With more than 40 years of experience, Vidir Vertical Storage Solutions continues to keep climbing upwards in its ascent to success.

Ernest Rempel, CEO of Vidir Vertical Storage Solutions, shared insights about the third-generation family business at a recent WTC Talks event. The April 23 event, hosted by World Trade Centre Winnipeg and sponsored by BDC, offered networking opportunities at Kilter Brewing Co.

His wife Carissa Rempel is the granddaughter of company founder Willie Dueck, who launched the business in the late 1970s. It began as a small machine shop in Arborg to serve local farmers.

“Willie was an entrepreneur by nature. … He was known as the guy who would help anybody,” Rempel said. “If you needed a hand, Willie was the guy to help you out.”

Over time, the business expanded to include a lumberyard. To help streamline their processes, Willie and his sons ended up designing a customized carousel storage system for inventory. Unbeknownst to them at the time, the carousel system would also serve as an ideal solution to similar problems in other industries.

Today, the company is known internationally for its automated storage solutions. With upwards of 40,000 installations in more than 45 countries, Vidir is known for its high standards around the globe, where the company lives up to its tagline: Making the world’s products safely accessible.

“We help to manage the material flow with our inventory and we help it go vertical,” said Rempel, who has worked for Vidir for 22 years.

“You’re manufacturing or operating in three-dimensional buildings. … Most people use the square footage but if you look up at the ceiling, it’s all empty space. So we help you use that space as well to get the material closer to where you need it.”

Vidir’s customer base includes many big box stores across Canada and the United States. For example, Home Depot uses Vidir’s flooring carriers, while Walmart uses the company’s three-tier bicycle racks.

“We’re in basically any industry. … We’re in health care, construction, aerospace, retail – you name it, we’ve probably got something there,” Rempel said.

Reflecting on Vidir’s success, Rempel said some of it can be attributed to being in the right place at the right time, combined with a little luck – but all of it relies on a dedicated team along with a great product.

“If you talked to Willie, he was always overly proud of what his team had done and what the group had put together,” Rempel said.

As a company, Vidir is involved in every step of creating its products from beginning to end.

“A few years ago we launched our vertical lift module, which is our latest and greatest product. We design, manufacture, ship and install our product. And our design includes mechanical, electrical, and software engineering,” he said.

“So we design all the controls, all the coding and the logic that goes into the machine operation. We cut the steel, roll the steel, paint the steel, assemble it. We ship it and we install and then we manage the after-sales service on it as well. So we are vertically integrated from raw material all the way through finished goods.”

Vidir has also made its mark through its progressive approach to hiring. One example, the company set a goal of hiring 25 per cent women by 2025 and promoted employment opportunities to females at job fairs, schools and beyond.

“Manufacturing is a traditional male world. But now it’s open to anyone who wants to weld or wants to paint or whatever that job might be,” Rempel said.

“We really did a focus on that and we saw our applications rise from female group significantly. I think we hit 25 per cent in 2023. It wasn’t that women didn’t want to work in manufacturing. They just didn’t see it as an option.”

In addition, the company has provided employment to newcomers to Canada – and even offered English language classes to help them feel settled in their new community.

The company has earned a long list of accolades, including being named one of Manitoba’s Top Employers in 2024. In addition, on behalf of Willie Dueck, Rempel recently accepted the Canadian Manufacturing and Exporters Pioneer Award. This award recognizes individuals and companies that have achieved notable success in initiating, improving, or growing a manufacturing business in Manitoba.

Two self-described serial entrepreneurs shared the stories of the many businesses they’ve started over the years, including their current ventures.

They both gleaned inspiration from other influential entrepreneurs in their lives, and they’re proud that Winnipeg is the hub for their thriving businesses.

Yvan Boisjoli, CEO of Peazy, and Chris Schmidt, founder and CEO of Parallel, provided entrepreneurial insights at the last WTC Talks event of 2024. The Nov. 20 networking event, hosted by World Trade Centre Winnipeg and sponsored by BDC, drew a crowd to Torque Brewing.

