Stories, Resources & Founder Insights
From the latest cohort announcements to startup wisdom — keep up with all YSpace news in one place.
Featured
Our top pick — hand-selected from the YSpace community.
Meet the 2026 Inventor to Founder Fellowship Cohort
We’re thrilled to introduce this years Inventor to Founder Fellowship cohort! Powered by YSpace and the IP Innovation Clinic at 91ɫ, and funded by , this 13-week fellowship supports students, researchers, recent graduates, and faculty at the early stages of their entrepreneurial and commercialization journey.
Through expert mentorship, validation, MVP development, IP strategy, go-to-market support, and pitch preparation, this cohort will work toward transforming their ideas into investor-ready ventures. Get to know the 2026 Inventor to Founder Fellowship cohort below!
Algyy uses public art to capture and store urban carbon emissions, offering corporations, cities, and cultural institutions visible carbon capture within their own venues. Through rented and commissioned living sculptures, Algyy helps organizations showcase climate action that people can see, experience, and learn from. After three years and more than 10 pilots at venues such as The Power Plant and the City of Toronto, Algyy secured its first commercial client, IGM/Mackenzie Investments, confirmed for Earth Week 2026. Its carbon sequestration process is undisclosed, previously filed, and ready to advance with dedicated IP support.
Learn more .
Brain monitoring should not require a lab. Most existing systems are bulky, uncomfortable, and built for clinics, not real life. The venture is building a modular smart patch system that captures brain activity alongside key physiological signals, enabling high-quality, long-term monitoring in natural everyday settings. Its system pairs with an AI-powered platform to deliver actionable brain health insights for both healthcare providers and individual users. The venture is targeting sleep monitoring, neurological health, and consumer wellness — markets growing rapidly as demand for home-based brain health solutions accelerates. The venture is advancing toward a working prototype, patent filing, and clinical validation.
CarePair is a mobile GenAI-powered self-advocacy app for older adults during medical appointments. Many older adults feel dismissed or overwhelmed when pain, stress, or medication needs affect focus, and confidence. CarePair turns scattered support from trusted caregivers into a structured advocacy system. Before the visit, it collects symptoms, medications, and questions through a conversation and creates an appointment brief. During the visit, it helps the patient refer to their notes and suggests timely questions to ask. Caregivers can contribute through invitation-based access. CarePair helps older adults to advocate for themselves asking better questions, and leave with clarity and dignity.
Industrial sites face a monitoring dilemma: choose >$20,000 stations with massive data gaps, or affordable optical sensors that trigger false alarms. Crucially, optical sensors cannot distinguish highly toxic black carbon, originating from diesel exhaust, agricultural burning, and industrial facilities, from harmless dust. This causes costly work stoppages and compliance liabilities. The venture solves this with a proprietary, low-cost capacitive sensor. By using laser-induced graphene to shift detection to the electrophysical domain, its device uniquely isolates black carbon. This unprecedented selectivity enables dense networks that ensure compliance, protect worker health, and maintain seamless operations.
Current soil-water sensors are expensive, slow, and easily disrupted by electrical interference—creating a major data gap for geotechnical engineering and agriculture. The project solves this with a novel, low-cost sensor that uses U-shaped fiber optics to measure light transmission instead of electrical conductivity. This approach delivers fast, continuous, and highly reliable soil-water data that is completely immune to soil salinity. Early testing has already demonstrated a strong, proven correlation between its optical response and soil-water behavior. This fellowship will provide the critical resources needed to validate its prototype against standard methods and accelerate its development into a market-ready product.
2D materials like graphene hold immense potential, but their mass adoption is bottlenecked by toxic, slow, and expensive production methods. The venture has developed a completely solvent-free technology that cuts production time from hours to seconds, bringing costs down from $100 to under $20 per kilogram. The venture is targeting the sustainable concrete market first, where adding just a tiny fraction of its nanosheets boosts structural strength by 30% and cuts carbon-heavy cement usage by 20%.
Dragoncure is a science-backed nutraceutical designed to reduce chemotherapy side effects and improve patient quality of life. The venture works with oncologists and patients to integrate a clinically-informed supplement into cancer care, enhancing treatment adherence and outcomes. With early pilot validation and growing clinical interest, Dragoncure bridges the gap between nutrition and oncology and offers a scalable, accessible solution for millions undergoing chemotherapy globally.
University students fail exams not from lack of effort but from lack of realistic practice. Exetasy generates professor-style practice exams from a student's own syllabus: timed, AI-proctored, and instantly graded with question-level feedback. It's the first time students practice under real exam conditions before the real exam. For CS students, auto-marked coding labs evaluate correctness, time complexity, and edge cases. A built-in AI interview coach scores mock interviews across five dimensions in real time. One platform. Three tools. Zero excuses. Freemium: three free sessions per month. Pro at $12/month. Canada's 1.2 million university students. Starting at 91ɫ.
Learn more .
FiberTrap is a washing-machine filtration technology engineered to capture laundry microplastics at the source — the largest single source of ocean microplastic pollution. Developed out of PhD research in microplastic transport, the design is numerically validated and moving to bench prototyping. Twenty customer interviews pivoted FiberTrap’s positioning from eco-gadget to scientifically validated filtration and surfaced a dual path: a DIY retrofit unit that generates performance data and demand signal, and an OEM-ready integrated module for the 160M+ washing machines sold annually. FiberTrap is building the protectable technical asset the appliance industry will need before regulators force the change.
Learn more .
GreenShade is a precision agriculture technology company helping small-to-mid-sized farms make smarter, data-driven decisions. GreenShade builds affordable, solar-powered sensor nodes that monitor soil and weather conditions in real time, even in remote areas using LoRa connectivity. Its platform combines this data with machine learning to deliver actionable insights on crop suitability, yield optimization, and resource efficiency. Unlike expensive, complex systems, GreenShade focuses on simplicity, accessibility, and sustainability. By empowering farmers with accurate, localized intelligence, GreenShade helps increase productivity, reduce waste, and support more resilient food systems across Canada and beyond.
Learn more .
GreenVeil Packaging is developing patent-backed biodegradable solutions for food and agriculture, including nursery plugs, plantable pots, and fruit blister trays. Its technology combines lignin-based biocomposites, pulp and cellulose fibre structures, and tunable surface coatings to replace plastic with products that perform in real-use conditions and degrade more appropriately after use. GreenVeil Packaging addresses two major problems: plastic waste in food and agricultural systems, and the lack of cost-effective biodegradable alternatives suited for industrial adoption. GreenVeil Packaging has already filed a U.S. provisional patent, is preparing a PCT filing, and is advancing a second patentable product structure.
Learn more .
Canada's 100,000+ solo mental health practitioners waste up to 15 hours a week on fragmented, costly, and non-compliant tools. HazelCare is an AI-powered, privacy-first practice management platform that consolidates scheduling, documentation, billing, and telehealth into a single PHIPA-compliant environment hosted in Canada. Its AI layer automates clinical note generation and predicts patient no-shows, reducing administrative burden and revenue loss. Built with equity-deserving communities and validated through a Connected Minds Phase I award, its prototype is live at app.hazelcare.ca. HazelCare is seeking the YSpace Fellowship to validate its SaaS revenue model and launch commercially.
Learn more .
Heptonium is a logic-driven learning platform where educators design lesson pathways that automatically diagnose foundational gaps through Socratic questioning, branch into personalized remediation, and collect rich mastery data, all on autopilot. This holistic approach caters to varying intelligence types and temporal needs of students. Teachers become elite coaches that empower students to access performance intelligence like an athlete.
Learn more .
Hochela Limited is an intelligent vetting engine that matches landlords with compatible tenants based on preferences, financial profiles, and background checks. By aligning interests, financial expectations, and behavioral patterns, Hochela Limited helps reduce bias in the rental process while fostering more stable and harmonious landlord-tenant relationships. Powered by a continuously evolving learning algorithm, its platform enhances trust, improves communication, and supports long-term satisfaction for both parties in the rental ecosystem.
Learn more .
Jax Lab Naturals develops science-backed natural therapeutics from everyday agri-derived bioactives. Jax Lab Naturals fuses Caribbean herbal medicine traditions with Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry, and AI molecular modeling to create accessible solutions for chronic conditions disproportionately affecting women of African descent.
Maple Mind Academy is a robotics education company building a scalable, platform-driven solution for schools and families. Maple Mind Academy delivers competition-aligned robotics & software through a white-label model that combines standardized curriculum, a proprietary digital teaching platform. Schools adopt advanced robotics education without developing in-house expertise, while students gain real engineering skills beyond kit-based learning. Its revenue model spans school contracts, direct student enrollment, recurring platform subscriptions, and hardware services, positioning Maple Mind Academy as infrastructure for robotics education rather than a single program provider.
Learn more .
The venture develops scalable decision-support platforms for transportation systems. Building on prior deployments with public agencies, the venture is developing a new product that enables planners to simulate and evaluate network disruptions, such as road closures and construction staging, over time. By integrating demand assignment with adaptive routing behavior, the platform reveals system-wide impacts on congestion and rerouting, allowing users to compare scenarios and identify least-disruptive strategies. The goal is to make complex network planning fast, interactive, and deployable across cities.
Learn more .
Oarbh is a clinical-grade medical engine that transforms any camera-enabled device into a professional health monitor with zero physical contact. After witnessing his brother’s heart attack, the founder saw the daily struggle of managing vitals through cumbersome, noise-prone wearables. Oarbh has engineered a software-only solution that delivers stable results in seconds with clinical precision, eliminating the "sensor noise" inherent in hardware. Oarbh is democratizing oversight for 6 million Canadians and 1.2 billion cardiac patients worldwide, making life-saving health monitoring as accessible as a selfie. Oarbh isn’t just tracking vitals; it is closing the remote care gap.
Oculi Labs is advancing cataract care with a next-generation intraocular lens designed to prevent post-surgical complications. While over 500,000 cataract surgeries occur annually in Canada, patients remain at risk of infection and posterior capsule opacification, issues largely unaddressed by current innovations. Its proprietary, patent-pending lens integrates antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties to improve outcomes, particularly for aging populations. Led by a clinically trained founder with direct surgical experience, Oculi Labs is pursuing both licensing and commercialization pathways to bring this solution to market and redefine standards in post-cataract care.
Construction projects suffer from the inability to resolve site blockers in real time. While manufacturing uses automated intelligence/operational visibility to fix issues instantly, construction relies on manual, retroactive reporting that leaves management 24-48 hours behind the execution floor. OCX's SiteHub eliminates this latency by digitizing the site’s existing radio communications. Unlike mobile apps that violate safety regulations and distract workers, SiteHub integrates into mobile radios. When a foreman verbalizes a constraint over their secure AI Channel, the edge device securely captures the audio, and the cloud AI instantly pushes a structured alert to the manager's office for immediate intervention.
