13 small businesses including a consulting company will be getting support through the Starter Company Plus Program. Each business completed training and will each receive a grant between $1000 and $5000 to put towards their business needs.
Several businesses in health service, trades, and food services from TLTI to North Grenville were selected, Among the graduating participants was Kim Goodman from K.A. Community Consulting.
For a list of graduates head to Gananoque Now Dot C-A. This is the 16th cohort of the program since 2015.
The next round begins in the spring/summer of 2024.
The graduating participants are:
Dana Collings, DC Spa, North Grenville, offers manicures, pedicures, hair removal, facials, and
other medical aesthetic services. It is located in a cozy home just off County Rd. 44 in Kemptville.
For those who seek a pampering experience Dana’s services will leave them feeling completely
refreshed and rejuvenated. People who crave an environment that is safe, non-judgmental, and
completely attentive to their desires and needs will love Dana’s spa. Learn more at
www.danasaysrelax.com and you can reach Dana at 613-282-2658, dana.says.relax@gmail.com
Michael Degrazia, Degrazia Home Comfort, North Grenville, is a locally owned and operated
HVAC company based in Kemptville, Ontario. The company has quickly established a strong
presence in the Leeds Grenville and Ottawa area through word-of-mouth referrals and quality
service. With a primary focus on the removal and replacement of existing HVAC systems,
Degrazia Home Comfort has identified a key opportunity for growth in the Kemptville
community. For more information go to www.degraziahomecomfort.ca or you can reach
Michael at 613-621-4618 info@degraziahomecomfort.ca
Andrea Empey, Dancing Willow Wellness, North Grenville, is a multidisciplinary health clinic
offering complementary health services located in Kemptville. This company, established in
2021, has a mission to provide excellence in healthcare through an integrative, inclusive and
holistic approach that prioritizes patient-centered care. The clinic offers a range of treatment
services, including acupuncture, hypnosis, herbal medicine, psychotherapy, and holistic nutrition,
with the goal of adding additional practitioners and modalities. Visit
www.DancingWillowWellness.com for more information or you can reach the clinic at
hello@DancingWillowWellness.com and 613-276-2582
Kim Goodman, K.A. Community Consulting, Leeds and the Thousand Islands, provides
grant writing services, strategic planning for organizations and municipalities as well as program
implementation. Kim strategically positions the consultancy to cater to the community’s specific
needs. She brings over two decades of experience in non-profit, education, and municipal
sectors. Kim takes a genuine community-centric approach, emphasizing meaningful
conversations and strong local connections. You can reach her at 613-929-4237,
kim@kacommunityconsulting.ca. Or visit her website at www.kacommunityconsulting.ca
Nicole Hudson, Katarina’s Coffee Shop, Prescott, is known for serving delicious breakfast and
lunch and scratch made desserts, ice cream and specialty coffee. The company is co-owned by
Nicole and Carla Hudson, a mother and daughter duo with a combined experience of 50 years in the hospitality industry. Learn more about Katarina’s at www.katarinasprescott.ca. You can reach
Nicole at katarinasprescott@gmail.com and 613-213-8007.
