International Women's Day Feature: Women-Owned Businesses in East Village
In celebration of International Women’s Day, we are shining the well-deserved spotlight on some of the talented women that are leading the charge at some of your favourite East Village businesses.
From culinary to fitness to early childhood development, this diverse group of ambitious and hard-working women are sharing their thoughts and experiences on what obstacles they have faced, progress towards equity in their industries and advice to help inspire the next generation of women entrepreneurs and business owners.
Back row from left to right: Sirine Berrached, Carrie Jackson, Emily Slaneff, Anne Sellmer. Front row from left to right: Natasha Samji, Nuram Harjee, Connie DeSousa, Zoe Nahal.
Anne Sellmer – CEO & Founder, cōchu chocolatier
In five short years, Anne reinvented herself from a stay-at-home parent to being an internationally recognized chocolatier, receiving almost 90 awards including the 6-Star Grand Master Chocolatier and being named one of the Top 10 Chocolatiers and Confectioners in North America.
Anne Sellmer
After staying home for 13 years to raise her three sons, Anne was inspired to find, and follow, a true passion which led her to discover the fine art of working with chocolates. Founded in the basement of her home, cōchu chocolatier, has grown to a full-scale urban chocolate factory that houses production, packaging, shipping, receiving and retail in East Village.
Along the way, Anne has learned to overcome the many obstacles that come with not just being a business owner but also being a woman in a male-dominated industry. From finding the balance between family and work to the need to prove herself before being treated as an equal, the journey has been full of many learnings.
What advice do you have for women looking to open a business?
Keep your knees bent (to absorb the bumps in the road). Manage your expectations, anticipate a roller coaster and a lot of work. Tell your loved ones that you’ll be gone a lot (mentally and physically), especially in the first year. Take the phrase “learn from your mistakes” literally and record the learnings. Learn from others’ mistakes and surround yourself with a good support team, both for the business and personally. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Be flexible and adapt. Believe in your dream but be pragmatic about what’s needed to make it come true.
cōchu creates premium artisanal chocolates that are so beautiful you (almost) don’t want to eat them! Trust us when we say these are the best chocolates you will ever have! You can find cōchu in the historic Hillier block on 8th Avenue S.E.
Emily Slaneff – Founder & Chief Goal Officer, CrushCamp
Emily Slaneff’s journey into the fitness industry began after an experience that forced her to re-evaluate her priorities and how she wanted to live and age. She had spent nearly a decade working long hours in marketing and not prioritizing her personal wellness.
So Emily set out to create something different in the fitness industry. Her vision was to create an all-inclusive fitness community by offering balanced, sustainable, and empowering workouts. She achieved this by making an intentional effort to showcase bodies of all shapes, sizes, ages, and backgrounds through her marketing and messaging. and ensuring her team is trained to make CrushCamp a welcoming space.
After opening her first location on 17th Avenue in 2017, she chose East Village for her next studio due to the density of young professionals and proximity to downtown and RiverWalk. The pandemic took an incredible toll on her business with the studio closed for 12 months over three separate lockdowns. It reinforced valuable business lessons such as:
Emily Slaneff
Talk to owners in the industry to understand what you are signing up for. Even better, try to work in the industry and observe what the owner’s true day-to-day job looks like.
Be wary of signing personal guarantees or taking on substantial debt to start your business.
Find someone who specializes in reviewing business plans – they will know the questions to ask.
Truly ask yourself: can I, and my family afford to fail? If the answer is no, ask yourself if you can scale your plan to minimize the risk.
If there is one silver lining from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that the entire world is waking up to the idea that preventative wellness isn’t optional – it’s mandatory. Healthcare cannot begin at the emergency room, it must begin in our homes, offices, and communities, in the form of physical fitness, mental health, and access to nutrient-dense food.
Emily’s dedication to health and wellness extends beyond her studios to her involvement with the Fitness Industry Council of Canada. She began actively lobbying the provincial and federal government to offer tax credits and wellness grants to every Canadian to ensure they have access to clean, well-equipped facilities, equipment, and expert guidance, where and when they need it.
Whether you are just starting on your fitness journey, or are a seasoned pro, head over to CrushCamp and join Emily and her Wolfpack and start crushing those goals!
Connie DeSousa, Chef/Co-Owner, & Carrie Jackson, Co-Owner, CHAR Hospitality Group
Carrie Jackson & Connie DeSousa
As co-owners of CHAR Hospitality Group, partnership has been the foundation of Connie DeSousa and Carrie Jackson’s success as they built their culinary empire. Lucky for urban dwellers and visitors alike, the duo, alongside co-owner and Chef John Jackson, have opened six successful restaurant concepts in and around East Village, including the Rooftop Bar @ Simmons which offers patrons one of the most stellar views in Calgary.
