goes a long way with everyone. It allows us to do so much better work. So true! How big is the team now? It’s pretty big now which is crazy. A lot of these people were some of my oldest friends and they are all so hopeful. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to do any of this. These people keep me motivated and help me get stuff done. When there are times I’m not feeling into things, these guys bring me back up. We have also recently brought on some interns too which is a dope opportunity because it allows us to create opportunities for these super creative young people. It also helps me learn a ton about running a team which I am really appreciative of. That’s awesome. Not a lot of brands at your level are bringing in interns or opening that door for young creatives. What do you look for when hiring an intern? The biggest thing is I want them to show interest in us and take initiative. If they work hard and show that they want it, we’re going to give them every opportunity that we can. I also want to find people who know things that I don’t. Overtime, I’ll hopefully learn it because I want to know everything if I’m leading the team but that doesn’t mean I can do this alone. I heard a quote once that was “A CEO should know how to do everyone’s job, even the janitor” and I think that really resonated with me. That’s a great line. Before we let you go, what is on the roadmap for the brand and at the top of the list for things you want to accomplish? Right now nobody is getting paid and all of the money is going back into the brand so my number one goal is to pay everyone soon. Even if it’s just a little, everyone deserves it and I want to make that happen soon. I also want to hit one million in sales in 2022. I think we can do it. From a creative standpoint, I want to give the whole brand a facelift. Summer ‘22 is going to be nuts. It’s the first time we have the full team designing the collection and the storytelling is really strong so I’m pumped for that. Our brand next year is going to be insane and we’re going to keep pushing it because we’re all obsessed with new stuff. I almost get tired of things by the time they’re out but I know this new season coming up is going to be wild and will be the setting off point for the brand. Stay tuned for that! If you’re in Toronto, make sure to check out the Adidem Asterisks pop-up at Nomad until December 16th and follow the AA Instagram for more news on upcoming releases. Keep it locked to Pier Five for more interviews and stories with the coolest entrepreneurs, designers, artists, activists and more.

