{"id":57613,"date":"2022-10-24T14:34:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-24T14:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/sonel-merjuste-and-jasmine-exael-of-aliments-merjex-a-close-family-and-a-shared-business-vision\/"},"modified":"2024-01-18T15:58:39","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T20:58:39","slug":"sonel-merjuste-and-jasmine-exael-of-aliments-merjex-a-close-family-and-a-shared-business-vision","status":"publish","type":"rbc_my_money_matter","link":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/life-events\/new-to-canada\/starting-a-business-in-canada\/sonel-merjuste-and-jasmine-exael-of-aliments-merjex-a-close-family-and-a-shared-business-vision\/","title":{"rendered":"Sonel Merjuste and Jasmine Exael of Aliments Merjex: A Close Family and a Shared Business Vision"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-single-article-header\">\n\t<section class=\"section-grey cover pad-t-hlf\">\n\t\t<div class=\"section-inner w-half w-mob-full centered-margin cover section-grey pad-tb-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"inline-block pill-container pill-taxonomies\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"mar-b-hlf mob-mar-b snipe pill is-style-blue-pill\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"primary-taxonomy\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/topic\/entrepreneur\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Entrepreneur<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<h1 class=\"mar-b-hlf mar-t-0 mob-pad-lr-hlf h2 has-black-color\">Sonel Merjuste and Jasmine Exael of Aliments Merjex: A Close Family and a Shared Business Vision<\/h1><p class=\"mar-b-0 mob-pad-lr-hlf author-text\">By Jean-S\u00e9bastien Bourr\u00e9<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"featured-image-wrapper pos-rel\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"930\" height=\"620\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/TD-2022-10-24T094653.245.jpg?quality=80\" class=\" cover-image  wp-post-image\" alt=\"Sonel Merjuste and Jasmine Exael of Aliments Merjex in front of a Tempehine banner\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/TD-2022-10-24T094653.245.jpg 930w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/TD-2022-10-24T094653.245.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/TD-2022-10-24T094653.245.jpg?resize=768,512 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 930px) 100vw, 930px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\t<div class=\"article mar-t-dbl\">\n\t\t\t\t<section>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"section-inner socials-section\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"top-socials-bar mob-mar-b-hlf\">    <div class=\"social-links mob-mar-b-hlf mob-mar-t-hlf\">\n            <a class=\"social-button-wrapper sharing-custom sharing-email\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Sonel Merjuste and Jasmine Exael of Aliments Merjex: A Close Family and a Shared Business Vision &#038;body=Hi, I thought you might be interested in this article from RBC My Money Matters: https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/life-events\/new-to-canada\/starting-a-business-in-canada\/sonel-merjuste-and-jasmine-exael-of-aliments-merjex-a-close-family-and-a-shared-business-vision\/\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/plugins\/rbc-blocks\/assets\/img\/icons\/icon-email.svg\"\n          alt=\"envelope icon\">\n        <span>\n          Email        <\/span>\n      <\/a>\n      <div class=\"social-button-wrapper sharing-copy-wrapper\">\n        <button class=\"sharing-custom sharing-copy\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/life-events\/new-to-canada\/starting-a-business-in-canada\/sonel-merjuste-and-jasmine-exael-of-aliments-merjex-a-close-family-and-a-shared-business-vision\/\">\n          <img decoding=\"async\"\n            src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/plugins\/rbc-blocks\/assets\/img\/icons\/icon-related.svg\"\n            alt=\"copy icon\">\n          <span id=\"sharing-copyUrl-Label\">\n            Copy URL          <\/span>\n        <\/button>\n        <input type=\"text\" class=\"sharing-copy-text\" aria-labelledby=\"sharing-copyUrl-Label\">\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"section-inner w-half w-mob-full centered-margin pad-tb-0 mob-mar-t-hlf mob-mar-b\">\n\t\t\t\t<p class=\"cover-pub-line text-xs mar-b-hlf\">Published October 24, 2022 \u2022 8 Min Read<\/p>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-rbc-section-block  pos-rel\" style=\"border-radius:0px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-section-inner-block  section-inner w-half w-mob-full\" style=\"border-radius:0x\">\n<p>Sonel Merjuste and Jasmine Exael left Haiti for Quebec in 2008. The couple has achieved a great deal: a close-knit family, a shared business vision, and the resounding success of their brand, <a href=\"https:\/\/tempehine.ca\/en\/home\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tempehine<\/a>, created by their company, Les Aliments Merjex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">An unusual path into