Henry Colin is a writer/director based out of Kjipuktuk/Halifax. He is a passionate filmmaker and an all-around cinephile.Henry has directed a number of award-winning short films, including "Passage" and "In the Cold". Henry has also directed the award-winning feature film "I Am Not A Hero".In 2023 Henry completed principal photography on his sophomore feature "Lost in Time"; a science-fiction chamber piece expected to hit festivals in 2024. Check him out @henrycolinfilmmaker 

Tia Upshaw is a serial entrepreneur, mother of 3, nominee for Business Leader of the Year 2022 & 2023 Halifax Chamber of Commerce, nominee for RBC Woman of Influence 2021,2022 & 2023 and founder & CEO of Blk Women in Excellence. She is a mentor with Rise & Scotia Bank women's mentorship initiative in partnership with the Forum.She also is a well-known motivational speaker, entrepreneurship content creator ( Afrocentric lens) & facilitator with success stories attached to her facilitations. Find out more @blkwomeninexcellence

Lingjie was born in China, Shanghai and lived in Japan for 8 and a half years. She started working in the hospitality industry at an American dive bar in Tokyo.She moved to Canada and met the owners of DearFriend Matt Boyle and Jeff van Horn through the NSCC hospitality program and started working as a server.Having worked with and learned from so many amazing bartenders in Halifax, Lingjie got introduced to the cocktail world which opened her horizons. Due to her Chinese and Japanese background, she wants to bring more Chinese & Japanese cultural ingredients and creativity into the drinks she makes.The Chinese liquor “baijiu”, is an amazing spirit, with a long history, and culture as well as different aromas and special flavours. Check out Lingjie @lingjie_0708 

Moashella Shortte is a mother, educator, author, entrepreneur, and child and youth advocate.   She received her formal training at Mount Saint Vincent University, earned an Early Childhood Management Certificate at St. Mary’s University and was granted a “Baccalauréat en sciences humaines” from “immigration et communautés culturelles”, in Montreal. She spent most of her formative working years at the East Preston Day Care and Family Resource Centre and ultimately became its Executive Director. In 2018, she co-founded Learning4YoungMinds, a company offering online and in-person workshops teaching empathy and socialization to young children; anti-racism training for educators and student support workers; and writing support for BIPOC youth. She currently serves on the ECE advisory committee and is filling the role of lead faculty for the Africentric Cohort of the ECE program at the Nova Scotia Community College. Moashella defines her mission as providing as many learners as possible with exceptional learning experiences that will help them build a strong, positive foundation for learning for life!Find out more @moashellamshortte

As a teenager, Chris had managed to narrow down his future to either becoming a Buddhist monk or running the race to be successful. For various reasons, he chose the latter, but he's always kept one foot in the world of subtle energy and strange events.As a roughneck, he studied alternative health modalities, and when his encounter with the fossil fuel industry motivated him to study renewable energy, he kept an eye out for hints about the kind of energy he studied in that context. These dual interests have all stayed active, recently leading to two books - one on the spiritual side of programming, and one a children's book on health.Chris has an ongoing interest in combining technology with spirituality and hopes to continue his exploration of the weird overlap between those fields in the years to come. He believes there is a lot we don't know about the world - and that learning more about it all is a great way to spend his finite time on the planet. His current research on time and quantum mechanics has really stretched his brain, and he hopes to use that flexibility to work on similar projects - he's interested in bioinformatics and music, but also open to whatever else comes across his path.Find out more about ChrisCheck out his GitHub

Wyndolyn Brown started Empowerment For Hope, a non-profit organization based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.Empowerment For Hope helps and supports girls, women and gender-diverse persons from other marginalized communities involved in sex trafficking or at risk of being involved, which in turn results in addiction and or homelessness.Find out more @empowermentforhope

Using a songwriting ability seldom found in musicians of his age group, 19-year-old Joe Hubley takes inspiration from Motown-soul, funk, and synth-pop artists to intricately craft a sound that is uniquely his own while paying a crafty homage to his musical predecessors. Hubley made waves coming up in Halifax's fruitful all-ages scene, becoming known for his incredibly enigmatic live shows and commanding stage presence.Coming off his first solo tour across Atlantic Canada in the Fall of 2022, Joe Hubley is preparing for the release of his latest single 'Post Up' - available on all streaming services on Friday, April 7th. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Em Bowden-Gil (Arc5ive), as well as production from Colleen Shaw and Braden Kamermans at Üthful Music in North-end Halifax.Check him out @hubleyjoe