A Conversation With Kyron Warrick aka Gotsweige Montreal based creative entrepreneur and modern renaissance man, Kyron Warrick, also known by his social channels Gotsweige, has created a name for himself as one of Canada’s fastest growing talents in fashion. As an advocate of the “don’t knock it until you try it” mentality, Kyron has made a strong effort to explore all facets of the fashion industry including styling, creative consulting for brands, content creation, product design and modelling, to develop his skills, identify what he loves and put one-hundred percent of his energy into his success. Now after nearly a decade as a Fashion Youtuber, an impressive following on Instagram and a growing portfolio of impressive clients, Kyron is on a roll and showing no signs of slowing down. Before he outgrows us all, we got a chance to link up with Kyron in his hometown of Montreal to discuss his come up, life as a YouTuber, the need for supporting local brands and never being afraid of what you love and then of course, we had to shoot some street style pics and break down his fits. You’ve been on YouTube for nearly 10 years now. What has that journey been like? It’s kind of crazy that it’s been this long. The first five years were more casual for me but the last five, I have been really focused. Content creation was something I could really take into my own hands which I liked. A lot of fashion is actually slow moving and there’s a lot of waiting around. With YouTube, I didn’t have to do that. I could make content, have fun and create new opportunities for myself through that. You’ve been really ramping up the amount of content lately and the channel has been growing at a really consistent pace. What are 5 tips you’d give to aspiring content creators to increase their success on YouTube? Consistency is definitely the biggest thing. I know people say this a lot but it’s really true. Once I got out of school and could start putting more time into content, things really started progressing. I saw the results of consistency first hand. Have your own thoughts. People will consume your content if there are your own thoughts throughout. Be inspired but make it your own. Do it because you like it and not because you’re looking for validation or growth. Know yourself. Understand what you’re good at and what you’re not good at. Once you identify your strengths, you can go full force into that. On the note of making things your own, your style has always been very unique. Did you ever face criticism for doing things a little differently? Definitely. In high school, while I did have a bunch of friends, people definitely kind of looked at me as the weird kid. I was the only person that I knew who was into fashion but didn’t let that bother me. I was so focused on learning about the industry that I didn’t care about what people thought. One of your more popular content series highlights low-key/up & coming streetwear brands. Why is shining a light on these smaller/local brands so important to you? Any you’d want to shout out today? When I was coming up, I always wished there were people that would shout me out and help me get exposure so now that I have a bit of an audience, I want to be able to be that person for others. Starting from zero is really tough so I want to help lift those people up. I also think that a lot of these brands are really cool and it’s sustainable for me to consume as well because it’s often a bit more affordable and I like knowing that my money is going to someone local and not just into the pockets of big corporations. One of the brands I really love is Wun-Off , they do a lot of pop-culture installments and have a philanthropic side to the brand as well. They recently dropped the “Covid Ruined My Spring Break” hat and used proceeds to buy toys for children in need. installments. Just did the covid ruined my spring break trucker. Grimey MTL is another one I’m really into as well. It’s a pretty common progression for content creators to start their own brands. You’ve done collabs with some in the past but would you ever consider starting your own brand? It’s definitely something that I’m thinking about. Through working with so many others, I’ve learned a lot about what I would need to put into starting my own brand and what I would and wouldn’t want it to be about. A lot of creators are making merch and I definitely don’t want my stuff to be just that. I think about this as a long term play. I won’t be doing Youtube when I’m 40 so if it’s just merch then it ends when Youtube ends. I want my brand to be something that can grow with me and outlive things that I might be doing now. Let’s talk about style now. How would you describe your personal style? What are you wearing these days? My style is very situational based but is often a combination of lively vintage 70’s style and darker silhouettes from brands like Rick Owens. I like to mix bright and dark together. Your style has followed a number of trends, from hype, to sneakerhead to luxury. Looking back on it all, what do you think were some of your best and worst moments in your fashion career thus far? I think my best moment, and potentially also my worst, was the Pyrex-Hood By Air phase. I really wasn’t aware of all that it represented. I was super impressionable, like all kids on the internet were, but it was good for me to go through that and start experimenting with things. It helped me start to really learn about what I do and don’t like. It also exposed me to some black designers who are now making huge waves. (break down Kyron’s fit with pics and labels of the items/brands) Do you think Montreal was integral in developing your style and business? I used to think that I had to get out of Montreal to make it but the internet has so much power so I have always been able to tap into cultures and people around the world without leaving. Montreal is also great as well though. It has given me so many opportunities and really shaped who I am today. In addition, whenever I go visit my family in NY or Philly I can bring that different perspective too which I think plays to my advantage. Overall, Montreal really is a power city and I think that a few more icons coming out of here will be big for putting it on the map. Justin Saunders [JJJound] is doing a lot for the city. I think a big musical figure would be huge too. Totally agree! Lastly, what's next for you? Honestly, I’m taking things day by day. Whatever I enjoy, I’ll work on. The brand is definitely in the works but I don’t have a launch date. I’m going to work on getting even more opportunities in styling as well and just see where things go. And of course, more video content! Make sure to follow Kyron Warrick on Instagram and YouTube to follow his journey and get updates on all of his new work and don’t forget to keep it locked to Pier Five for more interviews and stories with the coolest entrepreneurs, designers, artists, activists and more.

Joni Joni Who: Linda Biggs Where: Victoria, BC Instagram Website How would you use the $10,000 CAD fund for your business? See All Winners

Aiori Aiori Who: Andrea Wong Where: Toronto, ON Instagram Website How would you use the $10,000 CAD fund for your business? See All Winners

Zing Zing Who: Jannine Rane Where: Toronto, ON Instagram Website How would you use the $10,000 CAD fund for your business? See All Winners

2024 Recipient: Lesley Hampton Explore the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund Introducing Lesley Hampton, one of the ten recipients of the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund 2024! Founder: Lesley Hampton Location: Toronto, ON Discover Lesley Hampton online: Website // Instagram About Lesley Hampton Lesley Hampton is a luxury fashion brand that blends Indigenous artistry with contemporary design, celebrating cultural heritage while emphasizing mental wellness and body neutrality. The brand has four key pillars: direct-to-consumer, custom design services, corporate partnerships, and wholesale. Lesley Hampton offers both ready-to-wear pieces and bespoke designs tailored for clients seeking unique, ethically made fashion, while its corporate collaborations promote Indigenous representation across industries. With wholesale stockists in New York, Toronto, and Seattle, the brand is expanding its reach and visibility. Additionally, Lesley Hampton's founder contributes to the brand’s success through public speaking, modelling, styling, and event coordination, building strong relationships within the fashion community. How will the fund make an impact with your business? With the $10,000 from the Mastercard x Pier Five Fund, I plan to expand my team to support the growth of Lesley Hampton, especially as I work to introduce a more accessible mid-tier collection. The funds will allow me to hire an operations manager, a customer service representative, and a marketing specialist, all of whom will play key roles in refining our processes, enhancing customer relationships, and increasing awareness of our new offerings. This team expansion will help streamline our operations and improve our capacity to produce and market a collection that retains the luxury quality of my designs but is more affordable for a broader audience. By enhancing our supply chain and marketing efforts, I can ensure that we maintain the integrity of my brand while introducing Indigenous-designed fashion at a more accessible price point. This new line will further our mission to amplify Indigenous representation in fashion and reach more customers who connect with our values of inclusivity, cultural pride, and mental wellness. What is your long term goal for the company? Over the next 3-5 years, my goal for Lesley Hampton is to establish the brand as a leading voice in Canadian and Indigenous fashion, with a strong focus on representation and inclusivity. I aim to showcase at major international fashion weeks, starting with New York Fashion Week, and become one of the first Indigenous designers to headline a solo show. Alongside this, I plan to invest in community initiatives to support the next generation of Indigenous designers and foster collaborations to amplify our collective voices. Ultimately, I want to create a lasting legacy that promotes inclusivity, mental wellness, and cultural pride in the fashion industry. Learn more about the Mastercard & Pier Five Small Business Fund, and discover the other 2024 recipients here .