Boisjoli gained attention by co-founding Bold Innovation Group in 2013, an e-commerce technology company that rapidly ascended to prominence, serving over 90,000 customers. At Bold, he successfully secured $57 million in funding and established a proud Winnipeg-based enterprise. Under visionary leadership, Bold Commerce earned recognition as one of the fastest growing tech companies in Canada by Deloitte.

In recent years, Boisjoli transitioned from his role at Bold Commerce to focus his energy on his latest venture, Peazy. Peazy is a marketplace for mobile service providers that got its roots in Bold, where Boisjoli and fellow founders tried to create a great workplace culture by bringing in service providers like hair stylists, massage therapists, optometrist and more.

“When I left Bold, we built a marketplace for these service providers to exist,” he said.

“It makes it easier for businesses, but also what we discovered is residential towers or senior homes could also leverage that functionality. In the latest little bit, we’ve been pivoting and moving into building a platform for service providers so they can manage their mobile business. There’s nothing like it out there.”

Meanwhile, Schmidt found his entrepreneurial footing as a child when he launched a business to protect Winnipeg trees from Dutch Elm disease. After completing a bachelor of science degree at the University of Manitoba, he founded Geofilter Studio, the world’s first Snapchat filter company. Geofilter Studio experienced a whopping growth rate of 24,000 per cent and expanded to 85 employees within the first year.

In 2017, it was Canada’s fastest growing company and created over 100,000 filters, generating seven billion views worldwide. Then he established Every Studio, which encompassed Geofilter Studio, Every Studio AR and Every Studio Stickers. He sold Every Studio in 2019.

In 2018, Schmidt also founded Pluto Ventures, which is now building a social shopping platform called Parallel.

“It’s the best place to discover fashion, share your style and monetize your looks. We have millions of users across 194 countries in the world,” Schmidt said.

“It’s kind of fun that a team of 15 of us in Osborne Village is building the next big shopping platform.”

Looking back on their roots, both entrepreneurs got their start long before these successful businesses took off.

Schmidt recalls earning money at the tender age of three, alongside his two older brothers.

“My dad would pay us five or 10 cents for every acorn that we would pick up in the yard, and this was a way for him to get a clean yard and a way for me to fight with my brothers over acorns. So I think it was really instilled in us at an early age that, hey, if you work hard, you may be able to make $2 or $3. It was totally not a good sustainable economic model,” he said, eliciting laughter from the crowd.

“Now there’s more zeroes to the numbers, but I think it’s always been instilled in me and my brothers to go and work hard — and if you are lucky, you might find some success.”

When he was 10 years old, he was cutting his neighbour’s lawn and his dad told him to offer his tree-banding services. That was the beginning of his long-standing business called Schmidt Tree Banding, which he operated for 21 years before selling it in June.

Similarly, Boisjoli took the leap to start multiple businesses throughout his life.

“Before Bold, I started nine different companies with my brother. …. Bold was honestly the ninth idea that we worked together on — and it was the most feasible, so we went all in,” he said.

For Boisjoli, inspiration came from his dad, who owned an electrical company and started multiple other businesses.

“I think that by watching others go through it, you build a tolerance for risk. You understand the risk, but you also see how successful it can be,” he said.

“So you get the desire to follow in those footsteps and willing to take that risk to get there.”

Boisjoli and Schmidt also acknowledged the challenges involved with pursuing their business aspirations.

Schmidt noted that Parallel is the final product of seven years of struggle. He started the AI company called Pluto and spent years building a feature to get body dimensions. He used that feature to solve the problem of figuring out what clothing size to buy when online shopping.

“To solve that problem, I actually just made a data set and the data set is Parallel,” he said. “Parallel is a platform where you upload a photo of your outfit and tag the items that you’re wearing — and with that information and your body dimensional data, I can now recommend which pair of socks to buy.”