Alyssa is a self-taught artist from Halifax, Nova Scotia.Currently immersed in painting with acrylics on birch gallery panels. Her works are inspired by everyday moments captured first with her camera and then with her paint brushes.Alyssa is captivated by bringing light and depth to her paintings while leaving behind visible brush strokes to maintain a painted look and feel.She sells original paintings and accepts commission work.Find out more @watercoloursmakemesmile

Blessing Owowa is the Creative Director and Owner of DB Pearlz Designs, an Afrocentric fashion brand with a unique selling point of blending the best of modern Western and African fashion cultures. DB Pearlz Designs specializes in apparel making (bespoke and ready-to-wear), accessories (bags, purses and headpieces), footwear and custom-fit tailoring services using quality African and Western fabrics.You can follow Blessing on her business social media handles (Facebook & Instagram: @dbpearlzdesigns) as well as her website: https://www.dbpearlzdesigns.com.

Paollo13 is a Lebanese-Canadian rapper hailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia, known for his lyrical prowess and undeniable talent. Born and raised in the vibrant and multicultural community of Halifax, Paollo13 found inspiration in the rich diversity of his surroundings and used it as fuel to craft his own unique style of music.In 2022, Paollo13 released his highly anticipated debut studio album, "Stunted Growth," which was met with critical acclaim and cemented his place as a rising star in the Canadian hip-hop scene. The album, released by Black Buffalo Records, showcased Paollo13's impeccable flow and sharp lyricism, highlighting his ability to tackle complex themes with ease.Paollo13's talent and hard work have earned him several accolades throughout his career. He won the Hopscotch Festival's "Each One Teach One" competition, which recognizes emerging talent in the hip-hop community. He has also collaborated with renowned artists such as Ghettosocks, Aquakultre, Marv Won, Sonnyjim, and GMD Jets, further solidifying his status as a respected and sought-after artist.Despite his success, Paollo13 remains grounded and committed to using his platform to give back to his community. He is passionate about using his music to inspire and empower others, especially those from marginalized communities, and continues to work tirelessly to make a positive impact through his art.As Paollo13's star continues to rise, there is no doubt that he will continue to push the boundaries of hip-hop and inspire countless others with his music.Check him out @paollo13

Allie White, with RE/MAX NOVA, has qualified for the esteemed RE/MAX Platinum Club Award, which honours high-achieving real estate professionals for their service to buyers and/or sellers during the past year.Allie White has been serving her community as a real estate agent with RE/MAX NOVA for 1 year and 4 years as an agent. She has extensive experience in renovations, investment properties, and commercial real estate.Amongst Allie White's list of achievements, she earned a position in the top 20 at RE/MAX NOVA in 2022 and was awarded the 100% Club award in 2021.Learn more @allierealty

Ugochi is a skilled development strategist, with over a decade of experience in investment banking, business development, social innovation, and entrepreneurship.She is an intellectually curious professional who is self-motivated and persistently innovates ideas to create prime and viable solutions for businesses to succeed and stay ahead.Find out more on her LinkedIn @ughochiwest

Stak is an acclaimed producer/songwriter that grew up in Lagos, Nigeria and moved to Canada about 7 years ago.Because of his passion for music, Stak started writing his own songs and later found his love for beat-making. He is fondly known for his unconventional blend of Afrobeats and RnB as his choice of music and is the powerhouse to most of Arenye’s music.He is the current Director of Million Vibes, a media collective boasting the finest Afrobeats artists on the East Coast. Check him out @stak_01

A native of Andros, Bahamas, Danielle Gaitor, M.Sc. B.Sc., is a scientist, author, and creative.She hopes to inspire all youth to love themselves unapologetically and to stand firmly in who they are.Her debut book is dedicated to all black girls and boys around the world, teaching them about self-care and self-love. Look out for more from her coming in the near future!Learn more @danielle.gaitor

