Category: People of Momentum

Book binding made breathtaking

Ksenia judges books by their covers – and then she elevates them into works of art. Hand-crafted, one of a kind, leather-bound novels line the walls of Ksenia Kopystyńska’s downtown limestone brick studio in Kingston, Ontario. The towering windows of Ars Libri Studio (latin for “the art of books”) feature her handiwork, giving passers-by the opportunity to browse beautiful hand-bound books and other leathercraft items. Even… Read more

Business Development, People of Momentum

How Michael Carr fell into chainsaw carving

Most people don’t just pick up chainsaw carving. But that’s exactly what Michael Carr did. When he was working making props for film and television, he picked up a chainsaw on a whim. “It wound up being quicker and faster to cut up the Styrofoam. And I sort of built it from there.” Chainsaw carving has always called Michael’s name. It was a whisper in… Read more

Business Development, People of Momentum

Connecting to memories through Carpentry

When Francisco Javier Cao first walked through the door of the shop he was working at in Montreal, he caught the smell of pine wood and thought, “This is awesome. This is what I want to do. I want to work in a shop where I can smell wood every time.” Francisco has always loved carpentry and has good memories of his grandfather teaching him… Read more

Employment Skills, People of Momentum

How Tara found her way to save

Tara was a “willy nilly” spender. “I felt bad every time I went to the salon and got my hair done. It felt and looked better, but I always wondered if there would be enough money left for the necessities.” When Tara learned about budgeting, it was helpful to learn that she didn’t need to feel guilty about getting her hair done if she made… Read more

Money Management, People of Momentum

Gaining the confidence to be entrepreneurs

Monika worked hard for 8 years to study to become a licenced Minister. She wanted to pursue a career in that industry, but she couldn’t find the time between her shifts as a bus driver in Calgary. “I thought I could do both,” she says. “I thought I could perform marriage and celebration of life ceremonies in between the other job. But it was hard.”… Read more

Business Development, People of Momentum

Yummi Yogis on fostering connections in Thrive Accelerator

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  Thrive is a community leadership initiative of Momentum. Thrive has a strong network of partnerships to reach real people,  create real opportunities and champion real change. Nikki Brule is an alum from the Spring 2018 Accelerator cohort. In her time with this free 16-week program, she’s been able to foster deeper connections within her community and fellow social entrepreneurs, find ways to increase the social… Read more

Community Matters, People of Momentum

Being Mentally Healthy – An Entrepreneur’s Story

2014 marked the 20th anniversary of the Business Development Department of Momentum. To celebrate, we collected 20 stories about past participants who have thriving businesses. Written by Marnie Schaetti of RaiDo Dynamics, these stories reflect the diversity, innovation and hard work of the inspiring participants who come through our doors every year to take one of our many programs. This is one of those stories…. Read more

Business Development, People of Momentum

Luisa has Momentum

At Momentum, we see the relationship with our participants as a partnership. With each new business, asset purchased, trades career started, we learn as much from the participants as they do from us. Momentum is lucky in that many participants want to stay connected after they graduate from their programs—as members, volunteers and donors. Luisa is one such participant. And, because one of the best… Read more

Business Development, Money Management, People of Momentum