Entrepreneurs share journey through WTC Talks Sep 26, 2024
By: Jennifer McFee
It’s often said that necessity is the mother of invention — and this idiom seems to ring true for two local entrepreneurs who launched businesses alongside their moms.
Pina Romolo of Piccola Cucina and Diogo Iwasaki of Ori.Gatou Creative Solutions recently took the stage for the latest edition of WTC Talks to talk about the businesses they launched with their mothers. Hosted by World Trade Centre Winnipeg and sponsored by BDC, this networking event drew a crowd on Sept. 11 to Devil May Care Brewing Co. on Fort Street to listen to their stories.
The WTC Talks series offers an opportunity for accomplished business owners to share their entrepreneurial journeys. Now in its second year, the WTC Talks concept has expanded beyond Manitoba to offer similar events in Mexico and Portugal.
Pina Romolo, who started her career with the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Manitoba, was always an entrepreneur and foodie at heart.
In 2009, she launched Piccola Cucina with her mom Anita, who had owned Romolo Pizzeria and Restaurant in the 1980s.
“Starting with my mom, it was a pretty natural thing. We both love feeding our families and cooking and making things,” Romolo said. “We were both actually laid off from our jobs.”
Her mom had been baking and selling Italian-inspired macaroons, and she asked Romolo to join her in the business. Since the almond-based cookies are inherently gluten-free, the mother-daughter duo decided to differentiate themselves by focusing on the gluten-free market.
Since then, Piccola Cucina — Italian for “little kitchen” — has continued to expand its product line, while Romolo’s mom has stepped towards retirement.
In 2023, the woman-owned food manufacturer acquired the assets of Calgary-based business Judy G Foods Inc. Some of its newer offerings include gluten-free pizza crusts, finished pizzas and gluten-free vegan superfood desserts, as well as almond flour pie shells and almond flax wraps.
“I feel like we grew up really quickly when we acquired a business,” said Romolo, who shared mouthwatering macaroons with attendees. “It was a huge jump and a leap — and something that really tested my knowledge and understanding of business and the risk that’s involved.”
As part of the acquisition, they moved the manufacturing to Manitoba and increased their production team.
“The business exploded at that time so there were lots of things to work through. … There was a problem to solve every single day,” she said. “That was my moment of transition.”
Similarly, Diogo Iwasaki has seen Ori.Gatou grow and change since he started the business five years ago at age 16 with his mom Rosana. The marketing tech start-up works with brands to create engaging customer experiences through software innovations. Digital platforms allow shoppers to access interactive content, reward systems, compelling stories and advertising materials.
In the early days, the company got its start with greeting cards that also included access to a video message.
“That’s where the name Ori.Gatou comes from. It’s a mix of origami — every greeting card would come with an origami on it — and arigatou, which is thank you in Japanese,” he said.
“I joined in on the business and we both realized that, at the heart, we were building a communication tool and that could be really useful for businesses as well — and the rest is history.”
When he reflects on the challenges they encountered along the way, Iwasaki recalled how difficult it was to open their first business bank account.
“We had only very recently come to Canada, so at the time we were only two years in and we didn’t even have our permanent residency yet,” he said.
The bank manager had never encountered that situation before, so the mother-son duo worked with a lawyer to incorporate the business. One of the company’s board members helped with the process of opening the business bank account.
“There were a lot of times where we felt like we were really supported by the Winnipeg business community to be able to be where we are,” Iwasaki said. “We both came in without a business background, so we had to learn things as we went.”
Both Romolo and Iwasaki also shared wise words to help other aspiring entrepreneurs get started.
“The biggest nugget of information would be to learn as much as you can before you even start the business because it’s expensive to do it as you’re going and growing,” Romolo said.
For Iwasaki, it all boils down to customer discovery.
“Talk to a lot of customers and listen with an open mind and an open heart. One of the first things I learned about business from a theory point of view was someone told me about innovator’s bias. It’s this idea that as the innovator, you think you have the solution; you know what you’re talking about. Half the times, it couldn’t be far from the opposite,” he said.
“The only one that really knows what the market needs is the market — so go talk to the market. That’s how you figure out pricing. That’s how you figure out how to improve your message. We’ve pivoted a lot of times to get to where we are.”
And for anyone considering jumping into business with family members, Romolo recommends developing terms of engagement early on to put the needs of the business first. Similarly, Iwasaki said it’s important to set up a shareholder’s agreement to separate personal from professional.
Looking ahead, exciting developments are on the horizon for both companies.
In addition to celebrating its five-year milestone, Ori.Gatou is organizing a Builders League Hackathon to develop an app for a non-profit organization in Winnipeg — and Iwasaki hopes it will become a seasonal event.
“The goal is to keep doing this to highlight the power of the technical system in Winnipeg in all sorts of different areas,” he said.
Piccolo Cucina also has some big visions for the future.
“After our acquisition, we made it part of our strategic plan to acquire more businesses. … I’m really excited. We’re looking at a couple more businesses that are outside Manitoba, bringing more work and business to the province. So stay tuned,” Romolo said.
“On the product front, we are launching about three new products in 2025.”
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