Polaris is an AI search operator. Polaris helps B2B brands and agencies show up correctly across ChatGPT, Google AI, and Perplexity. Most tools stop at reporting visibility on a dashboard. Polaris closes the loop: it monitors where a brand is missing or misrepresented, diagnoses why, and generates the pages, proof sections, and comparison content that fix it. The core product is built and used by paying customers today. Its next expansion is ICP-based monitoring, which simulates multi-turn buyer conversations and surfaces gaps that single-prompt tracking can't catch.
Learn more .
Modern military and industrial operations are increasingly constrained by GNSS-denied environments where positioning and situational awareness break down. The venture is building a GNSS-independent autonomous drone swarm system that enables real-time mapping and coordination without relying on GPS or external infrastructure.
Learn more .
Every GTA commuter knows this: they are stuck in traffic wondering if they should have taken transit, or waiting at a delayed station wishing they had driven. Reroute solves this by comparing transit, driving, and hybrid routes side-by-side that is optimized for speed, cost, or stress. Reroute uses ML to predict transit delays and calculate true costs including parking, gas, and PRESTO fares. Its stress score factors transfers, weather, and real-time traffic. No other app does this. The result? People make smarter commute choices, transit becomes less intimidating, and Reroute reduces unnecessary car trips across the GTA.
Learn more .
Redsticker helps pet stores grow revenue and improve customer experience through online grooming bookings, discounted product listings, and smarter store operations. Its platform lets local pet retailers accept grooming appointments online, promote deals to nearby pet parents, and reduce manual work around store management. For customers, Redsticker makes pet care more affordable and convenient by connecting them with trusted local stores. Redsticker is currently piloting with Pet Valu locations in Ontario and already seeing customer bookings and marketplace interest as it continues validating demand and expanding its platform.
Learn more .
LABonWEB is an AI-driven simulation platform transforming STEM education by making complex, high-fidelity simulations accessible without requiring advanced technical expertise. Universities can deliver interactive, hands-on learning experiences that replicate real-world systems, helping students build practical skills beyond theory. By automating simulation setup and analysis with AI, LABonWEB reduces cost, complexity, and barriers to access—enabling scalable, industry-aligned education that better prepares students for modern engineering and scientific challenges.
Learn more .
ClearAE is an AI-powered safety intelligence layer for clinical trials that detects hidden safety signals earlier and reduces variability in adverse event interpretation. Today, safety review is manual, inconsistent, and slow, leading to missed risks and costly delays. ClearAE integrates with existing trial systems to analyze patterns across patients, sites, and time, flagging potential safety concerns in real time. By improving signal detection and decision confidence, ClearAE helps sponsors make faster, safer clinical decisions and reduces the risk of late-stage trial failure.
Most people spend 8+ hours a day in front of a screen. Nobody's watching what that's doing to their posture and vision in real time. Visionaryth is a desktop wellness app that uses a laptop's webcam to track posture, screen distance, blink rate, and head position as people work. No wearable required. The app runs locally, gives real-time reminders, and sends de-identified data to a cloud dashboard that optometrists can use to flag patients at risk. Visionaryth has built the working prototype, designed a HIPAA-ready AWS architecture, and has 3 optometrists interested in piloting it.
Learn more .
Car theft costs North Americans $8 billion a year. Major insurers are already mandating aftermarket anti-theft devices and removing premium surcharges for approved hardware. The venture has built a two factor authentication but for your car. A hardware and software concoction that can retrofit into any car, allowing it to detect and deter theft in real time. It also decrypts and reads live vehicle data in seconds (AI) and streams it to a mobile app. The venture has advisors from Subaru Canada, Toyota Tsusho, the PrevCTO of Apma & Lead of project arrow and has joined over 7+ programs raising $63,500 in non-dilutive funding.
Learn more .
AirWear is a wearable air pollution sensing system that measures real-time exposure to fine particulate pollution. Combined with the MyAirWear website, AirWear maps hyperlocal pollution patterns across daily movement, revealing hidden hotspots missed by traditional monitoring. Designed for individuals, researchers, and municipalities, the system generates actionable data to reduce exposure and support targeted urban interventions.
WearDOXX is a non-invasive wearable diagnostic platform that addresses the critical problem of delayed disease detection caused by the friction of traditional testing methods. Using a simple sweat patch, smartphone integration, and AI-driven analysis, WearDOXX delivers real-time health insights without needles, clinic visits, or additional hardware. By enabling early detection of conditions like inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, WearDOXX improves outcomes and reduces healthcare costs. Currently in the advanced prototype stage, the technology has achieved over 95% validation against lab standards and is progressing through regulatory pathways toward deployment.
Learn more .
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YSpace News & Updates →
The latest from YSpace — program announcements, community news, and updates from across our ecosystem.
YSpace at 91ɫ Commemorates Alfred Anucha Award, Honours Four Remarkable Entrepreneurs
In a groundbreaking move to champion innovation and uplift Black entrepreneurs, the winners of the innovative Alfred Anucha Award in Entrepreneurship have been announced.
YSpace, the thriving hub for entrepreneurship and innovation at 91ɫ, recently celebrated the inaugural recipients of the Alfred Anucha Award, a landmark initiative in collaboration with the Anucha Family and The Black Entrepreneurship Alliance, supporting Black entrepreneurs. The award that was announced in honour of Alfred Anucha, serves as a testament to YSpace's commitment to fostering creativity, innovation, and diversity within its entrepreneurial community.
Alfred Anucha, the founder of Stay Ulo and a former 91ɫ student, left an indelible mark on those who knew him. In a recent ceremony unveiling the award, Adanna Anucha, Alfred’s sister, shared Alfred's guiding mantra, “‘Bet on yourself. Bet on the future,’” emphasizing its alignment with the Alfred Anucha Award's vision.
Meet the Trailblazing Winners:
Winner #1:
Beko Foods Inc, a hot sauce company, aims to bring a unique flavor to the market with its Nigerian Canadian tomato and scotch bonnet product line. The founder, born prematurely, shared a poignant connection to Alfred Anucha's legacy and plans to use the award funds for upgrading their online presence and packaging.
Winner #2:
Scooli, a web app designed to assist teachers in automating administrative tasks, has made significant strides in the education technology space. The founder, who delved into coding to streamline administrative work, highlighted their achievements and the award's potential impact in reaching more teachers.
Winner #3:
Yekola Inc, a language learning app focusing on African languages, stands out with its unique approach to language preservation within the African diaspora. The founders, Joelle and her partner, shared their personal journey and emphasized the importance of preserving African languages. The award will further develop their mobile app MVP.
Winner #4:
La Fleur Digital, Canada's leading hassle-free web design agency, empowers startups with custom, user-friendly websites. The founder, inspired by a project for his mother's company, envisions using the award funds for technology, professional development, marketing, and community outreach.
Collaboration for Positive Change
YSpace, expressed gratitude for the generous donation made by the Anucha Family that made the award possible. David Kwok, Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at YSpace, reflected on the collaboration, stating, "We are so excited to be working with the Anucha family to deliver this award and support young Black founders. This award will not only provide financial support but also an opportunity for us to drive positive change in the community. We look forward to continuing our joint efforts to create greater impact for the years to come." Olusegun Villasa, Black Entrepreneurship Alliance Manager, also emphasized the significance of the award, stating, "The award not only provides valuable resources but also serves as a catalyst for growth, enabling us to further strengthen the community's resources. As we continue our joint efforts, the Black Entrepreneurship Alliance sees this award as a pivotal moment, deepening our roots in the community and extending our dedication to fostering success and resilience among Black entrepreneurs for the long term."
As these four outstanding entrepreneurs embark on their journey with the support of the Alfred Anucha Award, YSpace remains committed to nurturing a diverse and impactful entrepreneurial ecosystem. The collaborative efforts with the Anucha family showcase the power of partnerships in driving positive change within the community and honoring the legacy of visionary entrepreneurs like Alfred Anucha.
AI startup NLPatent secures first-place at YSpace Technology Accelerator Demo Day
YSpace, 91ɫ’s pan-university entrepreneurship hub, held one of its flagship events, the YSpace Technology Accelerator Demo Day, on the evening of Sep. 29th. At the invite only event, the top three startups in the accelerator program were awarded $30,000 total to be split among them, with AI technology startup NLPatent securing the top prize.
Five high performing finalists were chose from this year’s cohort of 15 startups to participate in the Technology Accelerator Demo Day: ,,, Ի
The YSpace Technology Accelerator program is a 4-month intensive program focused on helping market-ready tech statups develop their growth playbook and capital strategies and helps tech startups gain access to dedicated mentorship from Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, growth coaches, and experts. They take part in workshop sprints, mastermind sessions to support their leadership developments, and curated mentorship support throughout the program.
“Accelerators and Incubators are a great resource for entrepreneurs who are looking to gain access to a network of mentors and tools to help grow their business. At YSpace, we are not only focused on providing strategic business support but also tactical support that focuses on what they need to do now to succeed. In addition to that, pitch competitions such as our Demo Days are a great way to showcase our companies to our community of investors and corporate partners, we hope that these competitions will create greater exposure for the companies and the cash prize is the cherry on top.” explained David Kwok, Associate Director of Entrepreneurship.
The Demo Day, sponsored by 91ɫ, the City of Toronto, Ace Beverage Group and Houser, Henry & Syron consisted of a pitch competition, a panel Q&A and an evening of networking and socializing for those who attended.
As for our winners, taking the top prize of $15,000 cash was , an AI tech startup whose platform is dedicated to aiding IP professionals and R&D teams.
NLPatent co-founder Stephanie Curcio shared her experience working with YSpace and being part of the Tech Accelerator program.
“YSpace has been super supportive of our business. We learned a ton from the various workshops that ran throughout the program on topics perfectly suited for companies at our stage, like developing a sales process, raising capital, and setting the business up to scale. We were also matched with a dedicated mentor who has been tremendously helpful in helping us attain our goals and position us to succeed. Last, but not least, the YSpace staff genuinely care about the startups in the program and have gone above and beyond for us during the program and continue to support us as new alumni. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in the YSpace Tech Accelerator program!”
Securing the second-place prize of $10,000 was , a personalized, fresh food solution for dogs and their owners.
The third-place prize worth $5,000 went to , a tech startup dedicated to building the future of API testing.
“The Tech Accelerator is a flagship program at YSpace, laying the foundations for high growth market ready startups to build and execute on their roadmap to scale. The Demo Day is an exciting opportunity to celebrate these startups, and particularly showcase some of the top performers in the program, creating exposure to investors and industry networks as they grow into the next phases of their companies.” said Nafis Ahmed, Entrepreneurship Manager at YSpace.
Congratulations to our winners and a huge shoutout to all finalists and participants of the Tech Accelerator program.
Government invests $3M in 91ɫ partnership supporting Black-led organizations
Government invests $3M in 91ɫ partnership supporting Black-led organizations
August 15, 2021
The Government of Canada has announced an investment of close to $3 million for the Black Creek Community Health Centre (BCCHC) and the Black Creek Community Farm, in partnership with 91ɫ’s Innovation 91ɫ’s YSpace, Schulich Executive Education Centre (SEEC), and TD-Community Engagement Centre, to support Black-Canadian entrepreneurs and businesses in Humber River-Black Creek. The funding comes as part of the federal government’s first-ever – an investment of more than $400-million to support the long-term success of Black entrepreneurs and business owners in Canada.