business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sonel Merjuste never doubted he&#8217;d become an entrepreneur in Quebec. Why? He wanted to give back to Quebec, which welcomed his family and made them feel at home. \u201cThe first thing was to help develop Quebec&#8217;s economy,&#8221; notes Merjuste. He also had a strong desire to make a difference in the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn Haiti, I was involved in a number of business projects,&#8221; Merjuste says. \u201cWe arrived here in 2008, and I started to learn about the Quebec business scene to understand it. Jasmine and I tried to start two businesses, but they didn&#8217;t work out. We realized we needed tools to understand the country&#8217;s ecosystem better. So, off I went to get a bachelor&#8217;s degree in business at HEC Montr\u00e9al. Most of the time, entrepreneurs are optimists. Either we&#8217;re crazy, or we&#8217;re really optimistic. I chose to be optimistic and a little crazy,&#8221; he says with a laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite his optimism, as a first-generation immigrant, he had trouble getting people to take him seriously when he was looking for partners and seeking financing from financial institutions. \u201cWhen we come as immigrants, we have our own background, but not the credit history banks want. We have to start from scratch. People can be distrustful: They don&#8217;t know where you&#8217;re coming from, don&#8217;t know you, or don&#8217;t know your background. You&#8217;re not a fixture in the community.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/08\/240942412_10220229436701263_9140362225654950376_n-1-11.jpg\" alt=\"Sonel Merjuste\" class=\"wp-image-43534\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Finding startup financing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sonel Merjuste and Jasmine Exael were fortunate to get support from two organizations: <a href=\"https:\/\/pmemtl.com\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PME Montr\u00e9al<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/groupe3737.com\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Groupe 3737<\/a>, an RBC partner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aliments Merjex received its first financing with the help of PME Montr\u00e9al, which specializes in coaching and financing for entrepreneurs. Although not a large amount, it was critical at a time when the couple was trying to get their business off the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also important to the couple was the Montreal-based Groupe 3737, a national not-for-profit organization that provides coaching and support tools for BIPOC business owners with an ecosystem of more than a thousand entrepreneurs across Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTheir ecosystem is very important to all the communities, as well as to business development. They have an in-depth knowledge of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. An opportunity to have their coaching and support in creating a business makes it possible to structure the project better and draw on their history and contacts. They can support us in various ways to facilitate medium and long-term matters.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The couple gained a better knowledge of the Quebec and Canadian business markets. Learning to find suppliers, negotiate leases and find partners were all factors in developing the business and taking control of the \u201clogistics circuit,&#8221; as Merjuste calls it. He stresses that being first-generation immigrants in Quebec made it hard for them to go knocking on doors since they didn&#8217;t know who to turn to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn my opinion, Groupe 3737 is an outstanding and important partner for any entrepreneurial ambition in the Black community. I believe they&#8217;re essential,&#8221; Merjuste says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Founding Aliments Merjex<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAliments Merjex&#8221; combines the family names Merjuste and Exael. The brand name Tempehine combines the words \u201ctempeh&#8221; and \u201cprot\u00e9ine,&#8221; the French word for \u201cprotein.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When their son told them he no longer wanted to eat meat, Merjuste and Exael had to find solutions. They were already contemplating setting up a catering service focused on healthy food. Aliments Merjex and the Tempehine brand were born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI was always involved with the community and community projects. Taking a trial-and-error approach, Jasmine explored tempeh, which didn&#8217;t immediately appeal to me. She found different ways to prepare it. We realized there was something in it, nutritional value that had potential. We discovered a new protein source for our family and decided to share our experience with our beloved Quebec. The adventure began in 2019. Today, I can say that we&#8217;re a fairly dominant player in the market. You can&#8217;t talk about tempeh without mentioning Tempehine.