What advice do you have for women looking to open a business?
Find yourself some amazing partners that can help fill the gaps in your own skillset,” says Carrie. “Nobody is perfect at everything which is why our specific roles in our company are so important,” adds Connie. “We all lean on each other and appreciate what everyone does best.”
While you may recognize her from shows like Top Chef Canada and Food Network’s Fire Masters, Connie is one of Canada’s most celebrated, highly trained, and accomplished chefs who trained at well-known restaurants around the world and placed fourth internationally at the prestigious Chaîne De Rotîsseurs culinary competition in South Africa.
With degrees in law and commerce, and her experience as a legal and governance professional, Carrie supports the business as a strategic advisor, director and corporate secretary. She is also a supporter of financial feminism through her membership at The51 where she invests in women-led and gender-diverse businesses.
Instead of waiting for change in the traditionally male-led restaurant industry, Connie and Carrie, decided to lead the charge. CHAR Hospitality is made up of a majority of female owners, management, and a leadership team coupled with a strong mentorship program aimed at fostering the next generation of talent and providing them with the opportunity to grow and flourish within the industry.
Get a taste of all of their hard work and dedication at charbar, Rooftop Bar @ Simmons, Connie & John’s Pizza and Alley Burger all located in the historic Simmons Building. Or experience their neighbourhood diner meets country-fried chicken joint just down the street at CHIX Eggshop.
Natasha Samji & Nuram Harjee - Owners, Village Scholars Preschool
With over 20 years of combined experience in early childhood education, and a passion for nurturing little ones, Natasha Samji and Nuram Harjee decided to take the plunge and took over the Kidko Child Development Centre in East Village in 2022. With a year under their belt, they renamed the childcare centre to Village Scholars Preschool and expanded their business with a second location in southeast Calgary.
While childcare is a predominantly female-dominated field it does not come without its challenges – these ones being systemic. Natasha shares the challenge to progress in the industry towards equity revolves around compensation, with many early childhood educators, the majority of whom are women, making barely above minimum wage. While childcare operators wait for the government to unveil their funding program to support subsidized childcare services, it leaves operators like Natasha and Nuram in a tough spot to as they try to support their staff with high wages while keeping the cost of care affordable for clients.
Natasha Samji & Nuram Harjee
Why did you choose East Village as a location for your business?
East Village is an amazing location for childcare. There are so many natural areas, community spaces and events for children and families to enjoy and learn from. Some of our immediate goals include purchasing a plot in the community garden and setting up a relationship with the senior’s residence.
With care and learning that is rooted in play, and creating an environment that makes learning fun, we know there will be many future women leaders that will get their start at Village Scholars Preschool!
Zoe Nahal – Co-Owner, Chef & General Manager, Soleil Bistro & Bar
Food and family have been an integral part of Zoe Nahal’s life since she was a child, having grown up working in her family’s bakery, Patisserie du Soleil. Fast forward to July 2020 when she and her father opened the French-inspired Soleil Bistro & Bar with a philosophy of “real food for real people” and a dedication to providing an inclusive and welcoming space while serving quality food at a reasonable price.
Zoe Nahal
Along with the usual challenges in opening a new business, the restaurant industry was one of the hardest hit by the pandemic. Zoe notes that while running a business is hard work, when you build a strong team around you, you motivate each other to keep pushing forward despite the challenges along the way.
What advice do you have for men on how to support women business owners?
Exactly how you might support men in business. It’s not a question anymore if a woman can handle the job, if will she be as successful, etc. I work alongside so many talented, driven, strong women in my restaurant and neighbouring businesses in East Village. Supporting women in business simply comes down to respect.
Discover a taste of France in the heart of East Village at Soleil Bistro & Bar with a selection of in-house, scratch-made unique dishes alongside pub favourites complimented by a wine and cocktail list that will keep you coming back!
Sirine Berrached – Owner & Director, 8 Cakes
Sirine Berrached
Sirine Berrached built a reputation for herself and her business by being one of the few dietary restriction-inclusive bakeries in the city. Opening her first bake shop in 2017, Sirine chose East Village as the second location to showcase her deserts as she was drawn to the vibrancy of the community and its appeal as a shopping and dining destination in the city.
What advice do you have for women looking to open a business?
Knowing your numbers is the simplest step in running a successful business. As women, many of us tend to avoid the financial aspects of running a business and it could be due to the false preconception that women are not strong in math. One of the main reasons a small business fails is lack of financial literacy, and knowledge of the exact costs and overhead.
8 Cakes has been recognized by Avenue Magazine as one of the city’s best wedding cake vendors. Stop and taste what all the fuss is about.