Black-Canadian business owners and entrepreneurs make important contributions to the Canadian economy, yet they continue to face systemic racism and obstacles in starting and growing their businesses. This has been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government of Canada is working to address long-standing barriers through the BEP.
Judy A. Sgro, member of parliament for Humber River-Black Creek on behalf of Mary Ng, minister of small business, export promotion and international trade, made the announcement Aug. 12. The funding will be delivered through the in North 91ɫ, which was created to strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem for Black entrepreneurs and business owners across Canada. In Southern Ontario, FedDev is administering the fund.
With the recommended funding of $2,999,431, BCCHC in partnership with 91ɫ, will launch an agri-food program called the Black Entrepreneurship Alliance (BEA), offering a full spectrum of education, mentorship and acceleration supports to Black entrepreneurs seeking to establish or grow agri-food businesses. Building off the success of the YSpace food and beverage accelerator, SEEC’s internationally renowned leadership curriculum, and TD-CEC’s continued commitment to community engagement, BEA will support more than 350 entrepreneurs over the course of the next three years. A graduate of the YSpace program, It’s Souper – an Afro-fusion gourmet soup and sauce line founded by Lola Adeyemi in 2018 – is an example of the type of entrepreneur the program will support.
“Today was a fantastic event that will offer great opportunities to through Black Creek Community Health Centre, and 91ɫ. It was also wonderful to meet the founder of It’s Souper, Lola Adeyemi. I’m excited to the potential and impacts this funding will provide for everyone involved,” said Sgro during the announcement.
“The Black Entrepreneurship Alliance will build on the Black Creek Community Health Centre’s leadership within the Black Creek community – as well as 91ɫ’s historic strengths in business, innovation, and entrepreneurship – to provide educational support and training to Black entrepreneurs,” said Amir Asif, 91ɫ’s vice-president research and innovation. “We look forward to continuing our long history of partnership with the Black Creek Community Health Centre in providing increased access to education and opportunities for members of the Black Creek community – and creating a fairer, more equitable and more prosperous city.”
About the Black Entrepreneurship Program (BEP)
- The Black Entrepreneurship Program (BEP) is a partnership between the Government of Canada, Black-led business organizations, post-secondary or other accredited educational institutions and financial institutions.
- Canada’s Regional Development Agencies deliver the BEP’s National Ecosystem Fund, and work with selected partner organizations to assist them in implementing their services.
- The is an over $400-million investment including:
- up to $53 million for the to support Black-led business organizations across the country. It will help Black business owners and entrepreneursaccess funding and capital and provide them with mentorship, financial planning services and business training. An additional $51.7 million for the BEP was provided in Budget 2021.
- up to $291.3 million in support through the Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund, which will provide loans of up to $250,000 for Black business owners and entrepreneurs.
- Up to $6.5 million for the , which will conduct qualitative and quantitative research and collect data on the state of Black entrepreneurship in Canada and help identify Black entrepreneurs’ barriers to success as well as opportunities for growth.
- Canada’s regional development agencies are on the ground helping businesses weather the effects of the pandemic. With the measures recently proposed in , FedDev Ontario continues to be a trusted partner to deliver targeted support in Southern Ontario
Cohort →
Meet the founders building the next generation of startups at YSpace.
Meet the 2026 Inventor to Founder Fellowship Cohort
We’re thrilled to introduce this years Inventor to Founder Fellowship cohort! Powered by YSpace and the IP Innovation Clinic at 91ɫ, and funded by , this 13-week fellowship supports students, researchers, recent graduates, and faculty at the early stages of their entrepreneurial and commercialization journey.
Through expert mentorship, validation, MVP development, IP strategy, go-to-market support, and pitch preparation, this cohort will work toward transforming their ideas into investor-ready ventures. Get to know the 2026 Inventor to Founder Fellowship cohort below!
Algyy uses public art to capture and store urban carbon emissions, offering corporations, cities, and cultural institutions visible carbon capture within their own venues. Through rented and commissioned living sculptures, Algyy helps organizations showcase climate action that people can see, experience, and learn from. After three years and more than 10 pilots at venues such as The Power Plant and the City of Toronto, Algyy secured its first commercial client, IGM/Mackenzie Investments, confirmed for Earth Week 2026. Its carbon sequestration process is undisclosed, previously filed, and ready to advance with dedicated IP support.
Learn more .
Brain monitoring should not require a lab. Most existing systems are bulky, uncomfortable, and built for clinics, not real life. The venture is building a modular smart patch system that captures brain activity alongside key physiological signals, enabling high-quality, long-term monitoring in natural everyday settings. Its system pairs with an AI-powered platform to deliver actionable brain health insights for both healthcare providers and individual users. The venture is targeting sleep monitoring, neurological health, and consumer wellness — markets growing rapidly as demand for home-based brain health solutions accelerates. The venture is advancing toward a working prototype, patent filing, and clinical validation.
CarePair is a mobile GenAI-powered self-advocacy app for older adults during medical appointments. Many older adults feel dismissed or overwhelmed when pain, stress, or medication needs affect focus, and confidence. CarePair turns scattered support from trusted caregivers into a structured advocacy system. Before the visit, it collects symptoms, medications, and questions through a conversation and creates an appointment brief. During the visit, it helps the patient refer to their notes and suggests timely questions to ask. Caregivers can contribute through invitation-based access. CarePair helps older adults to advocate for themselves asking better questions, and leave with clarity and dignity.
Industrial sites face a monitoring dilemma: choose >$20,000 stations with massive data gaps, or affordable optical sensors that trigger false alarms. Crucially, optical sensors cannot distinguish highly toxic black carbon, originating from diesel exhaust, agricultural burning, and industrial facilities, from harmless dust. This causes costly work stoppages and compliance liabilities. The venture solves this with a proprietary, low-cost capacitive sensor. By using laser-induced graphene to shift detection to the electrophysical domain, its device uniquely isolates black carbon. This unprecedented selectivity enables dense networks that ensure compliance, protect worker health, and maintain seamless operations.
Current soil-water sensors are expensive, slow, and easily disrupted by electrical interference—creating a major data gap for geotechnical engineering and agriculture. The project solves this with a novel, low-cost sensor that uses U-shaped fiber optics to measure light transmission instead of electrical conductivity. This approach delivers fast, continuous, and highly reliable soil-water data that is completely immune to soil salinity. Early testing has already demonstrated a strong, proven correlation between its optical response and soil-water behavior. This fellowship will provide the critical resources needed to validate its prototype against standard methods and accelerate its development into a market-ready product.
2D materials like graphene hold immense potential, but their mass adoption is bottlenecked by toxic, slow, and expensive production methods. The venture has developed a completely solvent-free technology that cuts production time from hours to seconds, bringing costs down from $100 to under $20 per kilogram. The venture is targeting the sustainable concrete market first, where adding just a tiny fraction of its nanosheets boosts structural strength by 30% and cuts carbon-heavy cement usage by 20%.
Dragoncure is a science-backed nutraceutical designed to reduce chemotherapy side effects and improve patient quality of life. The venture works with oncologists and patients to integrate a clinically-informed supplement into cancer care, enhancing treatment adherence and outcomes. With early pilot validation and growing clinical interest, Dragoncure bridges the gap between nutrition and oncology and offers a scalable, accessible solution for millions undergoing chemotherapy globally.
University students fail exams not from lack of effort but from lack of realistic practice. Exetasy generates professor-style practice exams from a student's own syllabus: timed, AI-proctored, and instantly graded with question-level feedback. It's the first time students practice under real exam conditions before the real exam. For CS students, auto-marked coding labs evaluate correctness, time complexity, and edge cases. A built-in AI interview coach scores mock interviews across five dimensions in real time. One platform. Three tools. Zero excuses. Freemium: three free sessions per month. Pro at $12/month. Canada's 1.2 million university students. Starting at 91ɫ.
Learn more .
FiberTrap is a washing-machine filtration technology engineered to capture laundry microplastics at the source — the largest single source of ocean microplastic pollution. Developed out of PhD research in microplastic transport, the design is numerically validated and moving to bench prototyping. Twenty customer interviews pivoted FiberTrap’s positioning from eco-gadget to scientifically validated filtration and surfaced a dual path: a DIY retrofit unit that generates performance data and demand signal, and an OEM-ready integrated module for the 160M+ washing machines sold annually. FiberTrap is building the protectable technical asset the appliance industry will need before regulators force the change.
Learn more .
GreenShade is a precision agriculture technology company helping small-to-mid-sized farms make smarter, data-driven decisions. GreenShade builds affordable, solar-powered sensor nodes that monitor soil and weather conditions in real time, even in remote areas using LoRa connectivity. Its platform combines this data with machine learning to deliver actionable insights on crop suitability, yield optimization, and resource efficiency. Unlike expensive, complex systems, GreenShade focuses on simplicity, accessibility, and sustainability. By empowering farmers with accurate, localized intelligence, GreenShade helps increase productivity, reduce waste, and support more resilient food systems across Canada and beyond.
Learn more .
GreenVeil Packaging is developing patent-backed biodegradable solutions for food and agriculture, including nursery plugs, plantable pots, and fruit blister trays. Its technology combines lignin-based biocomposites, pulp and cellulose fibre structures, and tunable surface coatings to replace plastic with products that perform in real-use conditions and degrade more appropriately after use. GreenVeil Packaging addresses two major problems: plastic waste in food and agricultural systems, and the lack of cost-effective biodegradable alternatives suited for industrial adoption. GreenVeil Packaging has already filed a U.S. provisional patent, is preparing a PCT filing, and is advancing a second patentable product structure.
Learn more .
Canada's 100,000+ solo mental health practitioners waste up to 15 hours a week on fragmented, costly, and non-compliant tools. HazelCare is an AI-powered, privacy-first practice management platform that consolidates scheduling, documentation, billing, and telehealth into a single PHIPA-compliant environment hosted in Canada. Its AI layer automates clinical note generation and predicts patient no-shows, reducing administrative burden and revenue loss. Built with equity-deserving communities and validated through a Connected Minds Phase I award, its prototype is live at app.hazelcare.ca. HazelCare is seeking the YSpace Fellowship to validate its SaaS revenue model and launch commercially.
Learn more .
Heptonium is a logic-driven learning platform where educators design lesson pathways that automatically diagnose foundational gaps through Socratic questioning, branch into personalized remediation, and collect rich mastery data, all on autopilot. This holistic approach caters to varying intelligence types and temporal needs of students. Teachers become elite coaches that empower students to access performance intelligence like an athlete.
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Hochela Limited is an intelligent vetting engine that matches landlords with compatible tenants based on preferences, financial profiles, and background checks. By aligning interests, financial expectations, and behavioral patterns, Hochela Limited helps reduce bias in the rental process while fostering more stable and harmonious landlord-tenant relationships. Powered by a continuously evolving learning algorithm, its platform enhances trust, improves communication, and supports long-term satisfaction for both parties in the rental ecosystem.
