Canadians have voted, and Snackrite Foodie Service in Tillsonburg, Ontario, is the recipient of our $10,000 Zensurance Small Business Grant.
Five more finalists – Mistry Trades, Simple Theory, True Delite Foods, Emfy Health, and Dragonfly Spirit CreeAtions – each receive $1,000. Want to be next? Our next $10,000 grant opens soon.
We asked all six finalists the same two questions:
- What is one piece of advice you have for other Canadian small business owners or self-employed professionals?
- Why is it important to have business insurance to protect your company?
Here’s what they told us, and how each one plans to put the money to work.
Who Received the $10,000 Zensurance Small Business Grant?
Nimota and John Araoye, Snackrite Foodie Service (Tillsonburg, Ontario)
Snackrite Foodie Service is an African food business serving its community with pastries, catering, and pop-up buffets.
Founders Nimota and John Araoye started Snackrite five years ago in a small kitchen. Since then, it’s grown into a registered Canadian business with a physical location and a customer base built one order at a time.
Now the focus is frozen production – packaging popular African pastries and prepared foods so busy families can find them on a shelf, not just at an event.
He’ll put the grant toward new equipment, more production and freezer capacity, retail-ready packaging, and the marketing and distribution it takes to get Snackrite into grocery and retail stores.
“For us, this $10,000 isn’t just money to spend – it’s growth capital,” John said. “It would help us produce more efficiently, reach more customers, create future employment opportunities and move closer to our dream of building SnackRite into a proudly Canadian African food brand that can be found on grocery shelves across the country.”
His Advice to Small Business Owners: Start with what you have, listen to your customers, and never be afraid to evolve. “As small business owners, we often wait for the perfect time, more money or the perfect opportunity before taking the next step. But I’ve learned that growth often begins by doing the best you can with what you have, learning from your customers, and improving one step at a time,” John said. “Think big, but don’t be afraid to start small. Small steps taken consistently can eventually build something much bigger than you imagined.”
Why Insurance Matters: “You invest so much into building your company. Business insurance helps protect everything you’ve worked so hard to build when something unexpected happens,” John said. “We work too hard to build our businesses to leave everything we’ve created unprotected.”
Meet Our $1,000 Grant Recipients
Five businesses, five very different missions. They’re renovating workshops, building websites, getting products retail-ready, and bringing care and culture to their communities. We’re proud to back every one of them.
Rajen Mistry, Mistry Trades (Toronto, Ontario)
Mistry Trades is a full-service home renovation company.
Founded in 2022 by Rajen Mistry, it transforms homes across the Greater Toronto Area – kitchens, bathrooms, and full-house makeovers.
In the past 12 months alone, his team completed more than 50 projects. He’ll put the grant toward finishing his workshop renovation so the company can take on even more complex jobs.
His Advice to Small Business Owners: “Don’t be afraid to stop, pivot, and change direction. Just because you’ve always done something one way doesn’t mean you have to keep doing it that way. Always look for new methods, even if they seem unconventional.”
Why Insurance Matters: “Business insurance is vital for any business owner’s peace of mind. While the likelihood of needing to use it may be low, operating daily knowing you are covered provides a level of relief you can’t get anywhere else.”
Jeff Hayward, Simple Theory (White Rock, British Columbia)
Simple Theory is a mental health and substance use practice.
Jeff Hayward built it around three things: counselling for people navigating substance use and recovery, consulting that helps organizations build better programs for complex needs, and plain-language education, including his book, Simple Sh!t for Complicated People.
His practice has grown almost entirely through referrals. He’ll use the grant to improve his website and search visibility, and to offer tools so more Canadians can find the help they need.
“I believe healing is an individual journey, but it does not have to be travelled alone. Sometimes people need information, sometimes they need resources, and sometimes they simply need a guide willing to walk alongside them,” he said. “This grant will help Simple Theory reach more people wherever they may be on that journey.”
His Advice to Small Business Owners: Don’t wait until everything is perfect before you start. “Starting Simple Theory has taught me that a small business develops through movement. You learn by doing, listening, adjusting, building relationships, and paying attention to where your work is creating value for others,” he said. “You don’t need to have every step figured out before taking the next one.”
Why Insurance Matters: “When you are self-employed, your business is more than your source of income, it represents your time, reputation, relationships, and years of work,” he said. “Having insurance is also part of operating responsibly. My clients and organizational partners trust me to provide professional services, and protecting the business that stands behind that work is part of taking that responsibility seriously.”
Vada Hui, True Delite Foods Ltd. (Keswick, Ontario)
True Delite Foods makes allergen-free treats that people actually crave.
Vada Hui started it in her home kitchen while searching for a snack her son could safely share with friends. Today, the family sells gluten-free bubble waffles and their PINK waffle mix – free from every priority allergen and tested to a standard four times stricter than Health Canada’s gluten-free threshold. She’ll invest her grant in certification, labelling review, and trademark registration to get retail-ready.
