We are a youth-led African Diaspora inspired Vintage Thrift store and Community space. Here, dreams become realities and sustainable income earning opportunities. Rebel Junction is a Social Enterprise, a Career Centre, and a creative hub for aspiring artists, visionaries and community organizers to come together and share resources, receive mentorship, and strategize on ways to market, develop and produce socially responsible, ever changing retail installations that sell - and above all, inspire! (read more) Rebel Junction is a response to the demand for more youth focused career development programs and mentoring services within the downtown core. Our mission is to give youth the opportunity to share resources collectively, focus on putting career goals into action, gain valuable hands on experience, and strategize on ways to build more progressive, safe, and accessible queer positive small businesses and creative spaces within the Greater Toronto Area.

Our goal is to create an organization that focuses on music, fashion and film/television. We plan to utilize all available resources to establish a record label, fashion studio and a television network all under one building and one management. We not only plan to offer service such as talent development and filming, we also plan on offering products from our clothing line as well as the films and shows that we produce. We also plan on selling music under our own record label. We decided to create a company that focuses on music, fashion and film and television because we have noticed that there is a huge demand for these services and products. We also have a passion for the entertainment industry and felt like we could make an impact with our company. We would like to give equal opportunity to people who do not have access or affordable means to create, manage, promote and distribute their own music, fashion, film and/or television. To solve this issue we came up with the idea for this company. We hope that individuals or groups use this company as a tool to get their ideas and dreams turned into reality and shown in the public view.

Better Than Alchemy is a recycled design business dedicated to building community and providing women with opportunities to engage in redemptive art. I have spoken with many women who have spent much of their time and energy pursuing their professional dreams, but they haven't had a lot of opportunities to develop their creative skills. Through our workshops, our community members will learn skills that will help them to re-create and re-design clothes they would normally throw away. We offer step-by-step assistance, from the project planning stage to the pattern drafting to the sewing. We will make money not only by offering courses in re-design and studio rental packages, but also by selling our custom-made and ready-to-wear products. Our customers will want to return again and again, to take more workshops, or to buy products from the store. We will employ youth from our leadership development program, giving them opportunities to thrive as workshop leaders and product designers. They will develop skills in specific trades as well as transferable skills in problem-solving, teamwork, and project management. The program does not aim to churn out fashion designers, but to nurture creative thinkers who are able to take on a variety of challenges with confidence and a global perspective. There will be endless opportunities for growth, both in expanding the reach of our programs to other cities, as well as in the services and products we provide. We believe that our "throw-away" culture is not sustainable, and we are committed to finding a better way.

Cyclista is a line of clothing and accessories for the urban cyclist. Made of organic fabrics and recycled materials, the line will include things like the skirt clip, the shoe mitten, cool straps for pants and fashionable clothing designed for cycling. Revenue from Cyclista will support initiatives that help the environment or promote cycling. Some ideas include the Clean Air Partnership (www.cleanairpartnership.org) and Toronto Cyclists Union (http://bikeunion.to) and others. I plan to change the face of casual cycling apparel in Toronto and the world.