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Jax Lab Naturals develops science-backed natural therapeutics from everyday agri-derived bioactives. Jax Lab Naturals fuses Caribbean herbal medicine traditions with Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry, and AI molecular modeling to create accessible solutions for chronic conditions disproportionately affecting women of African descent.
Maple Mind Academy is a robotics education company building a scalable, platform-driven solution for schools and families. Maple Mind Academy delivers competition-aligned robotics & software through a white-label model that combines standardized curriculum, a proprietary digital teaching platform. Schools adopt advanced robotics education without developing in-house expertise, while students gain real engineering skills beyond kit-based learning. Its revenue model spans school contracts, direct student enrollment, recurring platform subscriptions, and hardware services, positioning Maple Mind Academy as infrastructure for robotics education rather than a single program provider.
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The venture develops scalable decision-support platforms for transportation systems. Building on prior deployments with public agencies, the venture is developing a new product that enables planners to simulate and evaluate network disruptions, such as road closures and construction staging, over time. By integrating demand assignment with adaptive routing behavior, the platform reveals system-wide impacts on congestion and rerouting, allowing users to compare scenarios and identify least-disruptive strategies. The goal is to make complex network planning fast, interactive, and deployable across cities.
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Oarbh is a clinical-grade medical engine that transforms any camera-enabled device into a professional health monitor with zero physical contact. After witnessing his brother’s heart attack, the founder saw the daily struggle of managing vitals through cumbersome, noise-prone wearables. Oarbh has engineered a software-only solution that delivers stable results in seconds with clinical precision, eliminating the "sensor noise" inherent in hardware. Oarbh is democratizing oversight for 6 million Canadians and 1.2 billion cardiac patients worldwide, making life-saving health monitoring as accessible as a selfie. Oarbh isn’t just tracking vitals; it is closing the remote care gap.
Oculi Labs is advancing cataract care with a next-generation intraocular lens designed to prevent post-surgical complications. While over 500,000 cataract surgeries occur annually in Canada, patients remain at risk of infection and posterior capsule opacification, issues largely unaddressed by current innovations. Its proprietary, patent-pending lens integrates antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties to improve outcomes, particularly for aging populations. Led by a clinically trained founder with direct surgical experience, Oculi Labs is pursuing both licensing and commercialization pathways to bring this solution to market and redefine standards in post-cataract care.
Construction projects suffer from the inability to resolve site blockers in real time. While manufacturing uses automated intelligence/operational visibility to fix issues instantly, construction relies on manual, retroactive reporting that leaves management 24-48 hours behind the execution floor. OCX's SiteHub eliminates this latency by digitizing the site’s existing radio communications. Unlike mobile apps that violate safety regulations and distract workers, SiteHub integrates into mobile radios. When a foreman verbalizes a constraint over their secure AI Channel, the edge device securely captures the audio, and the cloud AI instantly pushes a structured alert to the manager's office for immediate intervention.
Polaris is an AI search operator. Polaris helps B2B brands and agencies show up correctly across ChatGPT, Google AI, and Perplexity. Most tools stop at reporting visibility on a dashboard. Polaris closes the loop: it monitors where a brand is missing or misrepresented, diagnoses why, and generates the pages, proof sections, and comparison content that fix it. The core product is built and used by paying customers today. Its next expansion is ICP-based monitoring, which simulates multi-turn buyer conversations and surfaces gaps that single-prompt tracking can't catch.
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Modern military and industrial operations are increasingly constrained by GNSS-denied environments where positioning and situational awareness break down. The venture is building a GNSS-independent autonomous drone swarm system that enables real-time mapping and coordination without relying on GPS or external infrastructure.
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Every GTA commuter knows this: they are stuck in traffic wondering if they should have taken transit, or waiting at a delayed station wishing they had driven. Reroute solves this by comparing transit, driving, and hybrid routes side-by-side that is optimized for speed, cost, or stress. Reroute uses ML to predict transit delays and calculate true costs including parking, gas, and PRESTO fares. Its stress score factors transfers, weather, and real-time traffic. No other app does this. The result? People make smarter commute choices, transit becomes less intimidating, and Reroute reduces unnecessary car trips across the GTA.
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Redsticker helps pet stores grow revenue and improve customer experience through online grooming bookings, discounted product listings, and smarter store operations. Its platform lets local pet retailers accept grooming appointments online, promote deals to nearby pet parents, and reduce manual work around store management. For customers, Redsticker makes pet care more affordable and convenient by connecting them with trusted local stores. Redsticker is currently piloting with Pet Valu locations in Ontario and already seeing customer bookings and marketplace interest as it continues validating demand and expanding its platform.
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LABonWEB is an AI-driven simulation platform transforming STEM education by making complex, high-fidelity simulations accessible without requiring advanced technical expertise. Universities can deliver interactive, hands-on learning experiences that replicate real-world systems, helping students build practical skills beyond theory. By automating simulation setup and analysis with AI, LABonWEB reduces cost, complexity, and barriers to access—enabling scalable, industry-aligned education that better prepares students for modern engineering and scientific challenges.
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ClearAE is an AI-powered safety intelligence layer for clinical trials that detects hidden safety signals earlier and reduces variability in adverse event interpretation. Today, safety review is manual, inconsistent, and slow, leading to missed risks and costly delays. ClearAE integrates with existing trial systems to analyze patterns across patients, sites, and time, flagging potential safety concerns in real time. By improving signal detection and decision confidence, ClearAE helps sponsors make faster, safer clinical decisions and reduces the risk of late-stage trial failure.
Most people spend 8+ hours a day in front of a screen. Nobody's watching what that's doing to their posture and vision in real time. Visionaryth is a desktop wellness app that uses a laptop's webcam to track posture, screen distance, blink rate, and head position as people work. No wearable required. The app runs locally, gives real-time reminders, and sends de-identified data to a cloud dashboard that optometrists can use to flag patients at risk. Visionaryth has built the working prototype, designed a HIPAA-ready AWS architecture, and has 3 optometrists interested in piloting it.
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Car theft costs North Americans $8 billion a year. Major insurers are already mandating aftermarket anti-theft devices and removing premium surcharges for approved hardware. The venture has built a two factor authentication but for your car. A hardware and software concoction that can retrofit into any car, allowing it to detect and deter theft in real time. It also decrypts and reads live vehicle data in seconds (AI) and streams it to a mobile app. The venture has advisors from Subaru Canada, Toyota Tsusho, the PrevCTO of Apma & Lead of project arrow and has joined over 7+ programs raising $63,500 in non-dilutive funding.
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AirWear is a wearable air pollution sensing system that measures real-time exposure to fine particulate pollution. Combined with the MyAirWear website, AirWear maps hyperlocal pollution patterns across daily movement, revealing hidden hotspots missed by traditional monitoring. Designed for individuals, researchers, and municipalities, the system generates actionable data to reduce exposure and support targeted urban interventions.
WearDOXX is a non-invasive wearable diagnostic platform that addresses the critical problem of delayed disease detection caused by the friction of traditional testing methods. Using a simple sweat patch, smartphone integration, and AI-driven analysis, WearDOXX delivers real-time health insights without needles, clinic visits, or additional hardware. By enabling early detection of conditions like inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, WearDOXX improves outcomes and reduces healthcare costs. Currently in the advanced prototype stage, the technology has achieved over 95% validation against lab standards and is progressing through regulatory pathways toward deployment.
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Meet the 2026 Food Accelerator Cohort
The 2026 Food and Beverage Accelerator cohort brings together innovative ventures creating bold flavours, better ingredients, and fresh ways to experience food. From everyday snacks to wellness-focused products and plant-based alternatives, this year’s companies are bringing new ideas to the table. Explore the ventures shaping this year’s cohort below.
Atare Foods is bringing the bold and vibrant flavours of West Africa to more tables through high-quality, authentic products that make traditional cooking easier and more accessible. Rooted in culture, heritage, and a love for shared meals, Atare Foods helps food lovers discover rich West African flavours without compromising on taste or authenticity.
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Healx Foods is reimagining comfort food with clean, plant-based cauliflower fries made for everyday snacking. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, their fries are crafted with real ingredients and bold flavours, offering a smarter way to enjoy a familiar favourite without compromising on taste.
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Hyper Açaí brings the authentic taste of Brazilian açaí to Canada through high-quality, clean-label frozen products sourced directly from Brazil. As a Canadian, family-owned brand, Hyper Açaí makes it easy for customers and food service operators to enjoy rich, tropical flavours in bowls, smoothies, sorbets, and more.
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Laura Slack Chocolate Artist creates handcrafted luxury chocolates that turn classic treats into beautifully designed, gift-worthy experiences. Based in Toronto, the brand offers artisanal chocolate bars, truffles, drinking chocolate, and seasonal creations made with premium ingredients and thoughtful details.
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Manitoulin Farmstead creates small-batch, farm-crafted goods rooted in nature, sustainability, and care. Based on Manitoulin Island, the farm offers handcrafted lavender products, nourishing goat milk soaps, honey, and aged maple syrup, bringing the calm and richness of farmstead living into everyday moments.
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OHME! Foods creates fruit-forward snacks that make healthy eating feel fun, convenient, and satisfying. Based in Vancouver, the brand offers freeze-dried fruits and yogurt crunches made with real ingredients, no added sugar, and no preservatives, delivering bold flavour and a light, crunchy snack for any time of day.
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Root Rescue Wellness creates certified organic turmeric and ginger wellness shots designed to support recovery, endurance, and everyday anti-inflammatory care. With MD-formulated products, lab-tested ingredients, and a zero-waste process, the brand makes it easier to add powerful root-based nutrition into daily routines.
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Sahara Supplements is redefining wellness and nutrition with halal-certified products designed to support active lifestyles. Based in Toronto, the brand offers a premium protein blend made with ingredients like whey isolate, collagen, creatine, glutamine, and black seed oil extract, alongside lifestyle products that reflect its focus on fitness, self-improvement, and community.
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Smoke & Tears creates chef-crafted hot sauces made in Toronto, blending bold flavour, smoke, and heat into small-batch sauces that elevate everyday meals. Their plant-based, all-natural recipes are made from scratch without gluten, nuts, dairy, additives, or preservatives, offering flavour-forward options for both spice lovers and the spice-curious.
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Vinker Foods creates bold, plant-based Korean comfort food made to be enjoyed by everyone, not just vegans. Known for its crispy Korean Chick’n, Vinker combines high-protein soy-based ingredients, signature golden breading, and Korean-inspired sauces to deliver the flavour, crunch, and texture of fried chicken in a fully plant-based way.
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Meet the 2026 Tech Accelerator Cohort
Meet the 2026 Technology Accelerator cohort! This year, 10 innovative companies are joining YSpace to refine their go-to-market approach, connect with customers, and accelerate their path to growth. Explore the startups shaping this year’s cohort below.
Breadcrumb is the first intelligent stakeholder reporting platform - starting with sports and live entertainment. They noticed that Vendor data ecosystems are broken. Breadcrumb allows anyone to turn raw data into stakeholder insights without a data team - saving hundreds of thousands of dollars and months of manual work per year.
