Having lost her parents at only 15 years of age and subsequently placed into foster care, Patricia refused to let her past hinder her future.

As a Creative Director and visual storyteller, she firmly believes that everyone has a compelling story to tell. Elevating voices, whether for individuals or for business brands, is where her passion lies and what drove her to start her creative agency. She works to advocate for increased representation of the BIPOC community within the arts.

Now, she is doing projects beyond the Canadian border. She loves to reminisce on the extraordinary experiences, people, places, struggles & successes that have made her who she is today.

Check her out @patriciachareka.jck

Yasmine Wasfy is a fashion/textiles designer who graduated from NSCAD University in Halifax in 2019.

Yasmine developed the concept behind Ange while working with handprinted/ painted silks for her graduation project that hit the runway at her university’s gala in 2018. The project was based on hand-painted sheer white silks and elegant duchess satins.

Yasmine worked as a bridal consultant and this helped her get closer to realise the huge demand for modern, unique and light features in bridal gowns. This led to her going back to her painted white silks and creating something out of them. From that moment, Ange was born!

Find out more @yasmine.h.wasfy 

@angemariage

Luke 2.0, an out-of-the-box thinker with an unorthodox style and sense of humour, adds a touch of personality to each piece of work.

With a decade of knowledge from cartooning, animation,  illustration,  video editing, graphic art, and logo design; Luke will not hesitate to stop until your expectations are exceeded!

From years of self-education as well as learning skills from film school and working as a tattoo apprentice, Luke has worked on various projects such as cover art and animated music videos for rappers in the Halifax scene, logos for small businesses, podcasters from LA and many more!

Providing a friendly open mind, a strong attention to detail and the ability to take on challenging projects; Luke with bring forth what it takes to help your vision come to life!

Check him out @luke_2.o_

Nami is a South Asian entrepreneur with ADHD who moved to Canada from Oman at the age of 18. She always enjoyed a balance of creativity and analytics and was able to make the most of it by starting her own social media marketing business, namely, DreamTalk Creative. DreamTalk helps small-to-medium-sized businesses make the most of their social media presence by creating content that efficiently articulates their brand and developing strategies that attract future customers.

As a deeply creative child who lived with undiagnosed ADHD, Nami spent a good chunk of her childhood and teenage years playing the piano, reading books, journaling and observing the world around her. After getting diagnosed as an adult, she shared her experiences of living with ADHD on Tiktok (@namisayshello). She built a community of like-minded people who engaged in conversations about invisible disabilities, shared resources and coping strategies, discussed the inefficiencies of ADHD treatment in Canada and more.

Find out more @namisayshello

Ibe Ananaba, born in Belgium and raised in Aba, Abia State, Nigeria, is a multidisciplinary visual storyteller. He graduated with Distinction from the Institute of Management and Technology, specializing in Painting. Ibe explores cultural and socio-political themes and their influences on contemporary living in his art using traditional and unconventional mediums.

In addition to his studio art practice, he is involved in various creative roles such as Fashion Illustrator, Designer, Muralist, Art Director, Calligraphist, and Cartoonist. He also dedicates his time to empowering the youth through art mentorship.

Ibe’s artistic achievements have gained recognition, including being listed in the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives. His work has been exhibited internationally, from Nigeria and South Africa to the USA, London, Israel, and Canada. He has won awards in his art practice, including the 1st Prize Winner of the Art Masters Contest at Art Vancouver 2019.

Academically, Ibe’s art serves as case studies for project theses by several scholars in different universities in Nigeria. His artwork has been featured in notable publications like “Fashion: A Second Language,” “Watercolor Artists Magazine,” “Masters of Watercolors,” “The Villager – How Africans Consume Brands,” “Fashion Illustration Africa – A New Generation,” and “Artist of Nigeria.” These publications showcase his diverse skills and contributions to the world of art.

Check him out @ibeananaba

Pamela is the owner and seamstress behind Stone Sewn, a small business that provides custom
sewing services and textile products in Halifax.

She creates playful, colourful designs inspired by nature, architecture and family connections intrinsic to used fabrics.

After completing her undergrad at NSCAD University, she began sewing for local businesses and
taking on commission work. Pamela’s passion for thrifting and upcycling (and saving every fabric scrap) led her to create environmentally friendly textiles with little waste.

It was this interest that motivated her to become an entrepreneur and keep extra material out of landfills.

You can follow Pamela on Instagram or Facebook at @stonesewn.

Blanche Israël is a multilingual Moroccan-Canadian cultural strategist and musician.

Originally from Montreal, Blanche moved to Nova Scotia in 2020 and quickly integrated into the music community here. As a funding specialist, she has helped artists and arts organizations raise over $10 million in grants and donations since 2015.

As a cellist, she has performed and recorded with artists including Jeremy Dutcher (JUNO Winner 2019), James Baley, Kristi Lane Sinclair, Mo Kenney, The Town Heroes, The Public Service, Rankin MacInnis and the Broken Reeds, and more.

Find out more @blancheis

photo credit: Jeff Cooke, Cooked Photography.

Benjamin is a Vietnamese Canadian Filmmaker/Cinematographer/Photographer working in the NS film industry and abroad.
He believes in sharing the truth on the creative industries.
Community and learning are the main drives to his goals to make it in the game, working hard relentlessly is just part of the formula.
He shares more that’s below the surface compared to what people see.