Meet Emily Wight – Foli
To celebrate International Women’s Day the Aldershot Village BIA is shining a light on some of our Women owned businesses along Plains Road. It is a day to celebrate women’s achievement, raise awareness about discrimination and take action to drive gender parity.
We are thrilled that this group of women owned and operated businesses have chosen Aldershot for their business. They are mentors, change-makers, trailblazers and community givers.
What brought you and your business to Aldershot and Plains Road?
I moved with my husband and dog from Toronto to Burlington in 2014, a few months before we welcomed our first son Henry! I had grown up in downtown Burlington and my husband and I were going to outgrow our little Toronto apartment pretty quickly. We looked for homes in Burlington and were thrilled when we were able to buy a little bungalow on a dead-end street, hard to believe we’ve been here now for 8 years and have 3 kids!
My business moved to Aldershot about 2 years ago in February of 2021. I run a direct-to-consumer plant business; we ship plants in pots across Canada! We have a greenhouse that we hold plants in about 10 minutes away and we bring the plants to our facility in Aldershot to pack and ship them out. We have been so well received in this space and community!
Do you have a female mentor or partnership and what has that relationship meant to you?
I surround myself with amazing females, so instead of one mentor or collaborator, I feel like I have many!! My team at Foli is all female and much of our network is filled with powerful females! Over the last few years, I’ve felt like we’ve created a little magnetic group of people, mainly female, who have rallied together to share resources, give feedback, brainstorm, network and build mutually beneficial events, products etc. I feel very fortunate to be in such amazing company and to have a network to lean on and celebrate with.
Do you have any advice for the younger generation of women coming up as entrepreneurs and small business owners?
It’s a roller coaster, but if you put the hard work and time in, it’s so worth it! Launch before you are ready, get after it! Put yourself out there, and keep doing it. Meet people, ask questions, network, have fun! Just don’t stop, keep going!
Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that’s diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women’s equality. Collectively we can all #EmbraceEquity.
