Canada has no shortage of talent, and some entrepreneurs are doing more than just building companies, as they are also rewriting the rules of business itself. Whether they’re shaking up traditional industries, leveraging tech to create new markets, or prioritizing social good alongside profit, these founders are proving that Canadian innovation is powerful. Here are 21 Canadian entrepreneurs changing the rules of business:
Michele Romanow – Clearco
Michele Romanow isn’t just a Dragon on Dragons’ Den, she is also a disruptor of traditional venture capital. As co-founder of Clearco, she pioneered revenue-based financing for startups, allowing entrepreneurs to access growth capital without giving up equity. Clearco has funded over 10,000 companies globally, and Romanow’s data-driven approach has flipped the script on who gets to scale. She has also championed greater diversity in tech and funding access, especially for women-led businesses.
Tobias Lütke – Shopify
When Tobias Lütke built Shopify to sell snowboards online, he couldn’t have known he was laying the foundation for one of Canada’s most influential tech giants. Under his leadership, Shopify has empowered over a million merchants globally, democratizing e-commerce for small businesses. Lütke’s refusal to sell out during the company’s early days and his focus on product over hype made Shopify a powerhouse. His belief in remote work, open-source development, and decentralized leadership has also influenced tech culture far beyond Canadian borders.
Eva Wong – Borrowell
Eva Wong is changing how Canadians think about credit and who gets access to it. As co-founder and COO of Borrowell, she helped launch one of Canada’s first fintech companies to offer free credit scores, democratizing a process that had long been opaque and exclusive. But Borrowell is more than just a score tracker, and it has become a platform helping millions of users find smarter financial products tailored to their needs. Wong’s mission is rooted in financial empowerment, and her leadership is a major reason why fintech is becoming a friend, not a foe, to everyday Canadians.
Ryan Holmes – Hootsuite
Before social media was the marketing cornerstone it is today, Ryan Holmes saw the future. He founded Hootsuite to help businesses manage their online presence across platforms, and it quickly became the go-to tool for companies worldwide. Holmes also created The League of Innovators to support young entrepreneurs. His dedication to nurturing Canada’s next wave of tech leaders, and as both a founder and mentor, has helped shape Canada’s reputation as a serious player in the global startup space.
Fatima Zaidi – Quill and CoHost
Fatima Zaidi is turning up the volume on branded audio. As founder of Quill and its analytics arm CoHost, she has built a platform for companies to harness the power of podcasting. What sets Zaidi apart is her clear mission to make content marketing both data-driven and human-centered. She is also an outspoken advocate for women in tech and entrepreneurship, frequently speaking on issues of equity and inclusion.
Jeff Golfman – Prairie Paper & Botaneco
Jeff Golfman is proof that sustainability and entrepreneurship can go hand in hand. He co-founded Prairie Paper, which produces tree-free paper made from agricultural waste, and also launched Botaneco. This company extracts natural ingredients from oilseeds for use in cosmetics and food. Golfman’s ventures are built around reducing environmental impact while generating real market value without greenwashing. A pioneer in the circular economy, he’s spent over two decades pushing for cleaner, smarter ways to manufacture everyday products.
Harley Finkelstein – Shopify
While Tobias Lütke built Shopify’s technical backbone, Harley Finkelstein helped make it a cultural force. As president, he has been instrumental in scaling the company while maintaining its fiercely merchant-first philosophy. Finkelstein is a master of partnerships, branding, and big vision, and his leadership helped Shopify become a pandemic-era lifeline for small businesses. A frequent advocate for entrepreneurship, he helped reframe Canada as a launchpad for global e-commerce.
Eva Lau – Two Small Fish Ventures
Eva Lau may not be a household name, but her influence runs deep in Canada’s startup ecosystem. After helping scale Wattpad, she co-founded Two Small Fish Ventures to fund early-stage Canadian tech companies with global potential. Lau’s unique approach blends traditional investment savvy with community-first mentorship, especially for underrepresented founders. She has also championed the importance of scalable social capital, arguing that networks matter as much as dollars, as she continues to back the next wave of innovators and shape the ecosystem they’ll grow in.
Shadi McIsaac – Ownr
Shadi McIsaac launched Ownr with a simple goal to make starting a business in Canada as easy as ordering takeout. The digital platform now helps tens of thousands of entrepreneurs incorporate, register, and grow their businesses without the typical red tape. As managing director, McIsaac has focused on practical tools for real people, especially those historically shut out of entrepreneurship. Her work is helping fuel a wave of micro-businesses and side hustles across the country, giving Canadians more ownership in their economic futures.
Allen Lau – Wattpad
Allen Lau took storytelling into the 21st century. As co-founder of Wattpad, he built a global platform where over 90 million users can read and share stories, many of which have gone on to become published books, films, and TV series. Lau saw the creative power in user-generated content long before the publishing industry did, and he turned that insight into one of Canada’s most successful media-tech exits. Wattpad changed how stories are discovered and shared, and Lau’s vision continues to influence both tech and entertainment worldwide.
Joanna Griffiths – Knix
Joanna Griffiths didn’t just create a better bra, she also ignited a movement. With Knix, she tore up the traditional playbook for intimate apparel, championing comfort, body positivity, and unfiltered realness. Griffiths bootstrapped the brand until its multi-million-dollar buyout in 2021, all while refusing to compromise on her mission. Her decision to close a funding round while nine months pregnant became a rallying cry for gender equity in entrepreneurship.