Kolade Kolawole-Boboye is the Co-founder & Brand Management of LDN Records INC, a Director and Alumni at Hope Blooms.Kolade sees himself as a lifelong learner that wants to build relationships with others through creative entrepreneurial collaborations.Kolade is a member of the Hope Blooms Board of Directors, a recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s Architecture Award for Outstanding Design in Greenhouse, successfully pitched to the CBC’s Dragons Den & a Recipient of CBC’s Dragons Den Top Pitches of all Time 2016, Hosted the 1st outdoor musical performance on spring garden in collaboration with Spring Garden Business Admin.Kolade is a creative, outgoing, dedicated individual who wants to build and expand his experience through creative work.Check him out @koladeboboye

Frantik is a songwriter/ recording artist based in Halifax Nova Scotia.With influences ranging from HipHop, RnB, bedroom pop and Jungle Frantik tells vivid stories about his experiences and the world around him.He hopes that his music can help others to be comfortable in their own skin and be the best that they can be. Check him out @frantikmusic

Bria is a mixed media and digital artist, jewellery maker, graphic facilitator, DJ + small business owner. Their business Bria Makes Things sells original art prints, vinyl stickers, greeting cards, handmade jewellery and accessories, and other handmade creations.Find out more @encouraginghonesty and @briamakesthings

Chassidy Sule was born & raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She has one of the most outgoing/ friendly personalities.She created a fitness page initially as a mental health healing journey and to track her fitness progress. This, later on, turned into a passion for fitness and creating content relating to fitness.Chassidy is big on wanting to help others grow as she feels everyone should win, not just herself.She is an influencer in the making & as a content creator, it takes patience, practice, creativity & dedication. Chassidy is committed to staying focused on this interest not only as it makes her happy, but also in hopes of it impacting someone else’s life in a positive way.If you’re looking for a positive genuine influence on your health or fitness journey make sure to follow her fitness-orientated page @getfitwithchass

“PenDragon”: (she/her) an Indigenous/2SLGBTQIA+ flow artist who utilizes face paint and props to create unique characters that engage the audience in an immersive world of artistry and movement. Debuting as a performer in 2021, she has appeared on multiple stages in venues across Halifax and Nova Scotia, including Electric Pines Music Festival, Underground Love Affair, New Affiliation HFX, East Coast Emo Night, Future Winter, and the Atlantic Sex Show!When she’s not appearing on stage for flow, Sweeny spends her time creating visual art and body paintings under her other business: “PenScratch Paintings: Art by Lauren D. Sweeny”, a small but growing business in Kjipuktuk(Halifax), NS. Self taught with no formal art education, Sweeny draws inspiration from her love of music, movement, and the creative humans around her.Concierge and Harm Reductionist by Day, Flow Performer, Visual Artist, and Body Painter by night, Lauren is a colourful soul with many layers.All upcoming shows, bookings, inquiries, links, and information can be found here 

Meghan is settled on the east coast of Canada in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. She’s a St. Mary’s University graduate where she completed a double major in psychology and philosophy. Meghan has made efforts to help people that cross her path in whatever capacity they need.In addition to working in the financial industry, she is a podcaster, digital creator and business owner.She wants others to have the life they want, and she’s showing others how to do it while she curates that for herself. In her newest venture, Meghan wants to provide everyone with an experience that doesn’t require a passport or plane ticket. All it takes is one experience to open up a whole new world and a shift in lifestyle.Check her out @meghanbetter

Ugochukwu Onyekwere is a Nigerian photographer based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Over the last five years, Ugo's work has encompassed a wide range of photographic genres, including portraiture, documentary, event, and fashion photography.Ugo's passion for the creative process has recently translated into video production, where he is experimenting with creative and stylistic approaches to story-telling through directing and post-production.He also expresses martial arts through kickboxing and fitness exercises, and he enjoys motivating those around him to stay fit.Check him out @joseph.u_

