What is your business called and what does it do?

Our business is called Jöey Nordic Seed Crisps, and we are a clean-label seed crisp that is powered by 7 super seeds, including watermelon seeds, offering 22g of protein and 13g of fibre per bag. We’re USDA Organic, gluten-free, vegan, nut-free, kosher, and strictly avoid seed oils, hitting every requirement for the modern, health-conscious shopper.

What made you want to do this work?

Over the last 15 years, I have worked for several global food & beverage companies such as Kraft, Unilever, Hershey, McDonald’s, and Mondelez International as a consumer strategist, understanding how and what consumers want to eat and drink.

What problem did you want to solve with the business?

My trip to beautiful Sweden in 2019 inspired me to create Jöey Nordic Seed Crisps. I discovered crisp bread on the trip, but most crisp bread is wheat-based, and given we are a gluten-free household, I decided to recreate crisp bread and make it gluten-free and better for you!

Who are your clientele/demographics?

Health-conscious foodies who value functional benefits and culinary elevation

How does your business make money? How does it work?

We sell in retail such as Loblaws, Farm Boy and Whole Foods, in natural grocery, also food service and directly to consumers.

Where in the city can we find your profession?

Our crackers can be found at multiple locations across the city, including Loblaws, Whole Foods, Real Canadian Superstores, Summerhill Markets, Farm Boy, Eataly, Healthy Planet and Nature’s Emporium.

What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.

What differentiates your brands from other healthy crackers on the market?

At Joëy, culinary exploration means drawing inspiration from ancient Nordic tradition and global food culture to create something truly unique.

We only work with rare, thoughtfully sourced, super premium ingredients such as Blue Salt, Truffle, and Saffron to develop a cracker that elevates your everyday snacking.

What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?

The best part of what we do is bringing to life a product that consumers genuinely love, and seeing the many ways they enjoy our crackers across different moments and occasions. The toughest part is the pace: we’re constantly on the go, which makes it challenging to carve out personal time. It means we have to be intentional about protecting our calendars and creating space for ourselves.

What is your favourite joke about your own profession?

We spent $40k on a consumer focus group just to confirm that people, indeed, like things that taste good and cost less

Where can we follow you?

Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | Website

PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?

We are huge fans of Pod Squad! They make crispy waffle bites made with organic beans, whole-grain oats, and milled flax seeds, high in protein, fiber and all natural!

The post Homegrown Business: Joseph Chen of Jöey Nordic Seed Crisps appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

What is your business called and what does it do?

Boodles of Baskets is a Canadian, woman-owned gift basket company that creates and delivers handcrafted gift baskets across Canada. We specialize in gourmet, corporate, baby, and personalized gifts designed for all occasions.

What made you want to do this work?

I started the business so I could be available for my children while they were growing up, while still building something meaningful of my own. It grew beyond all my expectations and imaginations!

What problem did you want to solve with the business?

I wanted to make it easy for people to send thoughtful, high-quality gifts that feel personal and arrive beautifully presented, especially when they can’t be there in person.

Who are your clientele/demographics?

Our customers include individuals sending personal gifts as well as businesses across Canada managing corporate gifting programs, employee recognition, and client appreciation.

How does your business make money? How does it work?

Customers order gifts and gift baskets through our website or corporate ordering process. We design, assemble, and ship each gift and basket from our location in Ontario, with Canada-wide delivery, including multi-address corporate orders.

Where in the city can we find your profession?

We are based in Windsor, Ontario, and operate as an online business serving customers across Canada.

What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.

What will the gift actually look like when it arrives?”

The answer should be: exactly as shown or better, with careful packaging and attention to detail so it arrives fresh, secure, and presentation-ready.

What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?

The best part is knowing our gifts help people connect and celebrate important moments, even from a distance. The worst part is dealing with factors outside our control, like bad weather.

What is your favourite joke about your own profession?

We don’t just think outside the box — we build the box, fill it, wrap it, and ship it across the country

Where can we follow you?

Website | Instagram

PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?

SAKSCO Gourmet Basket Supplies

The post Homegrown Business: Cherylann Stachow of Boodles of Baskets appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

What is your business called and what does it do?

Our business is called Amino, and it’s an AI-powered nutrition app that helps people better understand what they’re eating. Instead of manually logging food or trying to interpret complicated nutrition labels at the grocery store, users can simply take a photo of their meal or scan a barcode with their phone and instantly receive nutritional insights.

