Take a look at these Toronto entrepreneurs making their dreams come true
If the past few months have taught us anything, it’s that local matters. In 2025, it’s not just about what you buy — it’s about who you’re buying from.
And guess what? It couldn't be easier! The Futurpreneur Marketplace is a one-stop shop for Canadians looking to consciously support young entrepreneurs and their businesses across the country.
Powered by Futurpreneur — the only national non-profit that helps entrepreneurs aged 18-39, offering flexible equity-free loans, mentorship, and the resources they need to start or buy a business. The Futurpreneur Marketplace features over 210 Canadian businesses, each one with a story worth sharing.
Side hustle to retail
It helps Canadians shop local from businesses like Vanilla Bite Bakery, a Toronto-based bakery that began as a passion project between Futurpreneurs Dannah Melad and Kevin Allan.
The two initially bonded over their mutual love of food, spending lockdowns baking together and experimenting with ingredients. Before long, they launched their business online — with a mission statement to create “uniquely Canadian pastries that couldn’t be replicated outside of Toronto.”
The bakery offers some pretty unique treats with creative takes on Canadian flavours like foraged candy cap mushrooms, nootka rose petals, wild blueberries, whole grain red fife flour, Ontario walnuts, Toronto-made dark chocolate, and more.
As their online business gained momentum, so did their ambitions.
“As we continued to network with local suppliers, perfect our recipes, and expand our product and service offerings, we felt that we were beginning to fulfill our mission statement,” they tell blogTO. “We were getting great feedback from our customers, so we decided to take the risk of opening our first physical store.”
That leap wasn't easy — but the co-founders overcame the challenges and opened their first brick-and-mortar location in September 2024. They credit Futurpreneur with helping them navigate those growing pains, and giving them the tools to move from side hustle to storefront.
"Their startup program gave us structure and guidance during a time when everything felt overwhelming. The business plan process helped us define our vision clearly, set realistic goals, and understand the financial side of running a bakery."
To this day, they still utilize what they learned from Futrpreneur, even using its financial projection tool to help plan their cash flow.
Without Futurpreneur, they say, Vanilla Bite Bakery might not exist at all. "As a business started by people in their early 20s with limited credit history, accessing affordable financing would have been a major challenge. The program gave us the structure, confidence, and support we needed to turn our vision into a viable sustainable business."
And, the Futurpreneur Marketplace now helps them to reach new customers and build credibility every day!
At a time where global trade tensions and economic uncertainty continue to rise, supporting Canadian entrepreneurs is more important than ever.
"Supporting a business like ours helps support Canadian suppliers and avoids reliance on large U.S. distributors, especially important given the current trade climate. Supporting businesses like ours strengthens Canadian culture and economy — and Futurpreneur helped make that possible!"
You can find more than 200 entrepreneurs from all across Canada just like Vanilla Bite Bakery on the Futurpreneur Marketplace. If you're looking to buy Canadian, here’s a sneak peek of what you’ll find.
Pinky Swear and Co.
Pinky Swear & Co. is a Toronto-based artisanal candle company known for producing some beautiful, long lasting candles. Their hand-poured, small-batch creations are made with sustainably sourced coconut soy wax and pure essential oil blends.
The brand is also committed to community and sustainability, and they proudly collaborate with Canadian markets and charities to give back locally.
DOUBL
DOUBL is an underwear brand that was founded by best friends Bryn and Jess with a mission to help every woman feel confident and in love with her body.
They offer a range of thoughtfully designed, custom-made bras in all kinds of styles that provide support while feeling like a second skin.
Flowers and Flowers
Flowers and Flowers was created by Julia Egorova, born from her passion to turn flowers into art that make any occasion feel extra special.
The brand believes that everyone should be able to enjoy fresh flowers without spending a fortune, so they offer beautiful designer bouquets and flower arrangements at friendly prices.
Ready to shop with purpose? Head over to the Futurpreneur Marketplace's website now to discover and support the next generation of Canadian entrepreneurs! And if you’re a young, aspiring entrepreneur looking to start, buy or grow your business, anywhere in Canada, learn more about Futurpreneur’s loan with mentorship and resources, today.
Vanilla Bite Bakery