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Genda is an AI learning infrastructure that guides students to think, not copy, while giving educators real-time insights through a proprietary, compounding learning graph.
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Hydroficient is the node between city water infrastructure and every property on the grid. Municipal systems are engineered to over-serve by design, guaranteeing minimum pressure at the furthest property within the service range, means every property closer to the source gets more water than it needs, every single day. The device installs at the building's service line and corrects that overservicing at the source, reducing water consumption and sewage output by 20% on average with no behavior change and no disruption to operations. They have been able to prove it across hotels, theatres, automotive groups, restaurants, and grocery.
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An AI control platform that makes data centers grid‑aware, coordinating AI workloads with renewables, batteries, and real‑time grid conditions lowering cost/carbon.
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Moon Trades Technologies is developing PEBBLE™, an AI-powered autonomous rover platform that transforms mineral exploration through real-time geological analysis. They consolidate historical drill logs, geospatial data, and geophysics surveys into a proprietary SaaS platform, then deploy their XRF-equipped rovers to autonomously navigate sites, analyze samples, and deliver drilling target recommendations with higher accuracy than current industry standards. Operating on an Exploration-as-a-Service model, they are solving the critical bottleneck in critical mineral discovery by reducing exploration timelines from months to weeks while cutting costs.
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MoVA turns event attention into measurable pipeline for enterprise teams. They build simple, QR-based interactive experiences that capture intent signals and qualify prospects in real time. Instead of passive booth traffic, teams leave with clear follow-up data and higher conversion. They have validated this with thousands of users and are now scaling across conferences and enterprise events.
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Current gene therapies often fail because of leaky expression and off-target toxicity. Re:Pair Genomics fixes this challenge with AI-designed synthetic promoters, precise biological switches that ensure life-saving therapies activate only in the right cells at the right time.
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Swish is building the infrastructure layer for solar efficiency. Today, up to 30% of solar energy is lost due to soiling from dust, sand, and snow, while cleaning remains manual, water-intensive, and poorly optimized. They solve this with a combined hardware and software approach. SwishScreen is a self-cleaning nanotechnology film that removes soiling without water or moving parts, and SwishOS is an AI platform that quantifies losses and optimizes cleaning schedules with no on-site hardware required. Together, they recover lost energy, reduce O&M costs, and increase revenue for solar operators at scale.
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Vigilant AI has developed a secure, patented platform that pulls important information from unstructured financial documents with an unprecedented 99.9% accuracy to automatically verify transactions and generate business insights.
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VRiT is developing INSITE, a handheld bioprinting platform that delivers cell- and biomaterial-based therapeutics directly onto complex wound surfaces. By enabling precise, conformal deposition of regenerative bioinks, they aim to replace autografting with scalable, autograft-free skin regeneration.
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Founder Fundamentals →
Every session, captured in writing. Review the key insights from our 12-week Founder Fundamentals workshop series.
Founder Fundamentals EP 12: Leadership & Culture by Design with Prayalini Sathanantham
In this week’s episode of Founder Fundamentals, , founder of , joined to share how founders can intentionally shape leadership and culture from the very beginning of their business journey. Drawing from her experience in accounting, employee engagement, culture strategy, and organizational development, Prayalini unpacked why culture is not something that appears later as a company grows, but something founders begin building through their everyday decisions, behaviors, and leadership habits from day one.
Culture Starts Before the First Hire
One of the strongest messages from the session was that culture begins long before a company builds a team. Prayalini explained that in the earliest stages of a business, the founder is the business. The way they make decisions, communicate with customers, solve problems, and handle pressure all begin to shape what later becomes the company’s long-term norms.
As she put it, “your leadership is your culture in the early days” - Prayalini Sathanantham. That idea grounded the session’s central message. In the beginning, culture is not something separate from leadership. It is embedded in how the founder works, communicates, and makes decisions every day.
She emphasized that early leadership is often highly personal, scrappy, and hands-on. Founders are managing everything themselves, from operations and sales to marketing and customer communication. At that stage, leadership and culture are deeply intertwined because the founder’s own habits and values are reflected directly in how the business functions. As the company grows, those same behaviors often get repeated by the people who join it. That is why culture must be considered early, before it forms unintentionally.
Culture Is What People Experience, Not What You Say
A major theme throughout the session was that culture is not defined by slogans, perks, or polished branding. Prayalini made it clear that culture is felt through actions. It is the experience people have when they interact with a business, whether they are employees, customers, or community members.
Through her opening example comparing two workplace scenarios, she showed how quickly people form assumptions about an organization based on small moments of interaction. A welcoming receptionist, clear communication, and respectful treatment immediately signal care, professionalism, and trust. On the other hand, disorganization, tension, and dismissive behavior create an entirely different impression, even in a more luxurious office. As she explained, “culture is something that you don’t have to explain. You see it as you walk in” - Prayalini Sathanantham. Her point was simple but powerful: people can feel culture before anyone ever defines it for them.
Culture Is Built Through What Leaders Allow, Reward, and Tolerate
Prayalini also challenged the idea that culture is something abstract. Instead, she framed it as the behaviors leaders allow, reward, or tolerate over time. How decisions are made, how people communicate, how conflict is handled, and what becomes normalized all contribute to culture in a very practical way.
This became especially important in her discussion of leadership evolution. In the beginning, founders may be the only person customers interact with, so the experience feels naturally consistent. But once new team members are involved, leaders have to move beyond simply doing the work themselves. They need to provide clarity, build systems, and intentionally model the standards they want repeated across the organization. Without that structure, culture can drift, and misalignment becomes much more costly later on.
Values and Purpose Create the Foundation
Another key takeaway from the session was the role of values and purpose in shaping culture. Prayalini described purpose as the deeper reason behind the business: the founder’s why. While making money matters, she encouraged founders to keep asking why they do this work until they uncover a more meaningful answer that guides the business beyond profit alone.
She paired that idea with values, describing them as decision filters that help founders determine how they want to operate. Importantly, she noted that values are only useful if they can be clearly seen and described in action. A value should not just sound good on paper. Founders should be able to explain what it looks like in behavior, what it does not look like, and how both customers and team members would experience it in practice. As Prayalini noted, “it’s not always a good idea to say, ‘Oh, it’s common sense’” - Prayalini Sathanantham. What feels obvious to one person may not be clear to another, which is why values need to be made visible through behavior.
That clarity matters across every touchpoint, from hiring and onboarding to customer service and internal communication. When purpose and values are well defined, they help founders attract the right people, create consistency, and build a culture that feels intentional rather than accidental.
Strong Culture Requires Clarity, Boundaries, and Reinforcement
As the discussion moved into how to sustain culture, Prayalini stressed that leadership is about more than setting expectations once. Founders have to model the behaviors they want to see, communicate them clearly, and reinforce them consistently. If something matters, leaders must demonstrate it themselves and follow through when standards are not met.
She also spoke openly about the role of boundaries. Founders often want to be highly responsive and supportive, especially in the early stages, but without boundaries that responsiveness can quickly lead to burnout. Culture, in this sense, is not just about being available or kind. It is also about creating sustainable norms that protect both the business and the people building it.
Prayalini reinforced this point most clearly when she said, “culture is not what you say. It’s what you consistently do” - Prayalini Sathanantham. That idea brought the entire session together. Strong culture does not come from mission statements alone. It comes from repeated action, accountability, and the standards leaders uphold every day.
Culture Must Be Designed to Grow With the Business
Toward the end of the session, Prayalini introduced the idea of a culture blueprint: a framework founders can use to define their purpose, clarify their core values, identify their leadership identity, outline non-negotiables, and describe how they want customers and communities to experience their business. She encouraged founders to move beyond vague ideas and begin intentionally designing the kind of environment they want to build.
This was one of the most practical parts of the workshop because it positioned culture as something founders can actively build, not just react to later. Rather than waiting until problems emerge, founders can begin defining how they want people to work together, what they want to be known for, and what behaviors they are committed to modeling as leaders.
At its core, Prayalini Sathanantham’s session was a reminder that culture is not a side conversation for later-stage companies. It begins with the founder, shows up in everyday actions, and shapes the long-term health of the business. Leadership by design means being intentional about what is modeled, what is reinforced, and what kind of environment is being built from the very beginning.
About Founder Fundamentals
is a 12-week workshop series hosted by Ի and powered by designed to equip you with essential entrepreneurial skills. Attend 9+ workshops to earn a Certificate of CompletionԻ take the first step toward entrepreneurial success!
About the Speakers
is the founder of and a trained accountant who helps organizations build stronger workplace cultures through practical, people-first strategies. With a background in banking operations, employee engagement, and culture-focused consulting, she brings both analytical insight and relational leadership to her work, helping teams create environments where people feel seen, supported, and set up for long-term success.
Founder Fundamentals EP 11: Build Your Startup Crew Through Passion, Purpose & Equity with Tanika McLeod
In this week’s episode of Founder Fundamentals, joined the community to share practical insights on how founders can build strong startup teams through passion, purpose, and equity. Drawing from her experience building and scaling a startup through multiple pivots, difficult funding moments, and eventual acquisition, Tanika unpacked what it really takes to find the right people early on, retain them through uncertainty, and create a culture where teams feel ownership over the journey, not just the outcome.
The Startup Journey Is Never Linear
One of the clearest themes from the session was that startup building rarely follows the neat trajectory founders imagine at the beginning. Tanika reflected on her own company’s path, describing a journey marked by pivots, financial pressure, wrong product bets, and long periods of uncertainty before the team finally found traction. She described the reality plainly: “the journey is violently nonlinear.” That framing grounded the entire session. Building a startup is about navigating repeated highs and lows while continuing to move forward together.
That reality, she explained, is exactly why team-building matters so much in the earliest stages. A team is the group that has to withstand setbacks, recover from mistakes, and stay committed even when the path ahead is unclear. In Tanika’s experience, the most meaningful part of the startup journey was not just the outcome, but the people who stayed committed through its hardest moments.
Founders Are Recruiting People Into a Shared Adventure
Tanika encouraged founders to rethink what they are really offering when they recruit early team members. In the earliest startup stages, especially before stable revenue or funding, founders are often not offering traditional employment in the usual sense. They may not yet be able to offer high salaries, benefits, or long-term certainty. What they can offer is something different: a genuine partnership around a shared mission.
As she put it, the best early-stage offer is not employment, but “this offer of partnership, not employment, and this offer of going on an adventure together.” That idea became one of the strongest takeaways from the session. Early hires are joining an evolving vision that they will help shape.
This perspective also reframed what a founder’s role should look like. Tanika drew on a lesson that “the best founders are the best recruiters,” emphasizing that strong recruiting is about attracting people to a purpose. The strongest teams are built when founders are honest about the uncertainty ahead while still making the mission compelling enough that others want to be part of it.
Hire for Personality, Not Just Skill
A major part of Tanika’s talk focused on what founders should actually look for when building a team. Her answer was clear: in startups, personality traits often matter more than polished credentials. She argued that while technical skills can be taught and developed on the job, certain deeper qualities are much harder to build into someone later.