Daniella originates from sunny and beautiful Ghana in West Africa and was born into a very close-knit large family of six. She now resides in what she likes to call her second home, Canada. She has been fortunate enough to travel quite a bit and absolutely loves it, and from her travels, she sees the beauty and art in everything, from sunsets to clouds, to faces and fabrics. From her infancy, she has gravitated towards art, fashion or anything of a creative nature. She has styled for fashion shoots and enjoys bringing beauty out of everyone! Having been gifted her artistic ability by God, she tries to showcase Him in all aspects of her work. When she noticed that her creativity could evoke beautiful emotions, she thought it important to share this gift with the world! She has done book covers like that of “Afraid of the Dark” byGuyleigh Johnson and completed her full-length illustration of the book titled “Father Song – the book” by Owen O’ Sound Lee in 2022. She published her website, where she sells commissioned pieces, daniellasam.net Daniella is a fun-loving Christian, who loves to enjoy everyday life, as she sees each day as a blessing. Recruiter by day and artist as a lifestyle, Daniella loves to collaborate and make connections wherever she goes with her bubbly personality and enthusiastic zeal for life!Check out @ellabubbly

As a lifelong artist, Gloire Paluku also Known as Aelfaz Arts grew up in Makindye, Kampala, Uganda, born in D.R. Congo in 2001. He does not have a lot of school experience as an artist but joined a few classes as he was in high school because art was all the things he wanted and a part of his Gene. Aelfaz is always looking for the next opportunity to translate his everyday experiences, with the major of painting into artistic expressions and world since 2010. His approach and output are constantly evolving as he hones his personal style. However, he refuses to be typecast and works hard to ensure he does not repeat himself.No matter what, Aelfaz Arts approaches each project with complete enthusiasm and total dedication. The image that he is living in now largely influences his creativity and art as a whole where he has always been pushing hard creativity and his passion to the higher boundaries and enjoys trying different styles. He always comes up with inter-discipline for his art in his finding of new different ideas to make his art stands out and it preaches too.Check out @aelfaz_

A storyteller by ‘nurture’, Erica Meus-Saunders left the Bahamas and moved to Nova Scotia six years ago to attend film school. After graduating in 2017, she quickly became immersed in the film industry, working in various crew roles, and creating a few short docs, in which she held multiple roles as director, producer and camera.Her short doc, The Dreamers - 9 mins, (producer & director), has played at FIN: AtlanticInternational Festival (2019), The Emerging Lens 2019 and the Halifax Black Film Festival 2020, and most recently “Music Resistance” (producer & director), has played at FIN 2022, HIFF2022, and St. John’s International Women's Festival 2022.She’s just completed a scripted short, “Eua-Lander” through AFCOOP’s Film 5 program, which is currently on its festival run and has played at FIN: Atlantic International Film Festival (2022)and Silver Wave Film Festival (2022). Erica is also the current Executive Director of the AtlanticFilmmakers Cooperative (AFCOOP).One of her favourite quotes is, “If your dreams don’t scare you just a little, they’re not big enough.”Check out @ericameuss

DeRico is a 7th-generation African Nova Scotian. He is the Senior Executive Advisor to the Deputy Minister, of the Province of Nova Scotia, in the Office of Equity and Anti-Racism Initiatives.He is a founding member of two non-profit organizations in Halifax, ACCE HFX, and Gamechangers902. DeRico Symonds holds an undergraduate degree in Child & Youth Study (2012) and an MEd in counselling through Acadia University (2018). DeRico is also a nationally certified therapist with the Canadian Counseling and Psychotherapy association.DeRico volunteers his time with a multitude of endeavours such as supporting communities through incidents of violence, mentoring youth, making, and creating community connections and leading fundraisers for community members in need.“If we all do a little, nobody has to do a lot alone” – DeRico SymondsMore info www.dericosymonds.ca

Nizam talks about his new podcast, You Know What Blows My Foghorn.Be sure to check out the new show launching today

Nizam Farah comes from a humble background of being a First generation Lebanese-Canadian. Being a child of an immigrant family who had a passion for their culture and values, he grew up part of his life in Lebanon. Coming back during the war to Canada was a significant culture shock.After graduating from high school and having a passion for medicine, he decided to pursue medical school. However, after graduating from university a change of heart forced him to switch gears to being a paramedic.Being a paramedic had its own problems, especially during current times. A pandemic, a new family and family health problems forced him to reconsider his life choices. Nizam decided to take a chance at opening a mobile tap van. His love for local small breweries and their flavours made it possible for him to be where he is today.@hoppywheelsmobiletapvan

Trina is a part-time comedian and full-time black person trying to put the L in life instead of always taking them.As a self-proclaimed "Ontario transplant", Trina recently facilitated some giggles while hosting Halifax Pride's Comedy show in 2022 and hoping to perform on more stages within the HRM and beyond.@therealgaynun