2022 Recipient: Rise Arts Co. Introducing Rise Arts Co., one of the five recipients of the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund 2022! Who: Shivani Sen Where: Vancouver, BC Instagram / Website Founded in 2021 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Rise Arts Company strives to offer a fun, lively & professional training environment. Shivani is committed to providing world-class training by passionate and experienced faculty to constantly heighten not only Rise Arts Co's student’s skills, growth and love for the arts, but both soft and technical hard skills used in everyday life. A key goal at Rise is to provide a safe, welcoming and accepting space for all aspiring artists to step out of their comfort zones & be themselves! Although Rise is an arts company offering programs in both visual and performing arts, Shivani loves watching all Rise students grow with excellence as artists and most importantly, as people in her community. She hopes to provide a space where artists of all levels are able to find a creative outlet to pursue their passions for the arts. How will you use the $10,000 CAD for your business? The $10,000 fund has allowed me to bring on some incredible people who have formed the first ever, Rise Arts Co. team and faculty. These instructors will lead our programs which has allowed me to scale to more areas in the lower mainland. The fund has also helped lease my first space, which is our first Rise Arts studio. The future of small business in Canada is bright and growing!" Learn more about the Mastercard & Pier Five Small Business Fund, and discover the other 2022 recipients here .

Building Your Own Spaces With Monday Girl The job market is a complex one to navigate but if one thing is certain, it's that results won't come without effort. For Rachel Wong & Istiana Bestari, when the market wasn't giving them what they needed to find their next big opportunity, they took matters into their own hands and developed the tools they needed to succeed. Quickly identified as a solution for a major gap in the market, Rachel & Istiana launched Monday Girl, a networking, events and digital platform to help women navigate the workforce and it's been a major success ever since. Now taking their 6-year side hustle full time, we got the chance to speak to the co-founders about their journey and expert tips, from networking to brand partnerships. Read below! Today, Monday Girl has become such an empowering place for women in the workforce. What was the motivation for starting the platform? Istiana: We built the platform that we wished we had, to solve a problem that we were struggling with. When we first met, we were both fresh to Toronto. We didn't know anyone and were trying to get our foot in the door. Rachel: All these rooms that I would walk into, I just felt, wow, I'm very much like the "only", whether it's the only woman, person of colour, or both. I was not getting any shortage of advice but it was a lot of advice that wasn't applicable for myself as a young woman of colour entering the workplace for the very first time. Istiana: For me, I remember attending so many networking events and just very quickly realizing how most networking events were not designed with women in mind. Typically, they were so exhausting. They were awkward. Also, I struggled with connecting with people on LinkedIn and I remember ranting to Rachel when we first met and she felt the same way. Rachel: In that same chat, we came up with the name of Monday Girl. We came up with the next action plans, and then we split up responsibilities. We were at it. You two seem like great business partners. How have you nurtured and grown your own relationship with each other over the years? Istiana: We really are each other's biggest cheerleaders. I don't think either of us could do this by ourselves and every day we're constantly hyping each other up. I think that's really important with having a co-founder is being each other's support systems celebrating our wins together. Rachel: I remember so many times where, for example, Istiana crushes it on a call or nails a presentation and I'm always just so proud of her and it goes both ways when I do things well. We really just hear each other out and hype each other up and that's helped us be such strong business partners. At least on the outside looking in, you seem very busy. Now that you're both in this full time, how do you keep it exciting and fun and not just feeling like a job? Rachel: Every so often, we get this really amazing message from one of our members about something that Monday Girl helped them with, whether that's overcoming a really tricky job situation where they had to deal with micro-aggressions at work or hearing that they used our resources to get a job or a mentor to get a referral. All these things keeps us going. Istiana: Another thing that's really important for us in keeping this excitement and momentum is that what we decide to do is always stuff that we're excited about. We're always planning things that we would love to attend, that we want to go to ourselves, all projects that we're excited about. It definitely is very hard work but it makes it a lot easier when we're building something that we're excited about. Y ou’ve done a really good job working with some major global brands and organizations on events and content for your community. How do you approach getting partnerships like that? Rachel: The first thing I'd say is don't be afraid to get ghosted and constantly reach out. After a certain point, people will get back to you and you just have to be okay with being persistent. Cold emails still work. The second piece is show that you put some level of thought - and it doesn't have to be super comprehensive or a full proposal - into your outreach and articulate how it can help the partner achieve their KPIs. If there's a specific collection or campaign that they're putting out, and you think there's a really strong synergy, talk to that in that very first sentence. People don't have the attention span to read through a long email, so just make that your only point if you have a point. The the third piece of advice is just to keep maintaining and building and give back where you can. Even if it's not always a paid thing, support the brands when you can. I think brands really remember that and that's when they want to work long term with. That's great advice! Lastly, what's a key networking tip you have for anyone that is looking for a new job? Istiana: A lot of people think, when they're starting out, "how can I connect with the CEO of my dream company?" and you're always looking for the most senior person in the room. Later, you'll realize that the most valuable people to network with are your peers. Start with the network that you already have. Tap into the people that you already know because there's a lot of connections there, whether it's your alumni, like clubs, sports teams. Rachel: Those are the people that as you grow, they grow with you and they're going to be able and have much more bandwidth than a CEO to actually help you and connect you with those openings or those roles when they do come up. I'd also say, don't be afraid to do this in an industry agnostic way too. Sometimes we think, "I'm in fashion and I'm only going to network to people in fashion". The reality is they're probably not going to tell you something opens up because they're going to want to go for it. However, if you're networking with people in different industries, there's a little bit more of a gap, so finding open spaces like that can be helpful. Make sure to check out Monday Girl for news about their events and mentor opportunities and keep it locked to Pier Five for more conversations with small business founders.