She encouraged founders to look for people who are curious, self-motivated, low ego, high conviction, purpose-driven, scrappy, and resilient. As she explained, “you cannot backfill these traits,” but training and role-specific knowledge can be learned over time. In startup environments where the work is uncertain, the pressure is high, and the path is constantly shifting, those deeper characteristics often determine who adapts and who lasts.
That idea was especially important because startup work rarely resembles traditional corporate work. Tanika noted that startup teams are often learning in real time, solving problems nobody has laid out for them, and trying many things that do not work before discovering one that does. In that context, founders need people who can learn quickly, stay grounded, and keep moving without needing perfect clarity.
Low Ego Matters More Than Founders Think
When asked how founders can identify qualities like low ego, Tanika pointed to something more practical than resumes or hypothetical interview questions. She suggested that one of the best ways to assess those traits is to actually work with someone in some temporary capacity, whether through an internship, a short project, or a trial sprint.
She also explained that low-ego people tend to show accountability in difficult moments. They are willing to admit when they made a mistake, acknowledge when they did not understand something, and approach pressure without turning every challenge into blame. For Tanika, that kind of mindset is critical because startup environments are already stressful enough. Teams work better when people treat mistakes as part of the process rather than something to hide or defend.
A Strong Team Needs a Strong Why
Another major lesson from the session was the importance of a shared purpose. For Tanika, the reason her team stayed committed through extremely difficult periods was not because they were chasing an exit or a title. It was because they were deeply connected to why they were building in the first place.
She reflected on how she and her co-founder, , had both experienced being underestimated in traditional work environments. Building a company became a way to create a space where they and others like them could pursue their highest potential without those same limitations. That purpose became a source of resilience for the whole team.
Tanika emphasized that this kind of purpose matters because startup building is often more painful than people expect. When things go wrong, the team needs something deeper than short-term excitement to hold onto. A shared why gives people a reason to keep going even when the product is wrong, the money is tight, or the future is uncertain. In her words, the team was motivated by the journey itself, not just the outcome waiting at the end.
Startup Teams Should Be Cultivated, Not Managed
Tanika also challenged a more traditional view of leadership by arguing that startup teams should be cultivated rather than managed. In large companies, layers of management often exist to coordinate scale and keep people aligned around efficiency and predictable outcomes. Startups operate differently. In their early stages, they are shaped less by formal management structures and more by how much ownership individuals feel over the work.
She explained that in her company, team members were encouraged to help co-author the vision. Rather than treating strategy as something handed down from the founders, she and her co-founder would present their thinking, invite discussion, and allow the team to shape the direction together. That made the vision stronger, but it also made people more committed to it. When team members help build the direction, they feel responsibility for carrying it forward.
This approach also allowed personal growth and business growth to reinforce each other. Tanika spoke about aligning people’s ambitions with the needs of the company, so that as team members became better at their craft, the business naturally benefited. Instead of focusing first on extracting output, the team focused on investing in people, trusting that strong outcomes would follow.
Building Relationships Starts Earlier Than Hiring
Toward the end of the conversation, Tanika stressed that founders should start building relationships long before they think they are ready to hire. Many of her own team members came through community networks, referrals, internships, and earlier conversations that built trust over time. In her experience, the strongest startup teams were not assembled through cold job postings, but through sustained relationships where both sides had already seen each other’s character and commitment.
She also shared that building trust often means giving before expecting anything in return. Mentorship, support, and generosity in early relationships can create the kind of foundation that later makes collaboration possible. That approach reinforces one of the session’s central ideas: startup teams are built through human connection, not just transactional hiring.
At its core, Tanika McLeod’s session was a reminder that startup teams are not built by accident. They are built through intentional recruiting, shared purpose, mutual trust, and a willingness to grow together through uncertainty. Skills matter, but in the earliest days, character, conviction, and cultural fit often matter more. The strongest teams are not simply managed toward an outcome. They are cultivated around a vision they genuinely believe in.
About Founder Fundamentals
is a 12-week workshop series hosted by and and powered by designed to equip you with essential entrepreneurial skills. Attend 9+ workshops to earn a Certificate of Completion and take the first step toward entrepreneurial success!
About the Speakers
is a dynamic entrepreneur, educator, and co-Founder of , an AI-powered consumer insight engine compiles engagement metrics and generates insights that brands can use to inform marketing approaches. As of July of this year, Tanika’s company OneCliq has ben acquired by Dig Insights.
Founder Fundamentals EP 10: To AI or not to AI with Moshe Mikanovsky
In this week’s episode of Founder Fundamentals, , founder and product coach at , joined the community to share practical insights on when founders should and should not build with AI. Drawing from his experience across software development, product management, startup coaching, and AI-powered product development, Moshe unpacked the difference between traditional systems and AI, the key questions founders should ask before choosing AI, and how entrepreneurs can better assess cost, risk, and real product value before building.
Not Every Problem Needs AI
One of the strongest takeaways from the session was that founders should not default to AI simply because it is trending. Moshe encouraged participants to move away from the pressure of adding AI for the sake of it and instead focus on whether it actually fits the problem being solved.
As he put it, “people going directly into that direction and it’s not always the right decision.” That idea shaped the session from the start. Rather than framing AI as something every startup must adopt, Moshe pushed founders to ask more practical questions about when it is useful, when it is unnecessary, and what trade-offs come with using it.
He explained that traditional software is deterministic, meaning it follows fixed rules and predictable logic. AI, by contrast, is probabilistic, which means it works through patterns, models, and likelihood rather than certainty. That distinction matters because some problems simply do not need AI at all.
“If it’s deterministic, there is no reason to build it with AI,” Moshe said, noting that it is often “way more expensive and it’s less accurate” in those cases. For founders, that means the real challenge is not figuring out how to add AI, but figuring out whether AI belongs there in the first place.
Understanding How AI Learns
To make this clearer, Moshe walked through the difference between traditional engineering and AI systems. Traditional software, he explained, is built on logic that maps inputs to outputs in a predictable way. AI systems behave differently. They rely on models trained on data and return results based on probability.
“The main thing about a traditional one is that it is deterministic,” he explained, while AI is “probabilistic… it’s always about probabilities.”
This distinction helped founders understand why AI can feel powerful but also unpredictable. A model can generate useful output, but it can also hallucinate, misclassify, or behave in ways that are hard to fully control. That uncertainty is built into the system itself, and founders need to understand that before using it in products where accuracy and reliability matter.
Moshe also reflected on his own experience moving from traditional product management into AI products. “It actually drove me crazy,” he admitted. “I didn’t really understand that perspective that it’s only an experiment and I’m not sure what the result is going to be.” It was an honest reminder that working with AI often requires a mindset shift, especially for teams used to building systems with predictable outputs.
AI Is Not One Thing
Another major focus of the session was helping founders understand that AI is not one single tool or method. Moshe broke down the main types of AI learning, including supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, reinforcement learning, and deep learning.
This section gave participants a broader understanding of what it actually means to build with AI. Different models require different levels of labelled data, different computational resources, and different forms of oversight. Some approaches are more accurate but expensive to train. Others are more scalable but harder to validate.
Moshe emphasized that each option comes with trade-offs, and founders need to think carefully before assuming AI is a simple plug-in solution. “Each situation will be a different fit,” he said, adding that every founder needs to understand “what does it mean and there is pros and cons and cost associated with each one of those.”
That grounded the conversation in reality. Using AI is not just about capability. It is also about resources, time, infrastructure, and whether a team can realistically support the system they want to build.
How Much Should AI Be Allowed to Decide?
The session also explored a question that becomes increasingly important as products become more automated: how much decision-making should AI actually handle?
Moshe introduced a helpful framework built around prediction, judgment, and action. In some cases, AI may only support a decision by generating predictions. In others, it may also influence judgment by ranking options or narrowing choices. In more advanced cases, it may go all the way and take action on behalf of the user.
He used a recruitment example to show how this plays out in practice. AI could help a job seeker identify the best-fit roles, or it could help a recruiter filter hundreds of applicants down to a top shortlist. At its most automated level, AI could even schedule interviews without human review.
This led into an important conversation around human oversight. When asked whether there should always be a human in the loop, Moshe made it clear that the answer depends on context. “It all depends,” he said. “It depends if you need human in the loop or not.”
That answer became even more useful when participants pointed out that risk matters. A low-stakes action may not require human review, but a high-stakes action probably does. The session reinforced that founders need to think not just about what AI can do, but what it should be trusted to do.
Building With AI Means Thinking About Viability
One of the most practical parts of the workshop focused on what it actually takes to build an AI-powered product. Moshe introduced a canvas designed to help founders evaluate whether an AI use case is viable by thinking through value, risk, inputs, training costs, feedback loops, and outcomes.
The framework moved the conversation beyond hype and into execution. Founders were encouraged to think about what success would look like, what failure would cost, what data or infrastructure would be needed, and whether the organizational value justified the investment.
He stressed that it is not enough to build something impressive. Founders need to understand what is required to support it. “There is a bit of work that needs to be done to assess the cost that it might take you to build that,” he said.
He also reminded participants that many teams forget to define success early enough. “Always remember that you want to define what the success looks like,” Moshe said. “How do you measure it?” That point extended well beyond AI. It was a strong product lesson in general: if a team cannot define success or track it clearly, it becomes very difficult to know whether the product is actually working.
Buy, Build, or Adapt?
Another valuable part of the discussion focused on whether founders should build their own AI systems or use existing models and APIs. Moshe encouraged early-stage founders to avoid overbuilding, especially before product-market fit.
“If you’re early stage, pre-product market fit, probably you want to try to use existing models,” he said. Today’s landscape offers many more options than even a few years ago, including hosted APIs, open-source models, and tools that allow for fine-tuning or retrieval-based systems.
At the same time, Moshe acknowledged that there are cases where building or hosting custom models makes sense. Privacy requirements, latency needs, or high usage costs can all shift the equation. This made the conversation especially useful for founders trying to make practical decisions rather than theoretical ones.The broader point was that AI infrastructure choices should come from product and business needs, not from pressure to look more advanced than the company really is.
Not All AI Companies Are the Same
Toward the end of the session, Moshe introduced a useful way to think about different kinds of AI companies. He broke them into three types: AI-native, AI-embedded, and vertical AI.
AI-native companies are built entirely around AI from the start. AI-embedded companies use AI as a meaningful enhancement within a broader product. Vertical AI companies apply AI to specific industries or use cases where domain expertise and specialized data matter.
This helped founders better understand their own positioning. Not every company needs to be AI-native. In many cases, a better approach is using AI in a focused, meaningful way that strengthens an existing product without making it the whole story.
Moshe cautioned founders against adding AI superficially. In AI-embedded products especially, the real question is whether it creates value or is just “a gimmick.” That distinction is what determines whether users actually care.
About Founder Fundamentals
is a 12-week workshop series hosted by and and powered by designed to equip you with essential entrepreneurial skills. Attend 9+ workshops to earn a Certificate of Completion and take the first step toward entrepreneurial success!
