The POWER 50: Canada's Most Impactful Companies 2022

SSENSE

SSENSE CEO Rami Atallah and his brothers, Firas and Bassel, founded SSENSE in 2003, opening a store in Montreal the following year and launching ssense.com in 2006. “At that time, we were in our early twenties and we felt that there was no platform that was addressing the needs of the new generation of consumers,” says Atallah. “What we set out to do is build a platform that was interesting, that was pushing boundaries, and that leveraged the internet to reach customers globally.”

Today, the company carries 1,600 brands ranging from Gucci to Outdoor Voices, employs over 1,750 people in permanent positions, has 1.9 million followers across Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and boasts over 100 million page views on ssense.com monthly. SSENSE introduced an Everything Else section offering homewares, electronics, and more in 2020, and started carrying designer kidswear last year. There’s also a popular shopping app, created in-house, that uses the company’s proprietary algorithms and recommendation models to encourage product discovery and, of course, sales. Read our full cover story on SSENSE and its CEO, Rami Atallah (pictured).

Dapper Labs

There’s been a lot of talk about blockchain technology over the past few years. But even with all the chatter and buzz surrounding it, many people and businesses are still wary (and very confused) about the emerging technology. Vancouver-based Dapper Labs is on a mission to demystify what it calls, “the biggest thing to happen to the internet since the iPhone.” Through the power of play, they deliver blockchain-based experiences and digital collectibles for companies, as well as themselves. They’re the company behind NFT phenoms CryptoKitties (where players use cryptocurrency to collect and sell cartoon cats) and NBA Top Shot (virtual trading cards that feature basketball highlight videos), and have partnered with other A-list sports partners, including the NFL, UFC, and La Liga. With over $1 billion in transactions on NBA Top Shot alone, Dapper Labs’ momentum is part of a larger movement towards harnessing the power of Web3 technology and questions how society will use and interact with digital worlds moving forward.

OverActive Media

The popularity of esports is impossible to deny. Forecasts predict that in 2022, the global esports audience will grow over 8.7 percent year-over-year to reach 532 million. In Canada, OverActive Media leads the way as the country’s largest esports ownership group, operating the most popular teams in the industry like Toronto Ultra and Toronto Defiant. Catering to today’s generation of fans, the sports, media, and entertainment company has invested $100 million into the ecosystem with plans to employ approximately 3,650 new people through the development of their upcoming performance venue, slated for completion in 2025. They continue to nurture their community (one that rapidly grew over the course of the pandemic) by bringing the online experience into the real world through watch parties, tournaments, and events.

Shopify

Small businesses make up the backbone of Canada’s economy. So, how can they be better supported? Since day one, Shopify has made it their mission to help independent businesses thrive. Across 175 countries, their merchants have contributed five million jobs and $444 billion in economic activity—and that was in 2021, alone. New resources like Shopify Capital (which gives merchants up to $2 million in capital), TikTok Shopping, and fast fulfillment (thanks to the recent acquisition of Deliverr for $2.1 billion) all contribute to an easier, better merchant experience. Understanding the impact that commerce has on the environment, they’re also backing the development of technologies that remove carbon from the atmosphere through the Shopify Sustainability Fund, which has committed $32 million to carbon removal purchases since 2019. An additional $925 million has been allocated in partnership with Stripe, Meta, Alphabet, and McKinsey through Frontier, the world’s largest combined financial commitment to carbon purchases. (Pictured: Shopify president, Harley Finkelstein)

WealthSimple

They set out on a mission to help Canadians manage their money by demystifying everything that surrounds it. Eight years later, Wealthsimple has produced a full suite of tools including a commission-free DIY trading platform, access to fractional shares, and even group retirement savings plans via crypto to get people closer to financial freedom. With $18 billion in assets and 2.5 million clients under their purview, their influence on Canada’s financial ecosystem only continues to grow. (Pictured: Wealthsimple CEO and founder, Michael Katchen)

LISTEN: How Can We Get More Comfortable Talking About Money?

Clio

Clio reinvented an archaic industry by building the first cloud-based operating system for legal practices so lawyers can focus more on the client experience and less on all the other “stuff.” With a record-breaking 2021 valuation of USD $1.6 billion, they’re also ushering in next-gen legaltech leaders through their equity investment portfolio, Clio Ventures.

