Jennifer Harper Cheekbone Beauty
A ‘beauty-preneur’ from St. Catharines, ON believes additional funding will lay the foundation for her glowing social enterprise that promotes education for Indigenous youth.
To help Jenn Harper in her mission, the Desjardins GoodSpark program contributed $50,000 to Cheekbone Beauty along with a $20,000 worth of financial business service fees. By 2020, this contribution will allow Jenn Harper to create scholarships for Indigenous children through the Emily Paul foundation (named after her grandmother).
Lior Ohayon & Aaron Spivak Hush Blanket
A duo from Toronto, ON seek additional funding to energize their giveback initiative that provides children with disabilities and dispossessed adults the opportunity for a better night’s sleep.
To support Lior Ohayon and Aaron Spivak in their giveback initiative, Desjardins’ GoodSpark program donated $100,000 to Hush to increase the amount of blankets donated to children with disabilities, terminal illnesses or living in poverty, and to adults with disabilities or living in homeless shelters. Hush currently donates 1 weighted children’s blanket for every 5 sold, and 1 adult blanket for every 10 that it sells. Thanks to Desjardins’ contribution, Hush plans to double those numbers by 2020. They currently work with 25 charities in the GTA region.
Fatima Sultan & Amna Sultan Two Sisters on a Mission
Two of Canada’s youngest social entrepreneurs from Brampton, ON believe additional funding will promote social engagement by helping them empower artists from remote communities.
To help sisters Fatima and Amna Sultan build awareness of their online art store and recruit more talented artists from remote parts of the world, the Desjardins GoodSpark program donated $20,000 to Two Sisters on a Mission. “This will help us give a voice to artists who are forgotten by the world,” says Fatima.
Richa Gupta Good Food for Good
Former food marketing exec from Toronto, ON seeks to grow awareness of her healthy condiment company’s unique “buy one feed one” model, helping to provide meals to over 225,000 people in need and counting.
To support Richa Gupta’s mission to reduce hunger, Desjardins’ GoodSpark program contributed $70,000 to Good Food for Good, with the goal of raising awareness for her business. The fast-growing company donates a meal to those in need for every one of its organic ketchup and sauces sold, and so far has donated 250,000 meals. Their ultimate goal is to feed 1 million people by 2020.
Alexandra Lorusso & Lindsay Lorusso Nudnik Nudnik
‘Twin-preneurs’ from Toronto, ON seek additional funding to inspire sustainability by transforming textile waste into zero waste clothing for kids that parents can feel good about.
To support twin sisters Lindsay and Alex Lorusso in their mission to upcycle textile waste and help build awareness of their colourful, high-quality unisex children’s T-shirts, The Desjardins GoodSpark program contributed $25,000 to Nudnik. This will help the company grow and thereby reduce the textile waste that ends up in landfills