He overcame the challenge of getting people to sign up for the platform by hosting wine and cheese sessions at their office until they got to 1,000 users. After that, he tasked one of his team members with building a TikTok account that has now garnered more than 300 million views.

“The hardest thing of starting is actually getting someone to sign up — and it’s really, really hard,” he said.

Boisjoli noted that second-time business founders are often more successful than first-time founders because they’re more focused on distribution.

“They understand how they’re going to sell and get in front of their customers. That’s the No. 1 problem. If you’re thinking of starting a company, don’t even think about your product. Think about how you’re going to sell it to the right customer. If you can solve that, the rest should be somewhat easy. Although if you can’t get a product going, welcome to my life,” he said with a laugh. “The distribution is the biggest key.”

For Schmidt and Boisjoli, it’s a point of pride that they established their companies right here in Winnipeg — and they both give back by serving as mentors to others on a similar path.

“Probably the biggest thing I’m proud of is the company that we built in Winnipeg,” Boisjoli said of Bold Commerce. “We had over 350 employees with an amazing culture pre-COVID.”

Schmidt recalled receiving a lead from Disney in his inbox looking for filters for their movies. The Saudi royal family also requested a Snapchat filter for their two-year-old son’s birthday party.

“Our office was on Sergeant and we had 85 Winnipeg people making filters around the world,” he said of Geofilter Studio.

And when they reflect on why they changed course to launch new entrepreneurial endeavours, both business owners had a desire to keep moving forward.

“I think you’re not wired to relax. … If I just sat there and did nothing, I don’t know what the point would be,” said Boisjoli, adding that he loves having the opportunity to start again. “I think it’s a certain wiring that you have when you start a company.”

Schmidt estimates that serial entrepreneurs start a new business every decade. For himself, he ruminates on the notion that he’ll only have eight chances to start businesses since he started at age 10 and plans to work until he’s 90.

“I just turned 31 and I’ve done two businesses. Outside of Parallel, I only get another five shots,” he said. “So there’s this mindset as an entrepreneur that it’s not enough time. I get kind of antsy at two in the morning because I’ve only got 59 years to go.”

Two local entrepreneurs shared the stories of their longstanding businesses that have stood the test of time.

Rick Suche, CEO of Fort Garry Fire Trucks, and Gary Dealey, founder and CEO of Big Deal Custom Cases, provided entrepreneurial insights based on decades of experience at a recent WTC Talks outing. The Oct. 16 networking event, hosted by World Trade Centre Winnipeg and sponsored by BDC, drew a crowd to Kilter Brewing Co. to listen to the business owners speak about their journeys.

More than a century ago, Fort Garry Fire Industries got its start as a tire repair shop called Fort Garry Tire and Vulcanizing located in the back alley between Fort and Garry streets.

In 1979, Rick Suche expanded the company’s offerings by adding fire apparatus to its product line. Over the following decades, the company continued to grow with custom-built pumpers, aerial ladders, water delivery tankers and more.

In 2008, Suche sold his shares in Fort Garry Industries but retained ownership of its fire apparatus division — and he renamed the bustling business Fort Garry Fire Trucks. In 2013, the company moved to a new facility in CentrePort where it continues to thrive.

Today, Fort Garry Fire Trucks is the largest fire apparatus manufacturer in Canada, and the local business supplies fire departments across North America and beyond.

“We export worldwide. We’ve got trucks in Africa, China, South America. One of our largest customers is United Arab Emirates. We’ve got over 50 trucks in U.A.E. We do a lot of export. I just got an order today for a truck in New York, two trucks in Springfield and four trucks in Winnipeg — so it was a good day today,” Suche said, eliciting laughter from the crowd.

Meanwhile, Gary Dealey began his foray into his business in 1976. At the time, he was touring as a technician for well-known musicians including Pat Benatar, Trooper and Burton Cummings. He noticed that equipment cases would often get damaged during the tours, and he was determined to find a solution by building more durable cases.

He had been working as a storeman loading boxcars at CPR railway, and on the side, he was making cases for his friends in the music business. A lighting company was looking for a technician, and he landed the job.