Releasing mixtapes and EP’s since the age of 14, East Coast rapper & songwriter, Mark'd from Dartmouth, NS, has found a strong stance in music, creating relatable music with lyrical storytelling. Formerly known as “EPDMC” (pronounce’d “epidemic”), after pursuing rap and hip-hop for 15 years, he has reinvent’d and is introducing a new stage of music and growth through his new alias, Mark'd, which is direct’d towards a more well round’d artist and singer in the coming years of his career.Since his Nova Scotia Music Week debut in 2017 as EPDMC, Mark'd has travel’d to Europe and the US, hitting stages in Rotterdam (New Skool Rules), Los Angeles, Winnipeg (Northern Touch Music Festival), Toronto (Northern Power Summit), and Atlanta (A3C Festival).Since the release of his Award nominate’d EP “Rap’s Charlie Brown” in April '19, Mark'd has also co-direct’d his Music Video for "Nothing Left To Say"  featuring Jeffrey, which was also premiere’d on HipHopCanada.com in August '19.With his latest collaboration, "Saturday Night" featuring T-Zank, Mark'd is finally coming into his artistic element and bringing you his signature style and full potential as a well-round'd artist.Since diving into the rebranding of "Mark'd" over the course of 2020, Mark'd has also start’d up his own podcast, appropriately titl’d "Party on a Podcast" model’d after his dream-chasing single (2016) and 8-track EP (2017) "Party on a Sunday". The podcast initially start'd as an outlet and way to vent what Mark'd had to say about political and current events, but has since turn'd into an interview style podcast, which brings on a different guest each week. The focus of the interview and podcast is to bring light to the creatives no matter the background or status.Entering his thirties has been eye-opening, to the extent where time is no longer the issue, but more taking advantage of opportunities when they come around. Expect a lot to change over these coming years and expect to see Mark'd around a lot more.With the persistence and drive to enterprise this entire operation, Markdsouls Ent. was created and founded by Mark'd on Oct 14th, 2021. This new company and sole proprietorship is only the beginning of what's to come but has allowed Mark'd and other entities like Party on a Podcast, to fall under the umbrella of said entertainment company. It is one step closer to owning everything. Creating from the ground and truly owning everything, from podcast, to music, has always been the goal and has been long sought after and with the creation of Markdsouls Ent. it is all finally coming to fruition and creating a base and platform for all entities and parties to thrive.After having welcomed a son in late ‘21 and getting married in late ‘22, a new level and wave of motivation and drive has entered into the book of Mark’d. With plans for intimate shows, alongside many more podcast episodes and new music, 2023 brings hope and promise for everything Mark’d, an artist and performer you won’t forget.Check him out @markdsouls

Sifted from the ashes of 2006, forged in the fires of your mom’s basement, and tempered in the oils of teenage angst, East Coast Emo Night is an ongoing celebration of an entire genre that marches under the direction of Sarah Hellingwerf aka Shellingwolf.Tooth fairy by day and Mistress of Nostalgia by night, Hellingwerf has been leading her own Black Parade across Atlantic Canada since 2019 with a growing and enthusiastic fanbase trailing in her wake.From Halifax, Saint John, PEI and newly Moncton and Fredericton, Sarah aims to keep expanding East Coast Emo Night along with adding more Collaborations. The best is yet to come!Find out more @shellingwolf

Amber Grosse hails from the community of East Preston and is a descendant of the Preston Township.  She is a purpose-driven creative professional who enjoys creating events and thinking outside of the box. She spends her nine-to-five at the Black Business Initiative as an Entrepreneurship Engagement Manager working and supporting black businesses across Nova Scotia.Her personal entrepreneurial pursuits consist of content creation, social media marketing, entrepreneurial consulting, and event planning. She has been able to work in various areas in the event planning space as well as content, corporate and small businesses, and marketing with her own business called Evolving Embers Event Planning.Amber graduated with a Business Administration degree from Mount Saint Vincent University, with a double minor in Marketing and Management.Amber is a youth champion, and community connector as well as a swim teacher at Zatsman Sportsplex. Amber enjoys also modelling, fashion, travelling, and COFEE !!To book with Amber either personally or professionally follow her on @evolving.amber