Wattpad

Crowdsourced storytelling takes center stage at this Canadian startup. Wattpad harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to source, identify, and propel today’s most compelling stories into the spotlight, doing away with traditional barriers associated with the publishing industry and giving equal footing to underrepresented talent. Alongside Wattpad’s WEBTOON Studios (their TV, film, and publishing counterparts) and a recently launched Creators Program that provides marketing and editorial support, they’re empowering over 94 million people to launch dreams and imagine new worlds.

LISTEN: How to Unearth the Next Big Thing feat. Wattpad’s Allen Lau

DMZ

Internationally-renowned and homegrown in Canada, the DMZ is a world-leading startup incubator that provides tech entrepreneurs with a toolkit of resources, mentorship, community, and capital needed to build, launch, and scale. Their resulting impact is impossible to ignore—they’ve helped over 720 startups raise $175 billion in capital and created a surplus of 4,600 jobs, cementing Canada as a thriving tech ecosystem where founders can be cultivated and grow.

MaRS Discovery District

North America’s largest urban innovation hub, Mars Discovery District assists high-growth startups and scaleups to create meaningful innovation with everything from advisory support to investor connections. Despite pandemic-related challenges, their portfolio of companies generated $2.4 billion in capital, $1.5 billion in revenue, and 22,800 jobs in 2020 alone.

OneEleven

Scaling up is the goal for many of the entrepreneurs and founders who are a part of the OneEleven community. With access to an ecosystem of impactful peers, investment capital, valuable partners, and strategic support designed to help companies lift off (plus a 55,000 square foot facility), they’ve helped over 100 scaleups raise over $2 billion to date.

Highline Beta

Part venture capital firm and part corporate venture studio, they work with a roster of global enterprises to invest in the next generation of game changing startups. Using a corporate venture studio model they pioneered in Canada, Highline Beta invests directly alongside their corporate partners so startups can drive real impact, growth, and innovation. As a result, new areas of opportunity are captured that have helped their clients launch over 40 new businesses and products across several industries.

RBC Ventures

The role of today’s modern, leading banks goes well beyond banking. Royal Bank of Canada understood this well when they decided to launch RBC Ventures, their very own internal incubator. With a goal to create meaningful solutions for customers and businesses (and, of course, draw in new customers), their human-centered approach has resulted in the cultivation of startups that focus on everything from medical billing and money management apps to proptech platforms and skill-sharing experiences.

Futurpreneur

Entrepreneurship has the power to tackle today’s toughest challenges, which is why Futurpreneur is starting the problem-solving process early. A non-profit with a national scope, they are the only organization that focuses on providing financing, mentoring, and support specifically to aspiring founders aged 18 to 39. So far, they’ve supported over 15,000 entrepreneurs, launched over 12,000 businesses across Canada, and provided over $169 million in capital.

Collision

Known as the “Olympics of Tech”, Collision is one of North America’s largest tech conferences and located to Toronto back in 2019 because of the city’s growing tech sector, AI hub, and Canada’s commitment to diversity and inclusion initiatives. In 2022, Collision welcomed approximately 35,000 attendees, as well as 900 notable speakers, 1,557 startups, over 120 trade delegations, and 793 investors from over 130 countries. Those who attended the four-day conference were able to gain insights from today’s leading entrepreneurs and leaders, which included actor Lupita Nyong’o, Dapper Labs CEO Roham Gharegozlou, Calendly founder and CEO Tope Awotona, NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony, Sequoia Capital partner Andrew Reed, Clearco CEO Michele Romanow, and many more. Over the course of their three-year commitment, they are expected to have an economic impact of $147 million.

Q&A: Collision Founder Paddy Cosgrave on Canada’s Tech Shift

Elevate

Canada also has its very own homegrown tech festival. Founded in 2017 as a not-for-profit organization, Elevate centers itself at the intersection of technology, innovation, and social impact. Their most recent festival in 2019 welcomed 30,000 guests, 350 speakers, and 150 partners with the likes of First Lady Michelle Obama, cultural icon and entrepreneur Martha Stewart, space explorer Chris Hadfield, and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt all taking to the stage to share their insights. Their 2022 festival promises to be a feast for those hungry for inspiration, focusing on the marriage of art and technology with metaverse artists, NFT gallery showcases, and more on top of their regular programming over the course of three days.