Since launching in September 2025, the platform has grown quickly, surpassing 100,000 users and more than 2 million meals scanned, with 40,000+ meals now being analyzed each day.

The goal is to make nutrition tracking easier and more accessible so people can make better food decisions in their everyday lives.

What made you want to do this work?

I’ve always been interested in building technology that people actually use in their daily routines. Nutrition is something everyone thinks about, but most tools for tracking food have historically been frustrating or time-consuming to use.

When AI image recognition started getting good enough to identify foods from photos, it became clear there was an opportunity to remove a lot of the friction from nutrition tracking.

What problem did you want to solve with the business?

Traditional nutrition apps require people to manually log every ingredient they eat, which is tedious and usually leads people to stop using them.

We wanted to solve that problem by making the process almost effortless. If someone can simply take a photo of their meal or scan a barcode, and immediately understand what they’re eating, they’re much more likely to stay engaged and make informed decisions.

Who are your clientele/demographics?

Our users range widely, but generally, they’re people who want to be more mindful about their health and nutrition.

That includes people trying to improve their fitness, individuals managing specific dietary goals, and everyday consumers who simply want to understand their food better. We’ve seen strong adoption across both Canada and the United States. Amino is great because it appeals to such a wide audience. People of all ages, genders, ethnicities, and backgrounds love using Amino!

How does your business make money? How does it work?

Amino is free to use, with no subscriptions, paywalls, or hidden fees for our core features. Anyone can scan their meals and instantly receive nutritional insights.

Over time, we plan to introduce optional premium tools for users who want deeper analytics, advanced tracking, and more personalized insights to support specific health and wellness goals.

Where in the city can we find your profession?

We’re based in Toronto, but the nature of building a technology platform means our work happens both locally and globally. Much of the development and strategy work happens here in the city, while the app itself is used by people all over the world.

What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.

A great question to ask is: “Will I actually keep using this product after the first week?”

The biggest challenge with nutrition apps historically has been user retention because manual logging is time-consuming. Tools that make the experience faster and simpler tend to be the ones people stick with. We currently have 40,000+ meals being scanned every day, with a high number of active users who continue using Amino as part of their daily routine.

What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?

The best part is seeing people use something you’ve built to improve their daily habits. When users tell us the app helped them better understand their food choices, that’s incredibly rewarding.

The hardest part is that building consumer technology requires constant iteration. You’re always learning from users and improving the product, which means the work never really stops.

What is your favourite joke about your own profession?

A classic one in tech is:

“It works on my phone.”

It’s a reminder that building software often involves solving problems you didn’t know existed five minutes earlier.

Where can we follow you?

Instagram | TikTok

You can learn more about Amino at aminoapp.com, and the app is available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store: aminoapp.com/download

PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?

I really like Lightbulb Daily, which was created by another Toronto entrepreneur. Right now, you can sign up for their free newsletter, and every morning at 8 am, you’ll receive one clear thought to start your day, paired with a wallpaper designed to stay with you. Lightbulb is going to be a really cool app that’s set to launch later this year to help other entrepreneurs act on their business ideas.

The post Homegrown Business: Andrew Shore of Amino appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

What is your business called and what does it do?

Isola Serena, a private luxury villa in Chianti, Tuscany, that can accommodate up to 23 people, and offers a beautiful opportunity to explore Tuscany.

What made you want to do this work?

My husband fell in love with Tuscany over 20 years ago and travelled there every summer for vacation. When we started dating, he brought me to Tuscany for the first time, and I instantly fell in love with the beautiful rolling hill views, the community, the food, the wine and the culture. We rented villas every year, but there was always something that didn’t quite meet all the criteria we were looking for, and we decided our dream was to build and restore a villa ourselves and make it completely our own. In 2013, we searched property listings online and came across a farmhouse ruin that was part of a castle in 1077, and it had the most breathtaking views of the Tuscan countryside. We purchased it and started our Tuscan restoration journey to build our dream home, starting small, and expanding it year over year – as it now stands, Isola Serena is a world-class, private luxury resort and one of the largest villas in Chianti!

What problem did you want to solve with the business?

