Success Stories

Julie Williams is passionate about her community and living in Whitchurch-Stouffville. Although engineering was her initial career path, she wanted to make a change. “After taking time off to raise a family, I turned my storytelling passion into a successful portrait and event photography business,” said Williams. A former York Small Business Enterprise Centre client, today she is the official

Read Success Story: Pretty in Pictures

As a former professional dancer and yoga instructor, Kaylene Joseph has a good understanding of the mechanics of the human body. Although she always wanted to work for herself, her interest in business didn’t go much further than that. “I was teaching the odd class, handing out business cards on the side, and posting about my services on Facebook,” she

Read Success Story: Happy Bones Osteopathy and Wellness Clinic

NewMakeIt is a facility that provides innovators, entrepreneurs and creative professionals with the tools and technology to turn ideas into reality. Watch to learn how the YSBEC helped them launch this creative business!

Christine Moran spent her whole life helping others. After moving to Newmarket from Orillia over 25 years ago, she dedicated her life to raising her two children. But shortly after moving to Newmarket, her youngest child was diagnosed with Autism. For years she worked various jobs that would allow her the time to take her son to various appointments, day

Read Success Story: Harmony House Wellness

  Some people have a love for music and are lucky enough to make a career out of it. Others do the same for art and design. Stella Grinfeld has at one point or another done all three. From her education to her lifetime involvement in the arts, Stella has always had a passion for what she does, including music,

Read Success Story: Stella Graphix

It’s not where you’ve been, it’s where you end up. This rings true for Corey McCusker, owner of Muttz with Mannerz, based out of Whitchurch-Stouffville. After a 13-year career in finance, she was ready for a change. “I had a successful career as a Senior Manager, but I simply didn’t have the drive anymore,” she said. “During this transitional time,

Read YSBEC Success Stories: Muttz with Mannerz

You could say that Nathan Moore was destined to land in the heating and cooling trade. His father works in the industry, as did his grandfather and great-grandfather. “I really enjoy fixing things and addressing the needs of customers,” says Moore, an HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) mechanic who launched Integra Mechanical and Air Ltd. in 2013. But what

Read YSBEC Success Stories: Integra Mechanical and Air Ltd.

  Julian Roach has every reason to be confident. A registered physiotherapist, he has treated more than 18,000 patients in England, Finland and Canada. He’s also an adjunct lecturer and clinical educator for the University of Toronto and served as a lead physiotherapist for the 2015 Pan Am Games. That’s just for starters. He clearly knows his stuff, but when

Read YSBEC Success Stories: PhysActiv Sports Medicine

  Ziggy Talaska is only 25, but he’s worked in the trades for a decade. At age 15, he was framing drywall and building decks. By age 18, he was coordinating jobs for another contractor. “I grew up seeing my dad and uncle building fences and decks and I got involved,” says Talaska. “Their handiness rubbed off on me.” At

Read YSBEC Success Stories: HBC Landscaping Limited

Kirsten Martin and Anne-Marie Gabrini don’t, typically, book private jets or plan lavish parties for their clients. Rather, as partners in K+A Personal Concierge in Aurora, they’re more apt to help clients with ordinary tasks such as grocery shopping or finding a good electrician. The two friends launched the business in 2017, after identifying a gap in the marketplace. In

Read YSBEC Success Stories: K+A Personal Concierge