Hootsuite

Nowadays, it’s nearly impossible to start or operate a business without considering a social media strategy. From creators to corporations, Hootsuite empowers business owners by putting social media to work. The result? Deeper consumer insights, better customer service, and a wider client reach. In a study conducted by Forrester Consulting, results showed that over three years, customers saved $839,000 in advertising costs, converted over $639,000 worth of leads, and saved an extra $495,000 of time. Internally, Hootsuite has also set an example for the wider business community. They’ve formed CSR and DE&I committees to help shape their business strategy and mission, increased the proportion of women executives in their senior leadership team, partnered with community organizations like Black Professionals in Tech Network and Pride at Work to improve their recruitment processes, and surveyed employees to create a benefits package that best reflects their needs (which covers mental health, financial support, fertility treatments, and gender affirmation surgeries).

ApplyBoard

Think of all the possibilities that could be realized if Canada could harness the intellect, innovation, and vision of young international talent. ApplyBoard set out on a journey back in 2015 to do just that. The unicorn company (valued at $4 billion dollars) empowers a global network of students to access the best quality education by simplifying the study abroad search, application, and acceptance process. Today, they’ve helped over 300,000 students across 125 countries and secured over $50 million in scholarships. (Pictured: ApplyBoard CEO and co-founder, Martin Basiri)

LISTEN: Why International Students Will Be Key to Our Pandemic Recovery feat. ApplyBoard’s Martin Basiri

Lighthouse Labs

There is a tectonic shift happening in the workplace. But even before the pandemic, things were already starting to transform due to digital innovation—the reskilling of the workforce being one of them. Lighthouse Labs was founded to directly address these changes. Since 2013, they’ve empowered Canadians to be more technologically savvy through their suite of programs, which include up-skilling courses, career support, and bootcamps for web development and data science. To date, they’ve equipped over 40,000 Canadians with the necessary skills required to thrive in the future of work. Recognizing the tech industry’s diversity shortfalls, Lighthouse Labs has also actively worked to create initiatives that support marginalized or multi-barrier people with access to tech opportunities. This has manifested in projects like Indigenous Tech Talent Development in partnership with First Nations Technology to provide Indigenous students with tech training, and Youth in Tech with Immigrant Services Society of BC to provide digital skills and job readiness training for immigrant youth.

Clearco

Entrepreneurs are built to withstand incredible pressure, navigate unforeseen hurdles, and think outside of the box—pressure creates diamonds, after all. But what if that journey could be made a littler easier? A little more equitable? Proclaimed as the largest e-commerce investor on the internet, Clearco empowers founders by providing equity-free capital solutions. The platform uses AI to evaluate and fund companies by eliminating bias—gender, race, age, region—from the equation in order to level the entrepreneurial playing field. To date, they’ve financed over 7,000 businesses across seven countries with over $3 billion in investments. Notably, they’ve also funded 25 times more women than the traditional venture capital rate. (Pictured: Clearco CEO and co-founder Michele Romanow)

LISTEN: How Can Entrepreneurs Solve Today’s Toughest Problems feat. Michele Romanow

Penguin Random House Canada

The literary home to some of Canada’s greatest authors (Margaret Atwood, Leonard Cohen, and Michael Ondaatje, to name a few), Penguin Random House Canada has not only launched countless stories within our imaginations, but also used its influence to build a more inclusive universe of books. Leading the way in its sector, they’ve intentionally chosen projects for their long-term potential to support diverse communities. Externally, this has manifested in scholarships for Indigenous publishers and BIPOC, queer, and disabled writers through institutions like Simon Fraser University, Humber College, and NIA Centre for the Arts. In-house, they’ve worked to remove traditional barriers to working in publishing with initiatives like a leading paid internship program, BIPOC and Allyship Forums, as well as mentorship of employees with lived experiences of racialization and marginalization.

Women in Capital Markets

With over 3,500 members strong, Women in Captial Markets is the country’s largest network of women professionals on a mission to accelerate industry-level gender equality in Canadian financial institutions and professionals through four pillars: advocacy, research, programming, and recruitment. Their career accelerators have helped over 800 women with leadership development opportunities and over 2,000 women across all levels of their careers.

Pride at Work

Pride at Work helps employers set and achieve their DE&I strategies, specifically so queer and trans people can excel and thrive. With over 300 companies and organizations in their member network, their programming and resources continue to expand with recent milestones including the founding of their Community Partnership Program, which establishes collaborative relationships with non-profit organizations that serve LGBTQ2+ communities.