2024 Recipient: ImaginAble Solutions Explore the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund Introducing ImaginAble Solutions, one of the ten recipients of the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund 2024! Founder: Lianna Genovese Location: Toronto, ON Discover ImaginAble Solutions online: Website // Instagram About ImaginAble Solutions ImaginAble Solutions is a women-led social impact company transforming assistive technology to improve the lives of children and adults with hand disabilities. Its flagship product, Guided Hands , is a patented mobile support system designed to help individuals with limited hand mobility write, draw, and use technology independently. By shifting control to gross motor skills in the shoulder and featuring ambidextrous handpieces, the device accommodates various levels of hand spasticity and tone. Guided Hands is widely used in classrooms, hospitals, and nursing homes, promoting communication, creativity, rehabilitation, and independence. Viral videos highlighting its transformative impact have driven sales in 22 countries, with plans to expand to Australia and the UK in 2026. Support from the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund will help ImaginAble Solutions scale manufacturing, enhance outreach in the U.S. education sector, and grow its sponsorship program to provide Guided Hands devices to families in need, breaking down financial barriers and advancing accessibility. How will the fund make an impact with your business? With support from the Mastercard x Pier Five Fund, ImaginAble Solutions will dedicate $5,000 to launch the Guided Hands sponsorship program, providing assistive devices to low-income families, and $5,000 to expand manufacturing capacity in Hamilton with additional 3D printers. The sponsorship program was recently announced during the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards, where founder Lianna Genovese received the Respect Award alongside Shaquille O’Neal. This announcement will create a powerful platform to raise awareness and support for the initiative among philanthropists and celebrities. Expanding production in Hamilton will enable ImaginAble Solutions to meet growing demand while keeping Guided Hands proudly made in Canada. What is your long term goal for the company? Within 3-5 years, ImaginAble Solutions aims to have Guided Hands in every school across Canada and the United States, ensuring students with limited hand mobility can access quality education and self-expression. The company plans to leverage Educational Service Agencies (ESAs), which receive federal funding to purchase assistive technology for classrooms, as a key entry point into the education market. By working with ESAs, which act as bulk purchasers for over 115,000 schools, ImaginAble Solutions can tap into a $97M market opportunity and significantly improve the learning experiences of students with hand disabilities. Learn more about the Mastercard & Pier Five Small Business Fund, and discover the other 2024 recipients here .