Alyssa Hirose

Chris Manley and Olga Roberts lead the team at Victoria-based organic bedding company Resthouse (founded by Manley in 2014). The brand’s in-house private label Kakun includes mattresses, mattress toppers, body pillows, throws and more—counting all of their naturally breathable, moisture-wicking products...

I’ll sleep when I’m dead. That’s the lighthearted cliché I deliver whenever anyone—friends, coworkers, that one overly friendly gas station attendant—is concerned about my lack of rest. And part of me sincerely believes it. I’ve never prioritized sleep: not when I...

At Vancouver-based not-for-profit Nestworks, kids are free to visit their parents in the coworking space when they’re not in the dedicated gym, indoor playhouse or open reading areas. The Nestworks team says that, once acclimatized, most kids will naturally choose...

Sure, 2020 was not the ideal year to start a bar/catering company, but as events shut down, Born to Shake founders Shayne Labis and Nicole Barron stirred up something else. The Kelowna-based brand started manufacturing DIY cocktail kits, bitters and syrups...

Bruce Mullen started Jusu Wellness as a cold-pressed juice bar in 2014, and in 2016 launched body care products made from pulp left over from the juice production. Now, the Victoria- based lifestyle brand is owned by Sonya Laurenssen, and...

I wonder if the six strangers in this Sprinter van can tell I got engaged three days ago. My parents and sister know, as does my partner—who, of course, engineered the whole thing. But the proposal (and acceptance) happened right before...

With a moo-moo here and a pop-pop there (that’s the sound of uncorking a wine bottle), the Okanagan is home to some of B.C.’s best farmland. One of our editors took a summer trip and lined up a few very special...

Max Justus chose a meerkat for his shoe brand’s logo—and not because he has an affinity for The Lion King. To Justus, the animal embodies one of the core values of Grounded People: “The meerkat is one of the most social...

Prior to today, if you asked me the difference between traditional and dairy-free cheese, I’d say two things: 1) Dairy-free cheese doesn’t hurt cows and 2) Dairy-free cheese tastes worse. Like, a lot worse. Even the CEO of Burnaby-based Daiya, one of...

Rushd Khan says it was tough to find halal options growing up in Canada, so after working in his family’s restaurant and earning his MBA from SFU, he founded Barakah Eats in 2018. The Surrey-based company sells gourmet frozen South...

Let’s get real for a second: the hottest, freshest looks are born long before you see them in the pages of your favourite local city magazine (wink wink). “Trends are coming from the streets, from the clubs, from skate parks...

So you’re a grown adult that wants to eat cheese and crackers and meat, preferably in teeny tiny sandwich form. I get it. There isn’t a more elegant snack out there. And besides being extremely Instagram-worthy (yes, you have to...