BlackNorth Initiative

The mission of the BlackNorth Initiative is simple: end anti-Black systemic racism in society by using business as a vehicle of change. CEOs at Canada’s largest companies are held to task by taking a pledge to reshape corporate structures that uphold racist practices and behaviours using resources like the Racial Equity Playbook, developed jointly with the Boston Consulting Group. (Pictured: BlackNorth Initiative founder Wes Hall)

Black Opportunity Fund

The Black Opportunity Fund is on a road to building a $1.5 billion pool of capital to fund Black-led businesses, not-for-profits, and charities in order to cultivate the socio-economic wellbeing of Canada’s Black communities. With recent milestones including a $6.25 million partnership with National Bank and $10 million with TD, they’re inspiring corporate Canada to walk the talk in their mission to dismantle anti-Black racism.

BrainBox AI

Approximately 20 percent of our total greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings, making them the third leading source of emissions in Canada. Seeing an opportunity to help fight climate change and make buildings more efficient, BrainBox AI use artificial intelligence to optimize commercial HVAC systems, which make up more than 50 percent of a building’s emissions. With a setup time of less than three hours and no retrofitting or sensor installation, the SaaS solution has made buildings smarter, leaner, and greener, resulting in up to 25 percent savings in HVAC energy, up to 40 percent reduction in carbon footprint, an extension in equipment life up to 50 percent, and up to 60 percent improvement in occupant comfort. Operating in 21 countries and counting, it’s no surprise why BrainBox AI was recently named one of TIME’s best inventions and perhaps one of the most crucial solutions to meeting Canada’s goals of cutting emissions by 40 percent by 2030.

Ecobee

Ecobee launched the world’s first Wi-Fi-connected smart thermostat back in 2007. Fifteen years later, Ecobee continues to be a category and environmental leader with a full suite of smart home solutions that seamlessly work towards a singular goal to “significantly improve the carbon footprint of the entire energy grid while providing sanctuary and wellbeing for families.” To date, they’ve helped save over 25 TWh of energy – equivalent to keeping 17.7 million tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere or 3.8 million cars from the road for a year.

Pinterest Canada

In today’s oversaturated, overstimulated landscape, what role does a community technology platform play? Pinterest Canada leads the way as both a resource and gatekeeper. Their values-first initiatives have culminated in a ban on weight loss ads, as well as climate and COVID 19 misinformation. They also rolled out their own hair pattern search function that allows Pinners to see a diverse range of beauty styles reflected. 2022 will see them adding 100 new employees to their Canadian offices, comprising half of the company’s global Shopping engineering team.

TikTok Canada

Globally, more than one billion people come to TikTok every month to learn, discover, and build. With an audience as big as theirs, it’s hard to deny the influence that they have on everything from business to culture. Community remains top of mind, with initiatives across mental health, digital well-being, supporting BIPOC creators, and more embedded into their platform functionality for a better overall user experience.

Snap Inc.

As businesses look for more ways to engage consumers in an increasingly crowded marketplace, some are turning to augmented reality (AR) to provide a new layer of experiences. Snap Inc. (which owns Snapchat, Spectacles, Bitmoji, and Zenly) wants to revolutionize how we use the camera in our everyday lives and uses AR to reinvent how we do business, shop, play, and engage with our community.

LISTEN: Was Pokémon Go Onto Something or What?

League

Healthcare should be personal, uncomplicated, and easy to access. The problem is that it’s not. League is revolutionizing the experience by powering next-gen healthcare consumer experiences. Their clients (like employers and providers) are able to build on their platform to deliver highly-engaged and customized healthcare options that range from spending accounts to wellness services. Their latest funding raise of USD $95 million will help them scale their PaaS offering, positioning it as a leading digital infrastructure for an integrated health ecosystem.

Maple

A platform that has empowered over two million patients and 1,500 healthcare professionals (including doctors, specialists, allied health professionals, and care navigators), Maple’s vision has always been singular—to power the future of healthcare. Their app allows Canadians to connect with doctors online for a diagnosis, medical advice, and treatment all from the comforts of home.

Felix

The pandemic illuminated bottlenecks in the healthcare system that have existed as part of an archaic institution in desperate need of digital innovation. Felix’s mission is to provide a safe and discreet virtual space for Canadians who lack access to medical care and prescriptions. Currently, they offer online assessments and prescription delivery for chronic and preventative health concerns like depression, birth control, anxiety, and more. In the three years since being founded, they’re already helped over 400,000 Canadians receive treatment.