About the Speakers
is a product management leader with a background in enterprise B2B software engineering, he brings a lean, user-centered approach to building impactful products. He is the founder and product coach at and a Product Director at Rootquotient, where he also mentors founders through leading accelerators. He teaches Information Systems and Design Thinking at the Schulich School of Business, co-hosts two product-focused podcasts, and is the author of the novel The Resurrector.
Gift Guide →
Curated picks for founders, makers, and the people who support them.
YSpace 2026 Mother's Day Gift Guide
Mother’s Day is coming up soon, bringing a chance to celebrate the women who care for, support, and inspire us every day. Looking for the perfect gift? The YSpace 2026 Mother’s Day Gift Guide makes it easy, featuring a thoughtful selection of heartfelt keepsakes, self-care favourites, and unique products made in Canada.
From gifts for moms and mother figures to anyone deserving of a little extra appreciation, this guide offers meaningful ideas for every kind of celebration. Even better, some featured businesses are offering exclusive discount codes, making it even easier to shop while supporting small businesses in our community.
Alimentari Italian Grocery
Alimentari is an Italian grocer specializing in a rotating offering of prepared salads, pizza, sandwiches, and a hot table. With a wide selection of carefully curated local and Italian goods, Alimentari has become a destination for food lovers from around the GTA.
Atome Bakery
Atome Bakery delivers artisan sourdough breads and pastries across Canada, straight from your freezer to your oven. The bake-from-proof method means every loaf arrives frozen and ready to bake, so you get a freshly baked, bakery-quality experience at home without the complexity. Their products make a thoughtful, elevated gift and something a little different from flowers or chocolate, and something that creates a real moment at home. Perfect for the mom who loves good food, cooking, or simply treating herself to something special.
Get $10 off (valid until 05/15/2026) with the code LOVEMOM10
Brightfield
Brightfield creates timeless home fragrances to spark joy in your everyday. Inspired by joyful memories and the simple things in life, they handcraft each candle, reed diffuser, and room spray from their studio in The Beach, Toronto, Canada.
Each candle gives back in multiple ways: one candle provides five meals to Second Harvest supporting Canadians across the country, the brand is a proud 1% for the Planet member, and it is women-owned.
Creation Farms
Creation Farms is a no-spray, family farm that produces all-natural goodness for the health conscious while giving back to the local community. They rely on native pollinators, and are sustainable stewards of the land, using no-till and no-spray methods - leaving the land in better condition than it once was.
Free shipping Canada wide for orders $75 or more.
GLOW Beauty Bar
GLOW Beauty Bar is a boutique facial spa in Etobicoke, offering custom treatment plans, medical-grade skincare, and a warm, welcoming experience. With a focus on both results and relaxation, the spa is designed to help clients feel cared for at every step of their skincare journey.
Clients choose GLOW Beauty Bar for its results-driven facials, boutique spa atmosphere, personalized skin plans, and trusted expertise. Using advanced technology and professional-grade products, the team targets concerns such as acne, sensitivity, and aging, while creating tailored treatment and homecare plans backed by the experience of award-winning medical aestheticians.
Happy Natural Products
Happy Natural Products creates sustainable wellness products inspired by Asian traditions and the beauty of nature. The brand blends cultural heritage, healing practices, and modern innovation to create products that nourish the skin and uplift the spirit.
At its heart, Happy Natural Products believes beauty reflects strength, joy, and self-care. With a focus on natural ingredients, inclusive beauty, and community, the brand is dedicated to helping people feel valued, supported, and confident.
Save 15% on orders with the code YSPACE15
Henri Nutrition
Meet your new favourite snack: Henri Nutrition creates healthy, allergen-free snacks made with just 5 to 7 simple ingredients, packed with protein and fibre, and free from added sugar and ultra-processed ingredients. Available in four delicious flavours—Chocolate Brownie, Mixed Berry, Apple Cinnamon, and Wild Blueberry Vanilla—these snacks make nutritious, inclusive eating simple.
Jewelust
Give mom a gift she can wear for a lifetime with Jewelust, a Toronto-based fine jewellery brand founded by award-winning goldsmith Amanda Henderson, who handcrafts each piece in her Toronto studio. Inspired by the natural world and designed to feel both personal and timeless, Jewelust offers everything from delicate everyday pieces to statement designs she will treasure for years to come.
Save 10% with the code 4MOM-YSPACE26
Joeydolls
Joeydolls is a mission-driven children’s brand that creates culturally representative dolls, books, and gifts designed to help children feel seen, proud, and connected to their heritage. Founded by an Asian mom, the brand celebrates diverse cultures through everyday play and storytelling. Its growing collection includes signature cultural dolls, mini dolls, baby loveys, and educational accessories that foster belonging, curiosity, and cultural pride. Trusted by families, educators, and retailers across North America, Joeydolls is helping build a more inclusive toy shelf and meaningful cultural connections for the next generation.
Nature Bee Holdings Ltd
What began as a small school project in a parents’ basement in 2018 has since grown into Nature Bee, a woman-owned Canadian company dedicated to making sustainable living easier. Starting with handcrafted beeswax wraps, the brand has expanded to offer everyday essentials such as Swedish dishcloths and concentrated cleaning solutions, all created with the belief that small changes can make a major impact.
Today, Nature Bee and its community have helped keep hundreds of thousands of single-use plastics out of landfills. At the heart of the brand is not just its growth, but the people behind it and the customers who continue to support a cleaner, more thoughtful way of living through every purchase.
Save 10% with the code YSPACE10
Ǵdzé reinvents tofu by infusing it with simple, clean ingredients and smoking it with locally sourced cherry wood. Their ready-to-eat tofu is flavorful, minimally processed, and turns a bland staple into a convenient, premium food experience. Ǵdzé pays tribute to Miki’s Japanese identity on her mother’s side and honours the legacy of her late father. Combined with the goal to be environmentally conscious and support local, Ǵdzé is on a mission to celebrate family and great tasting food, while creating a brighter future for the planet and future generations.
SeaMoss Blends
Sea Moss Blends offers premium dried sea moss, sea moss gels and other products made in Canada. Boost your wellness with wildcrafted Caribbean sea moss packed with essential minerals for energy, gut health, glowing skin, and natural immunity support.
Save 15% with the code BEST MOSS
Stush Patties
Stush Patties bring the bold, comforting island flavours to every table. Made with real ingredients and crafted with care, they’re the perfect way to treat Mom to something delicious, effortless, and unforgettable this Mother’s Day.
Save 15% with the code MothersDay26
հèDZ
հèDZ is a premium footwear brand disrupting the fashion industry by designing bold, stylish shoes for women who wear sizes 11 to 16. In a market that has long ignored this customer, հèDZ leads with intentional design, quality, and confidence. They are not just selling shoes. They are building a movement where women feel seen, powerful, and unapologetic in their size.
Enjoy 20% off sitewide with the code YSPACE20
Verlee Atelier Inc
Canadian-made and consciously crafted, Verlee Atelier blends North American and Asian influences into clean, vegan, gender-free fragrances. With ingredients vetted by our partner lab in Korea, each scent is designed to inspire confidence and connection. Subtle yet expressive, our fragrances help you feel grounded and authentically you.
Save 10% with the code BEAUTYINEXPRESSION10
YSpace 2025 Holiday Gift Guide Pt 2
Welcome to Part 2 of the YSpace 2025 Holiday Gift Guide! We’ve curated a collection of Canadian-made goodies, unique finds, and thoughtful gifts that are sure to impress. Many of these picks even come with exclusive discount codes to make your shopping easier and sweeter.
From family and friends to coworkers, these gifts bring big smiles while supporting small businesses in our community.
Let’s make this season extra special. Happy holidays and happy gifting!
Brightfield
Brightfield creates timeless home fragrances to spark joy in your everyday. Inspired by joyful memories and the simple things in life, they handcraft each candle, reed diffuser, and room spray from their studio in The Beach, Toronto.
Shop online at Brightfield.ca or to find a stockist near you.
- 1 Candle = 3 Meals donated to Second Harvest.
- Proud 1% for the Planet member
Verlee Atelier Inc.
Canadian-made and consciously crafted, Verlee Atelier blends North American and Asian influences into clean, vegan, gender-free fragrances. With ingredients vetted by their partner lab in Korea, each scent is designed to inspire confidence and connection. Subtle yet expressive, their fragrances help you feel grounded and authentically you.
Joeydolls
Joeydolls is a cultural doll brand dedicated to helping every child feel seen, valued, and proud of who they are.
Created by mom and founder Samantha, Joeydolls began with a simple mission: to offer the culturally authentic dolls she wished she had growing up. Inspired by the rise of anti-Asian hate and the lack of representative toys for her daughters, she set out to create the world’s most diverse line of soft, cuddly cultural dolls.
Designed in Canada and crafted with love, each doll features meaningful cultural details and is certified safe for all ages. More than toys, Joeydolls spark conversations, celebrate heritage, and empower children to embrace their identity with pride. It’s a movement to uplift every child through inclusive, confidence-building play.
Save 10% until Dec 24 with the code yspace10
Zuri & Dre
Zuri & Dre is a plush doll, colouring book, home decor and accessories brand that celebrates uniqueness and aims to diversify toy boxes, plush collections & everyday life. Based in Montreal, Canada.
They represent anyone who feels unnoticed, and unappreciated because of your uniqueness and they are a reminder that, YOU belong.
Aga’s Wholesome Foods
Aga's Wholesome Foods is a black woman owned health food company, providing you with Clean, Delicious & Nutrient Dense alternatives to support your health and wellness goals.
With Aga's Wholesome, you don't have to sacrifice taste for nutrition, you get the best of both worlds!! Our plant based, gluten & dairy free products are made with West African superfood ingredients, and do not contain any funny ingredients you cannot pronounce?
Explore their range of 100% natural, delicious beverage powders, low sodium & MSG free seasoning powders alongside superfoods to keep you healthy & strong all day.
Save 15% with the code WELLNESS15
Happy Natural Products
Happy Natural Products is wellness care rooted in culture for a global generation. From gua sha tools and bamboo period underwear to ube lip balms and hydrating hand sanitizers, each creation is designed to celebrate care, culture, and connection.
This holiday season, share gifts that tell a story — of heritage, resilience and thoughtful care. Whether it's for yourself or as gifts, their products are made to uplift and inspire moments of happiness.
For a strong, beautiful, and Happy world.
Save 15% with the code YSPSACE15
Pure Botanica
Pure Botanica Company crafts premium, non-alcoholic botanical distillates made from organic, hand-selected plants. Using traditional steam-distillation in copper stills, they capture the pure water-soluble nutrients, aromatic compounds, and natural vitality of each botanical—without alcohol, sugar, additives, or preservatives.
Each distillate offers its own unique wellness qualities. Rose has long been appreciated for its uplifting, mood-brightening properties, traditionally used to support emotional balance. Lavender is known for its soothing aroma that helps ease stress, promoting calm and relaxation. Mint is widely valued for its refreshing taste and traditional use in supporting healthy digestion, making it a revitalizing addition to daily rituals. Added to sparkling water, tea, or wellness routines, these botanical distillates offer a clean, sensory way to support balance and well-being.