Her Advice to Small Business Owners: “Waiting for the perfect plan only holds you back. Focus on taking the first step – learning as you go will give your brand the solid foundation it needs.”
Why Insurance Matters: “Business insurance is important protection for yourself and family, and your customers of course!”
Ifeyinwa (Ify) Inoma, Emfy Health Inc. (Halton Region, Ontario)
Emfy Health brings specialized care to patients who can’t easily get to a clinic.
Founder Ifeyinwa (Ify) Inoma is a Nurse Specialized in Wound, Ostomy and Continence – a designation still rare across Canada. Her mobile practice treats wounds, ostomies, continence issues, and diabetic foot conditions in homes, retirement residences, and long-term care across Halton Region and surrounding communities. She brings 12 years of nursing experience to every visit. She’ll put the grant toward new clinical equipment so she can expand into underserved communities.
Her Advice to Small Business Owners: Start with the problem you are trying to solve, listen carefully to the people you serve, and allow your business to evolve around their real needs. Growth takes patience, she said – celebrate progress, learn from the hard moments, and stay connected to why you started.
“When I started Emfy Health, I knew there was a need for specialized wound, ostomy and continence care in the community. But running the business has taught me that having clinical expertise or a great idea is only one part of entrepreneurship,” she said. “You also have to understand your finances, build relationships, listen to feedback, invest carefully and be willing to adjust your plans when circumstances change.
“I have learned to ask whether a decision will genuinely improve the service we provide, make the business stronger, or create sustainable value for our clients.”
Why Insurance Matters: “Business insurance is important because entrepreneurship always involves some level of uncertainty, even when you plan carefully. This is especially important in healthcare. We work directly with clients, travel to different care environments, use specialized clinical equipment, maintain business assets and manage responsibilities that come with providing professional services,” she said.
Monique Collins, Dragonfly Spirit CreeAtions Ltd. (Treaty 6 Territory, Alberta)
Dragonfly Spirit CreeAtions is an Indigenous-owned cultural tourism and wellness business built on the belief that culture is meant to be shared.
Monique Collins is a Cree Knowledge Keeper with family roots in Peepeekisis Cree Nation in Treaty 4. From Treaty 6 territory in Alberta, she offers drum and rattle building, medicine bag workshops, tipi experiences, plant medicine teachings, and Moon gatherings.
People leave with a teaching, not just something they made. She’ll use her grant to help build an online store and develop event displays to reach people beyond her in-person workshops.
Her Advice to Small Business Owners: Never underestimate the power of relationships. “As small business owners, we can become so focused on selling our products or services that we forget people connect with people first. Some of the greatest opportunities in my business have come from simply showing up, having genuine conversations, sharing my story and taking the time to learn someone else’s. I have learned that a relationship is much more valuable than a contact in your phone,” she said.
There will be difficult days in entrepreneurship, she added, but remember why you started. “Your business doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. Build something that reflects who you are, the people you want to serve and the difference you want to make.”
Why Insurance Matters: “As a small business owner, I have put years of hard work, heart, time and personal investment into building Dragonfly Spirit CreeAtions. Insurance gives me an important layer of protection when the unexpected happens,” she said. “It also allows me to walk into partnerships, events and professional opportunities knowing that I have taken responsible steps to protect my business, my clients and the organizations I work with.”
Six different businesses, one thing in common: every finalist sees insurance as vital protection for their companies. Want the same peace of mind? Protecting your business takes about three minutes.
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When Does the Next Zensurance Small Business Grant Open?
Our next $10,000 Zensurance Small Business Grant opens soon, for Canadian small business owners and self-employed professionals. Visit our grant page for eligibility rules and how to enter.
Congratulations again to Nimota and John, Rajen, Jeff, Vada, Ify, and Monique! Could your business be next? The next round opens soon.
Meet all our previous Zensurance Small Business Grant recipients.
Zensurance Small Business Grant FAQ
Who received the $10,000 Zensurance Small Business Grant in October 2026?
Snackrite Foodie Service, an African food business in Tillsonburg, Ontario, founded by Nimota and John Araoye. Canadians chose the recipient by public vote from six finalists.
Who received the $1,000 Zensurance Small Business Grants?
Five finalists each received $1,000: Mistry Trades (Toronto, Ontario), Simple Theory (White Rock, British Columbia), True Delite Foods (Keswick, Ontario), Emfy Health (Halton Region, Ontario), and Dragonfly Spirit CreeAtions (Treaty 6 Territory, Alberta).
When does the next Zensurance Small Business Grant open?
The next round opens soon, with a $10,000 grant for Canadian small business owners and self-employed professionals.
Who can apply for the Zensurance Small Business Grant?
Canadian small business owners and self-employed professionals. Visit our grant page for eligibility rules and how to enter.
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