Raina Norman has been working as a mermaid from Halifax for 14 years.She married her mer-wrangler and co-owner and they have a baby they named River. She completed her education at MSVU and published three books about her mermaid life.When she's not working as a mermaid she enjoys scary movies, walking in nature, and podcasts!Find out more @hfxmermaid 

Asia Outten is a creative Youtuber and Youtube personality. She has generated 20,000+ views on her Youtube Channel Xoxo Love, Asia and loves creating binge-worthy Youtube content that is enjoyable to her viewers.While being a content creator comes with its challenges, Asia remains determined to grow her channel and her subscriber count daily. She has long dreamed of bringing her magnetic personality to the screen. Find out more @xoxloveasia

Keonté Beals is an accomplished singer/songwriter, musician (piano), producer, author and entrepreneur. Keonté triumphs among the East Coast music scene as a multi-talented, award-winning R&B/Pop artist.Born and raised in North Preston, Keonté started singing at the age of six. In 2016, Keonté released “Man Down” from his self-titled EP ‘Keonté,’ followed by a second single “4 Ever” in 2017. Keonté, is a natural-born entertainer who has collected accolades from Music Nova Scotia, African Nova Scotian Music Association (including Artist of the Year 2020), Coast Halifax, East Coast Music Association; Challenge AIDS and Malaria in Africa and recognised with an MLA Rising Star award.In 2020, CBC radio produced a special “Keonte Beals: Christmas in North Preston” which was rated the number one story in Canada and earned a feature in “Being Black in Canada”. Keonté released a Christmas EP stemming from the special, entitled “December”, which was very well received. 2020 also saw the birth of KBeals Entertainment (kebe.ca) where Keonte launched his first full-length album under his company.Keonte is the co-author and illustrator of his first children’s book with his younger brother Antonio, “I am Perfectly Me”. This book expresses historical pride within the African Nova Scotian community and celebrates diversity. Keonte provides rich and inclusive book presentations within schools all across Nova Scotia - even adding in a few song performances throughout the hour-long sessions with the kids.Keonte propelled the project ‘KING’ in 2020 under his own company name, which received the ANSMA song of the year for 2021. Keonte received acclaimed ECMA status in 2021 for R&B album of the year for ‘KING’, and also collected three Music Nova Scotia awards: R&B Solo recording, African Nova Scotian Artist of the Year & Inspirational recording of the year.Keonté is set to release his 3rd album in 2023.

 Jennifer was born in Montreal but raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia makes the East Coast where she calls home. With entrepreneurial parents, exposure to commercial and residential real estate at an early age meant that a career in Real Estate was inevitable. Homeownership and investment in real estate have been goals throughout her life and continue to be passions that drive her.When searching for a brokerage to align herself with, Jennifer looked for a level of professionalism and high standards that matched her processes and a strong sense of community to allow her to give back in her profession as much as she does in her personal life. Volunteering with Shelter Movers Nova Scotia, a volunteer-powered non-profit organization providing free moving and storage services to people and families fleeing violence and abuse, as a Manager of Volunteer Services, keeps her busy when not spending time with her family. Real Estate was a natural fit for Jennifer, having worked in corporate leadership and management roles for over a decade in addition to 30 years of authentic relationship-building. Jennifer carries the value of hard work, integrity, and passion in everything she does. Find out more @jennifer.evrealestate

Kaytee Mullins is a young entrepreneur from Cape Breton, who moved to Halifax in 2016 for College but fell in love with the City and now calls it home. Before starting The Change Room, Kaytee completed programs in American Sign Language and Veterinary Medicine, and although she loved both, neither were the right fit. Having always dreamed of being her own boss and after countless jobs in retail, restaurant, and hospitality industries that left her unhappy, she took the leap, after the business she worked at closed down. With the pandemic just starting, she started on a wild journey, trying to navigate the entrepreneurial space and start a business in a world where businesses were shutting down every day.Starting The Change Room, not only gave her the freedom to make her own schedule, which allows time to visit her family in Cape Breton (and snuggle with her cat), it also gave her a sense of purpose. Helping the environment, reducing waste, saving people money, and finding really cool pieces, are just some of the reasons running this business is fulfilling for her.When she's not thrifting and sourcing colourful clothes, she likes to listen to podcasts, crochet, explore new places, and spend way too long on the phone with her Mom and Niece. Kaytee hopes that if there's anybody out there who feels stuck in what they're doing that they too, find something their passionate about because life is too short to do anything that steals your joy. Find out more @thechange.room

