By Liana Yadav
Toronto Metropolitan University’s women-identifying students, community members and faculty have capitalized on their entrepreneurial spirit creating social ventures that benefit society. These social entrepreneurs strive to create change in the realm of gender equity, carbon emissions and literacy.
The National Museum of Women in the Arts reports that women artists account for only 13.7 per cent of the art in European and North American galleries.
Despite not knowing each other, Pegah Kargar and Liezel Strauss launched their ventures the same year of the same month in two different continents. Driven by the same mission of providing support and opportunities to underrepresented artists, they consolidated their network and rebranded themselves as Rise and Repaint.
The founders are also mothers navigating a tricky work schedule across two time zones. What keeps them going is the numbers.
“Women and non-binary artists represent two [per cent] of the global art world,” said Strauss, who has been in the art industry for more than a decade.
“Between 50-60 [per cent] of art school graduates are women but when they enter the art industry, that number drops significantly,” said Kargar. “The mechanics of the art industry are set up in a way where women and non-binary artists can’t thrive.”
Rise and Repaint has automated a lot of their services so they are always able to serve their few hundred member artists. According to their website, their goal is to “offer templates and tools that make artists’ lives easier” through weekly sessions, guest speakers from the art world, a library of 40+ videos and a private member community. Globally, they have created an engaged community of 100,000+ women and non-binary artists.
“We have big dreams for [Rise and Repaint] but we want to do it sustainably. That’s not always what’s preached out there, this slow and steady approach.” Together, they’re working to build the knowledge, tools and education artists need to sustain their practice.
Artists often struggle to find a way to make ends meet sustainably. Eventually, the co-founders hope to “create a ripple defect, where the starving artist’s myth is crushed.”
The two got involved with the Social Venture Zone (SVZ) while they were doing their rebranding.
“[The SVZ] has been phenomenal with helping us, supporting us, providing mentorship and giving us the right tools. We have found incredible mentors, who have been with us for [all together] two years now.”
A 2023 United Nations report attributed 37 per cent of global emissions to the construction sector due to their heavy use of materials such as cement, steel, and aluminum. To help combat this problem, co-founders Chloe Doesburg and Amy Yang have created a carbon-storing, seaweed-based building insulation to reduce the carbon footprint left by construction.
“We’re unique in the industry in having a totally biogenic biodegradable binder, which means we can make a product that’s all natural and fully compostable at the end of life,” said Doesburg. She met Yang in architecture school 25 years ago. Together, they discovered the climate benefits of seaweed.
“Seaweed draws carbon out of the atmosphere faster than any plant. It has the potential to restore marine environments.”
For Doesburg, having a co-founder’s support allows them to work towards a long-term project without burning out.
“We both bring continued energy and excitement to the project. The big picture motivator is always climate impact, so we both feel really compelled to find a way to do something impactful,” said Doesburg.
Seafoam Materials got involved with the SVZ early on. The organization helped them refine their messaging and branding. They also connected them with the architecture school where they are currently conducting their materials testing..
According to a 2023 report by Build Force Canada, women made up 13.9 per cent of the Canadian construction workforce. Having navigated the male-dominated construction industry on their own, co-founders Yang and Doesburg now know they can figure things out step by step.
“I would encourage [new entrepreneurs] to start with their idea and build from there. The more people you talk to, the more people you can get on board and get excited about your mission.”
Build Canada Literacy Foundation reported that one in four Canadian children miss their reading goals by grade three. In this case, intervention before grade four is vital to get students back on track.
Former teacher turned founder, Erica Derrickson’s venture English Islands came about because of her frustrations with the education system. In a classroom where students are at different reading levels, teachers are tasked with the challenge of making sure they all move at the same pace.
English Islands’ automated literacy tutor helps students study independently so they can continue to progress on their own.
English Islands had an “82 [per cent] renewal rate in 2025 and 37 [per cent] expansion upon renewal.” Derrickson has received feedback from teachers whose students have been able to improve their reading skills through English Islands. According to their website, they can achieve up to 19.3 per cent improvement in one month.
“It’s a constant learning process,” said Derrickson, talking about the lessons she has learned as founder. “As soon as you get good at something, you go to the next level and you have to learn something brand new all over again. It takes a lot of ability to be okay with not knowing what you’re doing a lot of the time.”
Currently, English Islands only operates in Canada but Derrickson hopes to expand it to the U.S. and potentially to international markets in the future.
“In the U.S., two out of three kids are below reading level. In the future, I hope that that number is as close to zero as possible, where most, if not all kids can actually read at grade level” she said.
In 2024, the U.S. National Center for Education Statistics reported that 34 per cent of students are below basic reading level in the fourth grade.
The ultimate goal for all founders is the same: to create change within the communities they’re serving.
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