“One day, I was in the steel gantry of the CPR and the next day I was in a plane flying over it to going to Vancouver for a Burton Cummings tour,” Dealey said.

“When I would get back from the tour, I would make lamp cases for the lighting equipment and then I would go back on the road again.”

One day on the tour bus, someone asked him what he planned to do with his life.

“I said ‘I’m going to make boxes’ —and that’s what I’ve done,” he said. “So it worked out well.”

Initially, Dealey worked out of his basement and garage until he eventually rented a shop on Jarvis Avenue as his business hub. Now the company’s facility on Durand Road spans 20,000 square feet.

“I took what was a part-time job into a full-time job,” he said. “It was quite simple to do — I just kept making boxes.”

Since then, Big Deal Custom Cases has expanded its client base to also include professional sports teams, the RCMP, the Canadian military and medical equipment companies. His cases are truly out of this world, since NASA is also a client. Exports now make up about half of the business.

With a growth mindset, Big Deal Custom Cases usually puts out about 1,500 cases per year — and Dealey is preparing for an even bigger order ahead.

“I’ve got an order right now for 4,000 cases,” he said. “I don’t know how the hell I’m going to do it, but I’ll take the order and say yes.”

Looking back on when Fort Garry Fire Trucks first started exporting, Suche said it was challenging to not know what he was getting into.

“It was a scary, scary thing,” he said. “Was it going to work? Were we going to get paid? … It was a very big learning experience.”

Today, about 10 per cent of their products are exported outside of Canada, while the remainder is shipped across Canada.

“We’ve been trying to grow our business by 10 per cent a year,” Suche added. “Our biggest problem is finding people that want to get trained.”

He recently hired a dozen Ukrainian newcomers — and in addition to training them for their job, he’s also running English classes two evenings per week.

For other aspiring entrepreneurs, Suche encourages them to look for opportunities and not be afraid to try.

“If you want to do something, take a chance,” he said. “And if doesn’t work out, then try it again and again and again until you get it.”

Likewise, Dealey offered similar advice.

“You can’t be afraid to fail. You’ve got to just keep doing it until you get it right — and that’s not always easy,” he says. “And you’ve got to have a happy customer. If you don’t have a happy customer, you have nothing.”

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.

The final WTC Talks (World Trade Centre) event of the 2023/2024 season took place on a sunny patio perched above downtown Winnipeg last Wednesday. Featured speakers, siblings Christian and Andréanne Dandeneau, shared their experiences in entrepreneurship, including insights on navigating business challenges and adapting to changing market conditions. They emphasized the importance of collaboration and perseverance and discussed how their Métis heritage has shaped their business practices.

Both siblings are approaching landmark anniversaries in business: Christian’s digital transformation company, ID Fusion, will celebrate 25 years next year. ID Fusion is a full-service technology consulting company that offers desktop support services, consulting on technology choices, custom software development, and resource augmentation.

Andréanne’s sustainable fashion brand, Anne Mulaire Designs, has been in business for nearly 20 years. Anne Mulaire is Canada’s first Indigenous-owned apparel manufacturer with B Corp certification. The brand is a micro-manufacturer that places high importance on sustainability, including initiatives to reduce waste and carbon emissions, recycle, and use sustainable fabrics. Andréanne was recently awarded the first-ever sustainable economy award at the inaugural Red River Métis Business Excellence Awards for her efforts in this area.

“The reason behind WTC Talks is about telling stories,” explains WTC Winnipeg CEO André Brin. “We don’t tell our stories enough, our success stories, about the businesses doing incredible things.”

Following a land acknowledgement, Brin remarked on the tie between WTC’s current aims—to support burgeoning entrepreneurs and trade efforts—and the first entrepreneurs and traders who called this land home—the Indigenous peoples.