Many villas in Tuscany are hundreds of years old and have preserved their architecture and authenticity, but they lack the comforts of home we enjoy in North America. We wanted to build a villa that preserved Tuscan culture, artisanal traditions, and craftsmanship, while complementing them with modern amenities and furniture. With the most breathtaking views in the Tuscany countryside, Isola Serena has 1 main house and 2 guesthouses that include 10 bedrooms all with ensuite bathrooms and sleeps up to 23 people, AC/heating temperature-controlled -panels in every room, strong wifi throughout the entire property, a fully stocked chef’s kitchen, large infinity pool, small heated plunge pool, and more. This is very unique and special for luxury villa rentals in Tuscany, and it makes for a very comfortable experience for our guests to enjoy a week in the Tuscan paradise!

Who are your clientele/demographics?

The demographic skews older – 40s and above, families or large groups who are celebrating a special occasion, or we get a lot of big families looking for a comfortable getaway in Tuscany.

How does your business make money? How does it work?

As Toronto natives, my husband and I travel back and forth to Tuscany with our two young boys, but we rent the villa year-round when we’re not there. For 2026, the villa rents for $34,800 CAD per week in high season and for $28K CAD per week in low season. This year, we are already almost fully booked for the season, with only a couple of weeks remaining!

Where in the city can we find your profession?

We have a home office in Toronto where we are in constant contact with our Italian contractors, vendors, and partners who help operate and maintain our property overseas. We also handle all marketing, social media, bookings, partnerships, and client experiences from Toronto. We have a local Tuscan property manager on-site who checks our guests in and out and is available to them 24/7 while they’re there.

What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.

Can you tell me why I should travel to Tuscany and what is unique about your villa?

Tuscany is one of those places, unlike anywhere else in the world, that will change you, ground you, and reset you. The villa is also located in one of the most charming towns, Castellina in Chianti, which is centred around community, slow living and an appreciation of the culture – the land, the food, the wine, the olive oil, and of course, the people. At Isola Serena, with the incredible rolling hills and 360 panoramic views, it’s a place to slow down, relax, and recharge all while having the modern comforts and amenities you enjoy from home, spending time with the people you love.

What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?

The best part: there is nothing more rewarding than having guests thank us for the best week of their lives and sharing how special the villa was and how they created memories they will never forget! It makes every hard or challenging moment worth it and is the reason why we share our home and do what we do.

The worst part: managing an Italian property from Toronto and dealing with all the trades and contractors to continually maintain the huge grounds – there is always something that needs fixing or updating, and it is home ownership on a completely different level!

What is your favourite joke about your own profession?

When people tell us we don’t need to work anymore because we own a Tuscan villa! The operating costs and work involved in running and maintaining such a large property, and ensuring we provide the best experience for our guests, are a 24/7, full-time, around-the-clock job!

Where can we follow you?

Website | Instagram

PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?

Everist was founded by 2 women in Toronto who are close friends of mine, and it is a beauty brand that focuses on the first patent-pending waterless hair and body concentrates. Sustainability is their “why” and central to how they formulate, package and push beauty forward. Their products are amazing and fit a whole bottle of shampoo and conditioner into a 100ml, travel-friendly, aluminum tube – perfect for travelling to Isola Serena!

The post Homegrown Business: Serena Kalen of Kalen Properties appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

What is your business called and what does it do?

Toronto Adventures, a kayak, canoe, paddle board rental company that offers live shows, classes and more!

What made you want to do this work?

I am a producer, and my cousin is an entrepreneur, and now we get to hand out, have fun and support the community!

What problem did you want to solve with the business?

We just wanted to create a unique cottage experience in the city. A lot of people can’t afford to leave the city so having even a taste of the cottage life can be very rejuvenating!

Who are your clientele/demographics?

All ages and all types!

How does your business make money? How does it work?

We charge for tickets to our shows, which include boat rentals and more. Classes and tours as well.

Where in the city can we find your profession?

On the Humber River, near the Toronto Humber Yacht Club.

What is the best part about what you do?

Nature, people, and enjoying the water while working out.

What is your favourite joke about your own profession?

Canoe just answer this question?

Where can we follow you?

@Torontoadventure | @Showsontheriver | @Dgspecialproductions

PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?

Rooms cafe on Dupont

The post Homegrown Business: Rosaire Cordina of Toronto Adventures appeared first on Toronto Guardian.