Yvonne Joudoin, River Vibes Picnics, Prescott, provides the ultimate picnic experience that
celebrates the cherished tradition of family time. Yvonne specializes in pre-made picnic lunches
that can be conveniently picked up along the river. Her customized lunches feature locallysourced and homemade items such as artisan sandwiches, salads, desserts and refreshing beverages like lemonade or iced tea. Customers can easily order and pre-pay online in advance,
and then pick up their packaged picnic at the scenic pop-up kiosk location along the
picturesque River Walk Heritage Trail. For those who prefer spontaneity, they also offer walk-up
purchases of select goods on-site. Place your order at www.rivervibespicnics.ca or contact
Yvonne at 613-246-2205 or rivervibespicnics@gmail.com
Samantha Macuzzi, Garnish with Flourish Garden and Kitchen, Edwardsburgh Cardinal,
is a small market garden that grows their own produce organically and sustainably to use for
creating unique event decorations such as bouquets, gifts, party favours and ingredients for
food enthusiasts. Samantha and her team cultivate niche produce, such as edible flowers, unique
herbs, hot peppers, mini produce and different varieties of garlic. Also available are new colours
of produce that cannot be accessed from the grocery store, such as black tomatoes or pink
celery. You can reach Samantha at Samantha@garnishwithflourish.ca and visit her website at
www.garnishwithflourish.ca
Denzel Maradza, Tandem Unified Wellness, Brockville, Denzel co-owns this business with his
partner Jenni Stotts. Their combination of skills allows for the optimal delivery of specialized
services such as Aerial Yoga, Pilates, TRX and much more. With both partners having over 7
years of instruction experience, this sets a strong foundation that clients can trust. They are
committed to delivering highly unique and enjoyable services through personal and group
fitness programs in Brockville and Canada-wide. You can find out more at
www.tandemunifiedwellness.ca and you can reach Denzel at
tandemunifiedwellness@gmail.com or 613-246-8388.
Carolyn McGillis, Careness Functional Medicine, North Grenville, offers services from lifestyle
interventions and dietary adjustments to cutting-edge nutraceuticals and state-of-the-art
testing where they explore every avenue in the pursuit of health optimization. Situated
strategically in Kemptville and equipped with advanced virtual capabilities, they are wellpositioned to serve the growing functional medicine market in North Grenville. To learn more
about Carolyn and functional medicine go to www.careness.ca. You can also reach Carolyn at
carolyn@careness.ca.
Alexandra Stobo, The Fairytale Loft, Brockville, is a character entertainment company
specializing in princess parties, stage shows and improvisational meet & greets, servicing all
communities between Brockville and Ottawa. Alexandra is the owner and primary performer,
portraying 10+ different characters, each with distinct voices and makeup. A trained vocalist,
theatrical performer and voice actress, she is passionate about creating magical moments and
bringing beloved animated characters to life. Visit www.thefairytaleloft.ca to learn more and
book your entertainment today! You can reach Alexandra at hello@thefairytaleloft.ca or 613-
340-4234.
Amy Wagner, Amy Wagner Consulting, North Grenville, established in April 2023, this
company emerges as a transformative force in HR consultancy, addressing a critical gap in small
businesses’ access to specialized and affordable human resources (HR) support in Eastern
Ontario. The consultancy’s mission is rooted in its commitment to elevate businesses, empower
leaders, and shape futures through tailored HR solutions. Businesses and organizations can
reach Amy at amy@amywagnerconsulting.ca or 613-853-2907 and the website is
www.amywagnerconsulting.ca
Brandon Ward, Facility Kinetics, Athens, is a Software as a Service (SaaS) company that offers
a comprehensive platform to help fitness clubs, studios and other facilities with a membership
structure to streamline their operations. The platform integrates membership management,
payment processing and secure facility access using a mobile app, eliminating the need for
plastic key cards and key fobs. Facility Kinetics is a virtual company based in Athens, Ontario
with servers hosted on Amazon Web Services. Currently, the company serves clients throughout
Ontario, Canada. Visit www.facilitykinetics.ca to learn more or reach Brandon at
brandon@facilitykinetics.ca
Julie Woito, Life + Hope Wellness, Brockville, small group psychotherapy practice that
provides holistic and integrated mental health care to children, adults, couples and families. The focus is on integrated spiritual care and wellness classes, that are grounded in the latest research
on trauma-informed care. The team of therapists are highly trained in various modalities,
enabling them to offer personalized treatment plans for clients. They further specialize in
therapy techniques and provide wellness classes that enhance mental well-being and
performance; they also cater to high performers and creatives. Visit
www.lifeandhopewellness.com to learn more. You can reach the clinic at 613-423-9928 or
hello@lifeandhopewellness.com
(By: Tim Baltz)