Mukisa is Ugandan Nova Scotian. She is a graduate of the Schulich School of Law, passionate about racial justice and women’s empowerment.During her articling year, Mukisa gained a range of experience in prison law, personal injury law, and litigation. She works with the Elizabeth Fry Society and advocates for fairness and positive change in the Justice system.Mukisa is a Co-Founder of Fem Entity, the source for self-care and empowering your divine feminine energy. Check out their new podcast “The Queens Mentality” & follow her side hustles @FemEntity and online shop @Lvl.Up.Ns

Tobi has been in the arts for most of her life. She began as a competitive dancer in jazz, acrobatic arts and ballet and during this time fell in love with performance and choreography and the art of moving bodies around a stage in a way that created a visual story.When her sister Nikki began crafting novels and later screenplays, she’d indulge in planning out how they’d come to life on the screen. She attended York University as a Dance major and then finished her Fine Arts degree at Dalhousie as a Theatre major and found her way to stage management on a number of productions in the HRM.She enjoys photography as a hobby and as a sometimes career and crafting stories in a single frame or capturing people in candid moments.Tobi is the Director of A Walk In The Sun, a short film created through AFCOOP’s Film5 program. She brings a lifetime of love and passion for the arts to all her projects.Find out more @tobilaurenphotography

Nikki Martin is a Novelist and full-time Yoga Teacher. She has released the first two novels in her Sci-fi/fantasy series Awake While Dreaming and loves crafting character-driven narratives that transport her readers to far off worlds and places.While being firmly rooted in the modern-day conflicts and struggles that face humanity, her stories always have an element of hope and magic.She has long dreamed of bringing her stories and voice to the screen.Find out more @nikki_possibilities

Sehmat Suri is a media strategist, model, actor, and content creator in Halifax, who started her social media journey in 2017.Her move into the creative community has brought her a bunch of cool connections and tons of interesting work with Canadian and international brands like Sport Chek and TRESemmé, and she’s currently one of the hosts on Eastlink’s Ocean Playground.She dabbles in lifestyle, comedy, and social justice content, and loves to hop on a plane any time her marketing agency 9-5 job allows.Find out more @itssemiprecious

We are Mukisa and Irene - the Founders of Fem Entity.Two women who met at Dalhousie University, just starting their professional careers while working on campus for Student Leadership & Engagement. There was an instant connection between the Pieces/Taurus duo towards giving empowering opportunities to the public.We share a passion for self-care, wellness, female empowerment, spirituality and community building - so we decided to turn our passions into a business!We invite everyone and anyone to join us on this journey of self-discovery!Find out more @fem.entity

Being in love with music his whole life, DJ Sheny is a versatile afrobeats disc jockey with years of experience in the entertainment industry. His passion for disc jockey initially started as a thing of leisure while in university, where he played at numerous friendly gatherings (a.k.a house parties). He has since then, grown into playing at concerts, weddings, and other private events, as well as clubs across Canada.Pursuing his passion for music, he furthered his craft and rapidly grew to become one of the few faces of Afrobeats music both here in Nova Scotia as well as Canada-wide. He has also been awarded and recognized on several occasions for his musical talent, including a feature in the 'Top 20 Canadian DJs You Should Know' 2020 article by Shifter Magazine as well as recently being recognized by the 'Canadian Black Entertainment' community organization during Black Music Month, 2022.He is often commended for the impact he has on any event he plays at, and for his amazing ability to keep the crowd energized and ready for more!Check him out @dj_sheny

Bevie (she/her) is a local Halifax YouTuber, who explores the city and records her walks. Her channel started back in October 2020 with only an iPhone 6S and a borrowed Osmo 2 Gimbal.Since then, as her channel grew, she was able to invest in better equipment. She currently records in 4K with her DJI Pocket 2 camera and uses her Samsung Galaxy S20 with an Osmo 2 Gimbal for her livestreams. Bevie has covered in her videos the majority of the HRM, with the waterfront being the most popular among her viewers.Her knowledge of the city, as well as her unique sense of humour, has gained her a following. Although she isn’t a tour guide, her unique view of her city is entertaining, yet informative. On her channel’s 1 st anniversary.Bevie travelled to Toronto, to meet up with her fellow “WalkTubers” who have helped her with her channel. She collaborated with them and did a livestream with them.Check out her YouTube Channel

