In 2018, Edinson (Stany) Castillo came to Canada from Peru to study at Greystone College for International Business Management. At that time, he was also operating his business,  InnScience,  which imports and exports lab equipment to customers primarily in South America. He decided to expand his business into North American markets and beyond.

While attending his college program, Stany completed the Newcomer Entrepreneurship Hub program (NEH) offered by Scadding Court Community Centre and the Ryerson Diversity Insitute. Through NEH, Stany learned about operating a business in Canada, was introduced to other newcomer entrepreneurs, and expanded his professional network. He also used this opportunity to learn of other local programs and supports specific to his industry and business needs.

After completing NEH, Stany went on to complete the LatAm Startups Incubator and pitched his business at the LatAm Startups conference in 2019. He also joining the Helix incubator at Seneca College. Since then, he’s obtained a Temporal Work Permit and after one year operating Innscience, will be eligible to apply for permanent residency, He has expanded his business by developing an open innovation multilingual platform to support applied research by connecting industries and researchers. Stany recently joined the Science Discovery Zone at Ryerson University as well as the Niagara Falls Ryerson Innovation Hub. His future plans are to test the platform with applied research with colleges, universities, and industries looking to participate in Applied Research projects.

Hard work and determination pays off! Way to go, Stany!

As an immigrant entrepreneur, Karina Garcia’s journey has been challenging. In 2013, she and her husband Kristhiant came to Canada with plans to re-launch a custom piñata business she first started in 1997. Karina and Kristhiant share a passion for Mexican handicrafts and use their skills and experience in the design and sculpture of custom handmade piñatas. They dreamed of sharing the real cultural authenticity of their Mexican heritage through one of the world’s most popular party pastimes – piñatas!

Due to a language barrier, lack of professional networks, and financial limitations, Karina and Kristhiant were forced to postpone their plans of re-launching the business, instead focusing on part-time and volunteering jobs as well as ESL and business classes. When Karina enrolled in the Women’s Entrepreneurship Hub (WE-Hub) in 2018, she learned how to set up her business for the Canadian market. The free childminding services provided were crucial for her to be able to attend this program and keep learning. Karina feels that WE-Hub made a difference for her family and business – they felt heard, supported, and not alone anymore. She has used the program’s resources and supports to grow her business as well as contribute back to the entrepreneur community by sharing her story and experiences. Most recently, Karina completed SCCC’s e-Hub Propel Program and is now beginning to see her effort and dedication from all these years starting to flourish with the launch of a successful online store: store.gottapinatato.com