Save 15% with the code GIFT15
The Sea Moss Guy
The Sea Moss Guy Inc. is a Toronto based wellness brand on a mission to make sea moss, a superfood from the Caribbean, a household staple. For the past five years, they have been earning five star Google reviews from customers who have noticed more energy, less bloating, and clearer skin.
From their signature Sea Moss Gel to their delicious Sea Moss Mocha Latte Powder, they are showing the world that the traditions we grew up with still have a place in today’s wellness culture.
This holiday season, sip your way to better health with the Sea Moss Mocha Latte Powder. A cozy, caffeine free blend of sea moss, carob, and coconut milk designed to help you relax, recharge, and feel your best with every cup.
Save 15% with the code YSPACE15
Souper Well
Souperwell is rooted in the rich legacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), inspired by the founder’s grandfather, who dedicated over 60 years to TCM practice in Kowloon City, Hong Kong. Drawing from generations of firsthand experience with natural healing, Souperwell blends time-honored Eastern remedies with modern Western lifestyles. The brand reimagines traditional herbal soups with convenient, ready-to-cook packs infused with vegan protein—making ancient wellness accessible, practical, and nourishing for today’s busy lives.
Save 10% + free shipping for order $80 with the code YSPACE10
Thoughtfully designed athleisure for women; perfect for running a 5k, or chasing a toddler. We believe that moms deserve function, comfort, style, and above all else, pockets. AFTER9 creates bold, functional athleisure to inspire movement and confidence with every moment.
Save 15% with the code YSPACE15
Bee Video Production Inc.
Bee Video Production Inc. is a Toronto-based, woman owned video production company. We work with businesses to create corporate video communications - for marketing, onboarding, recruting… the use cases for corporate video is almost endless!
This season they are offering the YSpace colleagues a holiday greeting video for your clients, family and friends. Customize it for any holiday, any brand any theme, any format.
Save 20% with the code BEEVIDEOYSPACEDISCOUNT
Jewelust
Jewelust creates elegant, handcrafted jewellery that blends timeless craftsmanship with sculptural, flowing designs. Each piece is made in sterling silver or gold, and designed to capture a sense of movement and grace. From bold statement earrings to delicate everyday pieces, Jewelust offers thoughtful gifts that celebrate individuality and artistry. Custom creations and heirloom redesigns are also available—perfect for those looking to give something truly personal this holiday season. Every Jewelust piece is made with care in Toronto.
հèDZ
հèDZ is a Canadian, Black-woman–owned footwear brand that makes stylish, high-quality shoes for women with larger feet, sizes 9.5 to 16. They offer a wide range of designs — from boots and heels to flats and sneakers — in both standard and wide widths (B/C and D/E). Their shoes combine fashion and comfort, making size inclusivity feel effortless.
Nature Bee
Nature Bee was founded in 2018 by Gustavson School of Business alumna Katie Gamble, guided by the motto: “One small change has a major impact.”
What began as a tiny school project in Katie’s basement has grown into a full-scale sustainability company serving customers and wholesale markets worldwide. Nature Bee started by handcrafting beeswax wraps in Victoria, BC using locally sourced ingredients—a craft the production team continues today. Over the years, the brand has expanded its lineup to include Swedish dishcloths, concentrated cleaning tablets, and innovative dishwashing products, offering a curated collection designed for effortless sustainable living.
As an inclusive, woman-owned Canadian company, Nature Bee takes pride in its core values of sustainability, community, impact, and education, and remains committed to making the planet a cleaner place.
Save 10% with the code ELLA10
YSpace 2025 Holiday Gift Guide Pt 1
Welcome to Part 1 of the YSpace 2025 Holiday Gift Guide! We’ve curated a collection of Canadian-made goodies, unique finds, and thoughtful gifts that are sure to impress. Many of these picks even come with exclusive discount codes to make your shopping easier and sweeter.
From family and friends to coworkers, these gifts bring big smiles while supporting small businesses in our community. And don’t forget Part 2 is coming soon with even more amazing ideas to round out your holiday shopping!
Let’s make this season extra special. Happy holidays and happy gifting!
The Abibiman Project
The Abibiman Project is a food concept focused on celebrating the diverse cultures & cuisines from the African continent and Black diaspora with a desire to see more of a presence and respect for African cuisine on the global culinary stage.
Get $5 off with the code ABIBIMAN5
Lost in the Sauce (LITS)
Lost in the Sauce (LITS) is a Toronto-based gourmet sauce brand that focuses elevating every meal through balanced flavour and spice. With a range of 5 different hot sauces and 1 Malaysian sambal, the line-up is great whether you're an avid spice enthusiast or like it mild but need a flavour boost to add to your food.
All of the sauces are all-natural, vegan, gluten-free and made locally. Whether you need sauce on the go, trying to find your new pantry obsession, or a saucy gift for your loved ones, LITS has got you covered. Happy saucing!
Save 15% any order above $30 with the code LITSYSPACE
*Can be combined with existing offers and free shipping promo above $50 with the code SHIPFREE
Pepper North Artisan Foods
Pepper North Artisan Foods is a uniquely Canadian, uniquely personal, hot sauce company. With Canadian grown peppers, grown by Canadian farmers, let them take you on a spicy adventure! Since 2013, they have been curating, experimenting and building what started as a hobby and a dream, into a successful small family business. Over the years the company has grown as a business and a family, however their core values have remained the same: supporting local and being proudly Canadian. From Jalapenos to Habaneros, Ghosts to Reapers, they have tried them all. Their Canadian-grown hot peppers are picked at their peak of ripeness, then carefully blended to the perfect consistency to achieve a flavour profile unlike any other.
Save 10% with the code YSpace10
Sade's Hot Sauce Inc.
At Sade's Hot Sauce, their mission is to bring vibrant flavour and fiery passion to every plate through our handcrafted pepper sauces, inspired by the rich culinary heritage of Antigua. For nearly four decades, they have been committed to using fresh, local ingredients and traditional methods to deliver sauces that elevate everyday meals, delight the taste buds, and honour the legacy of their founder.
Save 10% with the code YSPACEHOLIDAY
Caribb Pop
CARIBB POP makes pre-biotic tropical sodas inspired by Caribbean flavours.
Our reduced sugar, plant based, better-for-you sodas offer a new drink experience. CARIBB POP brings cultural representation to the beverage market, and is proudly a Canadian company.
Save 15% on 8PK & 12PK orders, from November 24th to December 24th with the code DRINKCPOP15
Classic Juice Co.
Give gifts that taste like thoughtfulness. Classic Juice Co. bottles seasonal flavour and real care into every bundle — from “Sips that Entertain” for hosts (Jamaican Sorrel, Rose Petal Lemonade, Holiday Citrus trios, and ready-to-serve mocktails) to nourishing stocking stuffers like gift cards, African Black Soap, raw shea butter, and pumpkin-seed protein powder.
Perfect for family, friends, or client gifting, with options that scale seamlessly for teams. Choose bulk orders, personalized notes, or branded packs to make holiday gratitude delicious and memorable.
Ginny
Ginny is a non-alcoholic functional spritzer created by two young founders blending tradition and wellness. Rooted in our South Asian and West African heritage, each flavor celebrates botanicals from our cultures like hibiscus, ginger, and tulsi, crafted in collaboration with a naturopathic doctor. With a full serving of adaptogens in every can, Ginny is designed to support your nervous system and bring balance back to your day. Whether you’re unwinding after work or skipping the hangover this season, Ginny makes it easy to socialize and feel good naturally.
Save 15% from December 4th, 2025 to December 18th, 2025 with the code YUHOLIDAY15
Mama's Ginger Juice
Mama's Ginger Juice offers freshly made, all-natural juices with a variety of delicious blends to choose from:
- Ginger, Pineapple & Lemon
- Guava, Mango & Orange
- Strawberry, Pineapple, Lemon & Ginger
- Strawberry, Pineapple & Lemon
Enjoy the perfect combination of fresh ingredients in every bottle!
Get 6 bottles for $25
Pain Punch
Pain Punch is a physician-formulated functional beverage from Canada that supports recovery and overall wellness. Each drink combines bioavailable turmeric, vegan algal omega-3s, vitamins, and amino acids to aid inflammation, energy metabolism, and joint comfort.
Developed by a Toronto physician, it offers a simple, pill-free way for athletes and active individuals to enjoy science-backed nutritional support with clean, natural ingredients.
Save 10% with the code Omega10
WOW! brand is founder is Morley Wilson. She is committed to making a difference in people's lives through the WOW! brand, by providing delicious, health-conscious options of wholesome juices and recyclable cakes made from juice pulp materials. These healthy products aim to empower families to lead healthier and happier lifestyles.
Save 10% (under $24) - 20% (over $25) with the code WC-W2025
Atome Bakery
Atome Bakery is an online bakery that delivers frozen, ready-to-bake organic sourdough bread and artisan pastries directly to your doorstep. Using traditional French recipes and Canadian flours, they offer a range of artisan-quality products that allow customers to enjoy fresh-baked bread at home. Their signature bake-from-proof method ensures bakery-quality results from your oven, preserving the texture, flavor, and moisture that make our breads and pastries stand out. Their subscription boxes are a perfect holiday gift for food lovers, bringing the authentic taste of French baking to homes across the Pacific Northwest. Whether it's sourdough baguettes, croissants, or loaves, Atome Bakery delivers delicious moments to your table, ideal for the festive season.
Save 10% on your first order until Dec 31st with the code HOHOHOLIDAY10
Kula Foods
KULA® Foods is an award-winning, mission-driven B Corp bringing the vibrant flavours of Afro-Caribbean cuisine to the plant-based food market. Our core mission is to make nourishing, sustainable, and diverse food options accessible, while fostering positive social and environmental change. We believe in the power of food to connect communities, celebrate cultural heritage, and promote healthier lifestyles.
Save 10% with the code YSPACE10SPICE
Prairie Goodness Snacks
PrairieGoodness™ Snacks is a Canadian food company dedicated to creating innovative, grain-free, high-protein snacks made from locally sourced legumes. Their signature product, Chipls™, is baked—not fried—and crafted from lentils and chickpeas, offering a clean, nutritious, and delicious alternative to traditional chips. They proudly support local farmers, use simple Non-GMO ingredients, and focus on bringing better-for-you snacks to families across Canada.
Stellar Eats
What makes us different:
- Shelf-stable, with strong velocities in the natural and conventional channels
- 8 or fewer real ingredients — no fillers, gums, or refined sugars
- Paleo, gluten-free, grain-free, vegetarian, kosher & non-GMO
- Sweetened only with unrefined coconut and date sugar (40-60% less sugar than competitors)
Creation Farms
Creation Farms is a family-owned, family-operated sustainable farm dedicated to providing all-natural goods while giving back to their local community.
As a no-spray farm and stewards of the land, they believe in real food—just the way it was created. Everything you eat or use from Creation Farms is all-natural and free from pesticides. What they grow is what their own family eats, and they offer their customers the same: simple, flavourful, real food you can trust.
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