“I find it interesting that WTC Talks was launched to celebrate entrepreneurship and trade. The Indigenous people were the first entrepreneurs and traders on this land. And I think we know that our economy is built on those efforts, and the future of our economy lays in large part in economic reconciliation, which will help our province succeed,” he said.

Throughout the conversation, led by Brin, the Dandeneaus discussed how their upbringing and heritage shaped their approach to business. From a family of six, they discussed how all four siblings have an entrepreneurial side, likely due to their business exposure while growing up. Their mother’s family owned a grocery store where many family members worked, and their father managed his music career.

“I think they instilled the idea of entrepreneurship by changing how they would motivate me to do things,” Christian remembers, discussing getting paid for chores. “We had to budget and plan [if we wanted to buy something]. I think that kind of language is really important to have. As a parent, I’m trying to do that with my children. I saw them as role models, successfully approaching opportunities in an entrepreneurial way.”

Brin shared an anecdote from their parents, who were in attendance, that they knew early on that Christian had an entrepreneurial spirit as he would subcontract his chores to his sisters and keep a commission. Andréanne laughed at the recollection and shared that for her, work ethic was something she learned from her parents, recounting how, each summer, they would encourage the children to take on and execute a project.

“It’s giving you these little tidbits of what you can do in life and what opportunities are out there. They laid the foundation for us to start believing in ourselves, and they were always there supporting us,” she said.

“We were brought up to respect the land. My mom was all about buying better, buying less. We valued and took care of our clothing and what we bought. That’s a big testament to how we are today, how we see life, how we approach business decisions and how we carry our values,” Andréanne added, discussing why sustainability is a central focus for her company.

Christian explained that discovering his family’s heritage transformed his company’s purpose and core values. Part of ID Fusion’s mission is to bring about positive change for Indigenous people.

“They were entrepreneurs. They were very hardworking; they understood adversity. They didn’t back down; they were persistent. They’re also very social and communal. These are all core values that we have in our company. It’s how we were raised, which also connects very well with our heritage,” he explained. As an example of that commitment, ID Fusion recently trained six IT professionals in northern First Nations who are now experts in their communities.

The siblings discussed some challenges they have each faced in business, including balancing creativity and running a company. Many attendees thanked the speakers for candidly sharing and expressed how much they could relate.

Looking to the future, Andréanne talked about the research and development required to support the sustainability mission and shared that they will launch a product made entirely from post-consumer waste this fall and are looking to expand internationally. Christian discussed how his business is helping companies navigate the emerging ubiquity of artificial intelligence and how to incorporate it to their advantage. He also expressed a desire to see the profile of local tech companies raised and to encourage more students to enter STEM, science, technology, engineering and mathematics-related fields.

The WTC Talks series will resume in the fall, with the first three dates scheduled for September through November. Registration is open, though the speakers have yet to be announced. Register before August 1st to take advantage of 2023/2024 pricing of $10 per attendee. For more information on WTC Winnipeg and its services, including access to market research, business and trade advisors, finding funding opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs and helping businesses export and expand to other markets nationally and internationally, visit wtcwinnipeg.com

Written by Svjetlana Mlinarevic for The Carillon

For those who are thinking about opening a business or who have a business and would like to expand their knowledge, two entrepreneurs will be speaking in Steinbach on Sept. 20 with advice on business, import and export, and will be on hand to answer any questions.

“Basically, we speak to entrepreneurs everyday and some of the feedback we received was how it would be interesting to change up a little bit how the networking is in our environment. Some of the feedback was that some of the new startup entrepreneurs were really interested in hearing about some success stories from established businesses, up and comers, and entrepreneurs who have interesting stories. That’s how the idea came about and we had our first edition in June it was a huge success – it was a sold out event. We ended up having about 10 to 12 entrepreneurs from Steinbach come to downtown Winnipeg for the event which is what sparked our next addition in Steinbach,” said Natalie Beaudry, director of operations for The World Trade Centre (WTC) who is putting on the speakers series.

The event, which will be held at the Mennonite Heritage Village, will feature guest speakers Melissa Funk and Tina Jones.