Andrew D’Souza – Clearco
Andrew D’Souza didn’t think equity was the only way to grow a startup, so he co-founded Clearco, a revolutionary funding platform that offers capital without dilution. Under his leadership, Clearco deployed billions in revenue-based financing to e-commerce founders, prioritizing data over pitch decks. D’Souza’s model has challenged Silicon Valley norms and opened doors for entrepreneurs who traditionally get overlooked. As a vocal advocate for diverse leadership and Canadian innovation, he is proving that fairer funding can still mean fast growth, and that startups can scale without selling their soul or 30% of their company.
Mandy Rennehan – Freshco
Known as the Blue Collar CEO, Mandy Rennehan built Freshco long before it was cool to disrupt construction. Her retail maintenance and design company serves major brands across North America, and she used her platform to break down barriers in trades, especially for women. With unapologetic candor, humor, and grit, Rennehan is redefining what leadership looks like in blue-collar industries. She is also a fierce advocate for mental health and inclusive hiring, using business success as a springboard for bigger societal change.
Tareq Hadhad – Peace by Chocolate
After fleeing war-torn Syria, Tareq Hadhad rebuilt his family’s chocolate business in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Peace by Chocolate is now a nationally celebrated brand that goes beyond confections, as it has become a living symbol of resilience, inclusion, and hope. Hadhad used his platform to champion refugee integration and immigrant entrepreneurship, becoming a fixture in national conversations on economic and social renewal. With every bar of chocolate, he is rewriting narratives, not just about immigrants, but about what Canadian business can stand for.
Lauren Chan – Henning
Former fashion editor Lauren Chan saw a gap in the luxury market for plus-size women, and she filled it with Henning, a New York-based brand that is proudly Canadian in spirit and leadership. Chan took everything she learned from inside the industry and flipped it, designing timeless pieces with impeccable tailoring, ethical production, and inclusive sizing. Her approach focuses on power, representation, and giving more women access to confidence through clothes that fit. When Universal Standard acquired Henning, but Chan’s influence continues to help fashion grow up and embrace every body.
Ben Gulak – BPG Werks & RoboMoto
Ben Gulak has never been interested in the ordinary. At just 17, he wowed the world with the Uno, a self-balancing electric unicycle. Since then, he has launched BPG Werks, known for the rugged, tank-like DTV Shredder, and now leads RoboMoto, aiming to transform urban mobility with AI-powered bikes. Gulak’s inventions blend engineering brilliance with a rebellious streak, earning global attention and patent after patent. He creates vehicles and reimagines how we move. Whether you’re off-roading in snow or commuting in traffic, Gulak’s tech is designed to make mobility smarter, faster, and a whole lot cooler.
Mallorie Brodie – Bridgit
Mallorie Brodie is building tech in construction, where few thought it was needed. As co-founder of Bridgit, she is helping general contractors streamline workforce management with software that’s clean, intuitive, and useful on job sites. With a background in business and a knack for solving complex operational problems, Brodie has helped take Bridgit from a student startup to a game-changer in North American construction.
Devon Fiddler – SheNative
Devon Fiddler runs a business and uplifts a movement. As a Cree woman and founder of SheNative, a sustainable fashion brand and social enterprise, Fiddler creates leather goods and apparel that empower Indigenous women through employment and mentorship. Her designs are beautiful, but the impact is deeper. Every product tells a story of culture, strength, and self-determination, and Fiddler’s model blends commerce with community-building, challenging colonial systems with Indigenous values of reciprocity and empowerment.
Ian MacGregor – Enlighten Innovations & North West Refining
Ian MacGregor is the quiet disruptor behind one of Canada’s most ambitious clean energy projects. As founder of North West Refining and Enlighten Innovations, he is pushing the boundaries of carbon capture and low-sulfur fuel production. His work may not be flashy, but its implications are massive, offering a blueprint for more sustainable oil refining and helping heavy industries reduce emissions without shutting down. MacGregor’s ability to blend engineering, economics, and environmental impact makes him a rare force in Alberta’s energy scene.
Stephanie Ciccarelli – Voices.com
Stephanie Ciccarelli co-founded Voices.com to solve a problem few even realized existed that is, connecting voice actors with clients around the world in a streamlined and secure way. What began as a small project has become the world’s largest voiceover marketplace, serving media giants like Hulu, Microsoft, and Shopify. Ciccarelli brought business acumen and creative passion to the platform, ensuring it remained artist-friendly while scaling fast. As the voice economy grows alongside AI and audio content, Voices.com is a Canadian-made powerhouse leading the charge, and Ciccarelli is making sure the human voice still has a central role in the future of sound.
Taran and Bunny Ghatrora – Blume
Sisters Taran and Bunny Ghatrora co-founded Blume to break the silence around puberty, periods, and skincare, especially for young women. Their direct-to-consumer brand offers clean, hormone-friendly products while also championing body literacy, mental health, and inclusive education. What makes Blume stand out is its products and the conversation around them. The Ghatroras have built a community-first company that is rooted in empathy, advocacy, and unapologetic realness.
21 Products Canadians Should Stockpile Before Tariffs Hit
If trade tensions escalate between Canada and the U.S., everyday essentials can suddenly disappear or skyrocket in price. Products like pantry basics and tech must-haves that depend on are deeply tied to cross-border supply chains and are likely to face various kinds of disruptions
21 Products Canadians Should Stockpile Before Tariffs Hit
