Meet our 2023 ELLA Ascend Cohort

ELLA Ascend is a 4-month accelerator program designed for women entrepreneurs to refine their value proposition and solidify marketing strategy. YSpace is excited to welcome the 21 participating companies to this year's cohort.

Envision Business Service is a small but mighty bookkeeping firm, serving small and medium businesses in British Columbia, specializing in education and workflow optimization.

Rec Gym Pros unites the recreational gymnastics community to connect, learn, share & get inspired! We're "raising the bar" of the industry by offering virtual resources and training for coaches & program managers via our social media, online courses and pop-up mastermind events. In person, we provide coach development clinics, director networking events and multi-day events, including our annual Refresh Rec Retreat -- a conference just for the recreational gymnastics community.

Retea is a woman, POC led business that's on a mission to make bubble tea sustainable, accessible, and affordable. We do this by providing at home bubble tea kits, reusable bubble tea cups, and accessories. We believe that everyone should be able to enjoy the delicious and authentic taste of bubble tea without harming the environment or their wallet.

Cafézia is a wellness company that produces herb-infused organic, fair-trade coffee that enhances what we love about coffee (taste, clarity and focus) while reducing unwanted side effects (jitters, bitterness, heartburn and restless sleep).

Certo Creative is a boutique graphic design studio committed to producing great work—and we’ve been doing exactly that since 2013. Over the past decade we have grown organically, simply through referrals and word-of-mouth. We know every problem is unique and, as such, every solution should be as well. Our philosophy is simple: good people, good work, and a good attitude will make great things happen.

Team members embody values of compassion, empathy, and person-centred approaches. We give the opportunity for students, professionals, parental guardian(s), and educators to connect with us regarding individual concerns & areas of growth. We strive to provide service where clients feel safe, supported & intersectionally understood. We reduce stigma & shame cycles, deepen client understanding of internalized ableism & empower areas of avoidance to increase your personal value of motivation.

Founded by a Mom and preschool teacher, Dough Parlour Inc. manufacturers 100% non-toxic, fruity-scented playdough in Oakville ON. Our play dough is luxuriously soft and squishy, and contains all natural food-grade ingredients.

The Why Not Agency is a service-based marketing agency that provides clients with marketing, social media, public relations, and event services. We operate remotely and connect with and offer all of our services virtually to our clients. We have a focus on BIPOC-owned and women-led organizations, and tend to work with clients based in Canada that align with our overall values. They can be from any industry or line of work, though we do have a passion for entertainment and the arts overall.

Raised80s excels at gifting, branded merchandise and technology solutions for employee, client and event activations. All items are sourced from small, diverse and ethical business. We provide all the services required for large corporations and events to connect with these small businesses including the service agreements, legal, PPI storage, fulfilment and shipping. Raised80s donates 2% of all REVENUE to charities we love.

Mamacita's Empanadas is a small scale food processor in Golden, BC. We specialize in making frozen, take-and-bake empanadas. We bring people together through good food. We want you to find comfort knowing that our empanadas are made with real ingredients and we source those ingredients with ethical consideration making your decision easy. We bring an easy, hassle free meal from our family to yours so that you can enjoy the most important part of your meal: gathering with friends and family.

Bold Helmets has developed the first multi-sport helmet for Sikh kids who keep their hair. We are here to end the struggle many parents face when trying to find a helmet for their kids with juras (top knots) and/or patkas (small cloth head covering). We are a small business trying to do big things for the safety and inclusion of Sikh kids.

"The Corporate Canuck" (est. 2013) helps entrepreneurs across Canada conquer the bookkeeping & tax overwhelm in their business. We offer 1-on-1 financial support services across a variety of industries (online coaches, creative professionals, e-commerce to name a few), & on-demand training opportunities to help entrepreneurs feel confident about money matters in their business.

Si & Oui looks to fill that gap between DIY solutions and costly interior designers. Si & Oui is an online interior design platform that provides exceptional design at an affordable price.

Milksmith Inc. is an innovative dessert brand established in 2019, with a brick and mortar shop located on the trendy Corydon Avenue strip in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Known for it's creativity and diverse flavours, Milksmith offers a unique menu experience through a mixture of quality rolled ice creams, artisan frozen novelties, craft beverages and various desserts. Milksmith's mission is to re-imagine the way we eat ice cream, combining innovative techniques with nostalgic moments.

Oomé is a premium smoked tofu company that launched one year ago. We have three skus – Just Smoke, Greek, and Maple Soy. We source locally made tofu and use clean and simple ingredients. Our mission is to offer a sustainable plant-based option that is better-for-you and accessible. We are proud to be the first tofu company to be certified plastic negative to remove twice as much waste as we use in production. Since our launch, oomé can be found in over 95 stores, including Whole Foods.

Bee Kind Counselling provides therapeutic services to a wide range of individuals and couples. Our focus is working with people who are within the LGBTQ+ community, have ADHD or various other concerns such as anxiety, depression, life changes, burnout and more. We strive on creating a safe space for all throughout their healing journey.

Synergy Link Homes, 24-hour temporary culturally relevant respite home for children and youth who are in the care of the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) or at risk of being in the care of CAS as a space to provide respite and improve wellness skills. 

Creation Farms is family-owned and operated, bringing healthy and delicious produce and artisan products to our community while encouraging a sustainable lifestyle. After experiencing food scarcity ourselves, we decided that growing our own food and nourishing our community is paramount. By design, what comes out of the ground is how it should be eaten. Feel good knowing what you put in and on your body from Creation Farms is all-natural and promotes healthy living.

Happy Natural Products is line of naturally Asian-inspired body care products, for every body. A proudly Asian Canadian woman owned and operated local Canadian line.

Holiday Pet Care is a premium pet care business located in Thornhill, Ontario, offering completely cage-free dog daycare, dog boarding, grooming and pet visits, as well as education and training for pet owners and pet care professionals throughout the Greater Toronto area. The business began in Cheryl Orletsky’s home in 1998 and has experienced continued growth and success throughout its history.

Lilo's Events is a specialist in Event planning, specializing in conferences, incentives, symposiums, and Destination Management Company. We make sure all your needs are covered for a smoothies event. We are the true spirit of excellence. 
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