Funk is the CEO and co-founder of Steinbach based Lynn & Liana Designs, the largest resin accented serve ware company in the world, according to the WTC.

Lynn & Liana started as a small family project five years ago in a garage and has since grown to a team of 25 staff. The team designs and hand-makes thousands of eco-friendly trays, cheese boards, and coasters every week. They deliver their products around the world to customers ranging from large department stores to small independent gift boutiques in Dubai, South America, the Caribbean, Alaska, Hawaii, Africa, Europe, the USA, and Canada.

Funk’s goods have been featured on Good Morning America, The View, Forbes, Reader’s Digest, Buzzfeed, and the Golden Globes.

Jones owns Jones and Company Wine Merchants based in Winnipeg. Jones’ company is Winnipeg’s largest private wine store. The store began as Banville & Jones Wine Co., with Jones and her sister opening shop in south Winnipeg. In the first year of business her sister decided to pursue wine importing and Tina proceeded as the sole proprietor. The company has grown as a destination wine retailer and world-class wine education centre with an award-winning magazine, The Cellar Door. The retail store offers 1,500 wines from around the world.

Jones has been recognized with the Order of Manitoba in 2020. The Order of Manitoba recognizes individuals who have demonstrated excellence and achievement, benefiting in an outstanding manner the social, cultural or economic well-being of Manitoba and its residents. She has also been honoured as a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal.

“Basically, what they’ll be able to expect is hearing the successes and pinpoints of an entrepreneurial journey shared by Tina, and Melissa will share her experiences as well. They both have backgrounds in different business structures: One being mostly retail import and one being manufacturing export. I think there’s a great pairing there in the sense that Tina has curated items in her boutique that would be a great fit for Melissa. At our previous edition, the two speakers got quite personal and shared who their mentors were and the dos and don’ts of entrepreneurship and when they shut off and don’t think about work. I think it’s fun to hear the personal side of entrepreneurs’ experiences as well,” said Beaudry.

Beaudry said there are steps that entrepreneurs will go through to set up their business but the biggest challenge is picking a business model, getting organized, and having the ideas to sustain a lifestyle. She used Funk as an example of a business that grew into something wonderful.

“We are good family friends with the manufactures of the resin we use, EcoPoxy. Ecopoxy is a manufacturer based out of Morris, and they introduced us to their beautiful, eco-friendly resin,” said Funk, noting she wanted to create something unique and different and using natural products and turning it into home pieces is what gave her the edge in the marketplace.

“They showed us how to design with their resin, and it was love at first sight. We knew we wanted to work with the resin and turn it into functional artwork of some sort, and so we did! We created our cheese boards, started posting on social media and created a website. We quickly found a niche market for our products in gift stores and boutiques and grew quite quickly from there.”

Funk said the biggest lessons she’s learned as an entrepreneur is to believe in yourself and your products.

“I never imagined myself being in the role that I am in, as I had never been in business before or gone to university, and yet here I am, loving my role as CEO and growing immensely in it. I have found a new side of myself and really embrace these new strengths that became apparent to me as a leader, all because I was willing to take risks and pushed myself to grow.”

As for advice, Funk said entrepreneurs should focus on what they’re passionate about. Customers will not buy into your company if you’re not passionate about your products, she said. She also recommends using your story which sets you apart from other businesses and draws customers in through that personal connection.

“More and more, people want to buy from something that matters. When you are vulnerable with your customers and team members, you will build trust much quicker, which will then turn into reoccurring sales.”

Not only will the event be educational but Beaudry said it’s a great networking opportunity.

“I know that the group of entrepreneurs that came from Steinbach during our first event ended up meeting people from the federal government, from our organization, from BDC, and different organizations that help entrepreneurs along their journey. And even other entrepreneurs that can kind of share some of their trials and some of their successes. I think there’s huge value in networking like this.”

Funk and Jones will speak from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets for the event are and can be purchased at wtcwinnipeg.com/events/world-trade-centre-talks/.