Nelson

With over 107 years of history, Nelson is recognizably Canada’s leading educational publisher for grades K to 12. In 2017, they self-innovated after recognizing the need for digital transformation in the education system and created Edwin, an online platform that empowers educators and students to connect and engage with each other. The result? Over 500,000 new users on the Edwin platform with 98 percent of students reporting an improved school experience. Educators are also able to spend less of their time planning lessons and more on engaging with students for a better educational experience overall.

Ace Beverage Group

A powerhouse in Canada’s beverage landscape, Ace Beverage Group (ABG) has transformed its industry through “better-for-you” products that meet the demands of the modern imbiber. That is, products that are evaluated through the lens of wellbeing, innovation, and quality. Brands like Ace Hill and Cottage Springs are quickly establishing ABG as a master of creating the next generation of iconic Canadian drinks. (In 2022 alone, they are on pace to sell over 50 million cans across their portfolio.)

Properly

Real estate remains a hot topic in Canada, especially as market conditions continue to fluctuate. Properly is streamlining an already stressful process by putting the customer first, offering alternative ways to access equity. Their unique buy-move-sell model allows buyers to move into their new home first without having to worry about lining up closing dates and showings. (They even cover the cost of any bridge loan fees and secondary mortgage payments.) With 1,120 percent revenue growth and 4.5X increase in market share year-over-year, they might just be what property investors need.

Humi

As the demand for talent only continues to become more competitive, employers must do more to take better care of their most important asset: their people. Humi is a centralized platform that helps businesses manage their human resources department with everything from hiring and employee documentation to payroll and benefits. Post-pandemic, they’ve adapted their platform with an online marketplace for employers to help them integrate better employee benefits, business insurance, and a broader set of tools to support digital recruiting and onboarding of new team members.

FreshBooks

Business and entrepreneurship may be some of the most powerful ways to solve today’s most challenging problems. But how much of that experience—the time, money, resources, and emotional energy—is eaten up working on administrative tasks? FreshBooks was born out of the idea that businesses should be able to focus more on the things that make them great and less on financial housekeeping. The cloud accounting software offers a solution to businesses of every size to help out with things like invoicing, expenses, payments, and financial reporting. They now comprise over 500 employees around the world and have helped 30 million people in over 160 countries. Today, more than $60 billion in invoices have been paid through FreshBooks and an average of over 192 hours have been saved annually per business on the platform.

Float

As workplace culture continues to change, businesses must learn to adapt and innovate in the ways they operate if they want to keep up. Float aids companies by offering Canada’s first no-personal-guarantee corporate card and spend management platform. A startup like theirs is relevant in the post-pandemic work society (and possibly one heading into a recession) where expense tracking has left many HR departments in a tizzy trying to be nimble and manage an increasingly complex set of functions like shared corporate cards, organizing work-from-home stipends, and more. With more than 1,000 businesses across a diverse range of industries onboarded to their platform since 2019, they’re on track to change how we do business as they continue to grow. (Pictured: Float CEO and co-founder, Rob Khazzam)

FundThrough

For growing businesses, managing cash flow effectively can mean the difference between survival and demise, especially during times of uncertainty and volatility. In North America, 85 percent of the value of issued invoices can be attributed to SMBs, yet they’re often the ones that have to bear the brunt of late payments. FundThrough is a fintech platform that addresses this issue by helping SMBs receive instant payments from larger clientele. Their proprietary technology addresses risk decisioning and fraud detection so that these businesses can continue to operate and grow without having to worry about insufficient cash. In the past year alone, FundThrough has grown by almost 300 percent and scaled to process more than USD $120 million in funding per month.