Bronwyn was born and raised in Summerside, PEI. She then completed her Bachelor of Science in Biology degree from StFX before continuing her studies at Memorial University.Bronwyn began in the Masters of Pharmacy program before her project became very successful and she transferred into the PhD Pharmacy Program. Bronwyn is now the co-founder and CEO of PragmaClin Research Inc. who has developed a remote patient monitoring system for Parkinson’s Disease.She enjoys finding ways to give back to the community and even runs a photography business in her spare time!Learn more @pragmaclin

Nick takes pride in his attention to detail and client relationships in an effort to make sure every “i is dotted and every “t” is crossed! He is an intersectional thinker where he strives to create safe and welcoming spaces for everyone in conversation and community.Although Nick was originally born in Massachusetts, he grew up in Clayton Park, Halifax where he watched his community rapidly change year after year. Since 2013, Nick pursued post-secondary education in Audio Engineering and a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management at Dalhousie University. Although his interest in real estate was piqued at a young age, he found it aligned with his passion for business as an adult and has since owned and managed income properties since 2018.Where Nick is starting his career with experience on the other side of the license, he comes with an intimate understanding of the budgetary constraints of a first-time home buyer.Nick will be sure to use his personal experiences to create an exciting and comfortable journey from offer to closing!Find out more @nickogden.realtor

Stephanie Joline is an Indigenous writer, director, and producer based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her Indigenous roots come from her mother who is Inuit from Labrador; her father is French Acadian from the South shore of Nova Scotia. Equally adept at film and television, Stephanie’s stories provoke conversation, break boundaries, and are deeply rooted in inclusivity and feminism.Her feature films include Night Blooms (starring Jessica Clement and Nick Stahl), a coming-of-age story set in the 1990s; and Play Your Gender, a documentary that pulls back the curtain on gender bias in the music industry, featuring interviews with Patty Schemel, Melissa Auf Der Maur, and Sara Quin.Stephanie has also directed for television and streaming platforms (Stream Me 2020, Amazon Prime; Farm Crime 2020 CBC Gem; Spirit Talker 2019, APTN). In 2020 she was awarded the Irving Avrich Award from TIFF recognizing rising Canadian talent. The following year she was long-listed for the DGC Discovery Award, and in 2022 she was nominated for her first Canadian Screen Award for best directing in the factual television category.Stephanie's feature, Night Blooms, is a gritty coming-of-age story set in the 1990s about 17-year-old Carly and her love affair with her best friend's Dad. An emotionally charged narrative that navigates the moral murkiness of agency, consent, and accountability.Find out more @stephjoline@night_blooms_movie

A trailblazer of innovation, Ashley Hickey is the Founder and Chief Technical Officer of Enzebra Studios.Prior to establishing her own development company, Ashley enjoyed a career with several national and international organizations in industries ranging from web development to television to health care. An expert in design, user interface, branding, and business analysis, Ashely now draws from her extensive experience developing solutions for some of the largest names in business to provide customized results for her clients in a wide range of fields.Mrs Hickey prides herself in always exceeding client expectations while holding her organization to the highest ethical standards. As a woman thriving in a traditionally male-dominated field, Ashley enjoys making time for lectures and speaking engagements to inspire others, especially women and girls curious about joining the technology sector.She balances her hectic schedule with her other passion as a wife and mother to two young children; and indulging in her loves of fashion, art, and creating delicious meal experiences with healthy locally sourced ingredients.

Titilayo Odediran is a Nigerian living in Canada.She moved to Canada as a teenager and spent most of her free time indoors learning about makeup on YouTube, little did she know this will turn out to be a great passion for her.Makeup means different things to everyone but for her, it is a way to escape from my busy life to a different world where she gets to tell stories. In the past, she worked on telling stories about great and influential Black Historians whose actions shaped the world.She hopes that one day, people of all ages will read her story as well.When she's not doing makeup and/or creating content, she's working and/or schooling.Find out more @facesbytiti