Drop

Five years ago, Drop came onto the scene looking to reinvent the rewards space by adding more value back into people’s wallets. Now used by more than five million people, the fintech app allows users to earn points on purchases from today’s leading brands. Their point of differentiation? They give shoppers the agency to spend their points however they like on items across beauty, tech, experiences, and more, and have doled out $28 million in rewards to date. They also empower their users to make an impact by allowing them to donate points to a selection of charities (including Black Lives Matter, the Trevor Project, etc.), where they’ll match up to one million per charity. (Pictured: Drop CEO and founder, Derrick Fung)

Cheekbone Beauty

Established in 2016 by Anishinaabe founder Jenn Harper, Cheekbone Beauty are bringing a much-needed perspective to the cosmetic industry by honouring Indigenous culture through representation and sustainable production. With the creation of its Indigenous Innovation Lab, Cheekbones in-house chemists look to the company’s cultural roots to create its array of products by utilising local ingredients and by-product ingredients from local industries. Their most recent campaign and charitable initiative (#GlossedOver) created “unsellable” lip glosses using names like Luscious Lead and E.Coli Kiss to raise awareness around contaminated water, a crisis that still affects about 94 First Nations communities in Canada today. (Pictured: Cheekbone Beauty founder, Jenn Harper)

Mejuri

Redefining the way women think of and purchase fine jewellery (that is, for themselves), Mejuri were the first to adopt the ‘drop’ model in the industry and have amassed a cult following of brand loyalists. CSR initiatives remain a high priority as they grow in 2022, ethically sourcing their gold and supporting underrepresented women and non-binary individuals through their Empowerment Fund.

LISTEN: How to Build a Buzzy D2C Brand feat. Mejuri’s Noura Sakkijha

Rebelstork

As “recommerce” continues its upwards trajectory, Rebelstork platform zeroes in on the $2.6 billion baby gear resale market in North America by enabling the buy-and-sell of overstock, open-box, and quality used baby products. Their proprietary REV™ pricing technology harnesses AI to create an overall sustainable shopping experience.

Knix

A pioneer in the leak proof underwear category, Knix has championed body positivity, self-expression, and menstrual health since day one (back in 2013). Today, that has manifested in a mission to fight stigmas associated with period poverty and gender norms through initiatives like #periodovershare, which donates reusable pads and leak proof underwear to BIPOC and LGBTQIA2+ communities.

Native Shoes

Native Shoes is creating footwear with an impact. Think: kicks comprised of repurposed algae biomass (one pair of their Bloom shoes restores up to 80 litres of filtered water back into the ecosystem) or plant-based shoes that are entirely biodegradable (yes, you can throw them into your compost bin.) Their flagship recycling initiative, the Native Shoes Remix™ Project, gives new life to well-loved shoes by repurposing them into seating, playground flooring, insulation, and more.

Canada Goose

Canadians know a thing or two about cold weather—it’s why we make the best outerwear in the world. At the head of the pack, Canada Goose has grown from outerwear purveyor to full lifestyle brand with an offering that includes everything from parkas to boots to knitwear. But they’re also stewards of the natural world and community at large. They’ve raised over five million dollars to protect the Arctic habitat and its mightiest mascot, the polar bear, and also donate fabric and materials to remote communities in Canada’s North through their Resource Centre program.

Indigo

With their DNA rooted in reading, Indigo has become one of Canada’s most charismatic destinations for the imagination, encompassing everything from wellness and tech products to homewares and, of course, books. Understanding the impact of literature on young minds, the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation provides books and educational resources to Canadian elementary schools to help close literacy gaps in high-needs communities. To date, they’ve invested over $33 million into more than 3,000 elementary schools, benefitting over one million students.

Goodee

Design and impact come together at the Goodee marketplace, which features an assortment of homewares and lifestyle products made by socially-conscious brands that care for both people and planet. Their latest impact report showcases an assortment of impressive numbers, like 60 ( percentage of executive leaders that are female and BIPOC, respectively), 97 (percentage of sustainably and ethically sourced materials in their own products), and 55 (percentage of female-owned brand partners.)

LISTEN: What Will the Future of Luxury Look Like feat. GOODEE’s Dexter and Byron Peart

Kotn

Kotn started with a simple goal to create the perfect t-shirt by honouring their Egyptian roots. Now, the B Corp-certified brand has scaled into a burgeoning lifestyle empire with multiple locations across North America and an equally powerful social mission. Each purchase donates a portion of proceeds to fund and build primary schools in Egypt. To date, they’ve built 10 schools and funded 15, with a student body of 88 percent girls.

Obakki

Obakki is an example of how businesses can do better by embracing a retail model that preserves, progresses, and celebrates diverse craft cultures while also creating sustainable change. In 2021 alone, net proceeds from the sale of their artisanal products funded clean water initiatives in Uganda, built a new jewellery workshop in Kenya, established 50 rainwater catchment systems in Mexico, and much more through their philanthropic arm, the Obakki Foundation.