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From the start, the idea was to help people eat better. The main aims in creating the Tempehine brand were to get people to rediscover tempeh, make cooking easier, and offer people a source of vegetable protein that was good for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFood is medicine. If we eat well, we should be in better health,&#8221; Sonel Merjuste pointed out. \u201cWe bring an awareness of healthy eating that will, in a way, have an impact on the body. We dared talk about tempeh, eating well, and vegetable protein. I say we dared to do it, because it&#8217;s like a fish swimming through air. Nobody expected to see a Black label in the food industry, especially vegan food. We dared because we thought that &#8216;eating better&#8217; should be within everyone&#8217;s reach.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Agility, resilience and generosity during the pandemic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After overcoming many obstacles, just when the business started to take off, the COVID-19 pandemic began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe were going to present Tempehine at a trade show on March 17 and 18, 2020, and what had to happen finally happened: Quebec went into lockdown on March 13, 2020. We were stuck with the inventory we were supposed to sell on-site. We were faced with a huge question: should we keep going or stop? Because we&#8217;re passionate about what we&#8217;re doing\u2014and we do it with heart and love\u2014we decided to keep going. I really believe everyone needs to eat better.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The inventory was mainly split between two organizations that help Quebec families: Moisson Montr\u00e9al and Les fourchettes de l&#8217;espoir. The community received the product well, which gave them some visibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/08\/Photo_1-1-1-scaled-12.jpg\" alt=\"Sonel Merjuste and Jasmine Exael\" class=\"wp-image-43536\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A company rooted in the community<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe are proud to be able to do something this good for Montreal North and introduce another narrative about the community,&#8221; says Merjuste. &#8220;This attracts other entrepreneurs in the community, who see us as ambassadors, as standard-bearers. We&#8217;re involved in youth entrepreneurial development at <a href=\"https:\/\/cdecmtlnord.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CDEC<\/a> in Montreal North. We have several partnerships and are engaged in numerous interventions to share our experience and show that anything is possible, even if it&#8217;s hard. Because, with Tempehine, we entered an extremely tough, competitive market. Three years later, despite COVID, we&#8217;re getting into grocery stores across Quebec and supplying a restaurant chain that sells our products (burgers) across Canada and the United States. We&#8217;re proud of what we&#8217;ve accomplished in such a short time and under such difficult conditions.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A winning approach with tempeh<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Innovation lies at the heart of Tempehine initiatives. How do you make tempeh accessible and, especially, get people to love it who&#8217;ve never been able to cook it properly or appreciate its taste?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGround tempeh, which is a great meat replacement, will be key to our success. We&#8217;re getting into something everybody knows, comfort food. It&#8217;s a healthy, vegan food for everybody and contains no animal products. We&#8217;re tapping into what the market is asking for. With our innovative approach \u2014 our pillars \u2014 we&#8217;re taking anything that can be made with meat and making it with tempeh. In addition to the health approach, we also have the taste approach, making tempeh taste good. Our tempeh won the silver medal in the 2022 Montreal SIAL innovation competition.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tempehine products have earned two renowned certifications: \u201cAliments du Qu\u00e9bec&#8221; and \u201ccertified organic.&#8221; The project is also environmentally aware: all packaging is recyclable and printed with water-based ink. \u201cWe&#8217;re doing this not just to help people to eat better, but also to help the planet as much as we can.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aliments Merjex is supported by a seasoned team in developing its brand, from branding and marketing to taste. They work closely with Richard Lemyre, a marketing expert from Compl\u00e8tement Agro, and Martin Lamoureux, a chemistry instructor from Coll\u00e8ge Lionel-Groulx, who specializes in food chemistry. His expertise has contributed extensively to developing the product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Merjuste and Exael have a clear vision of what they want to achieve with Tempehine in the coming years:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-rbc-list default is-style-blue-disc\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p class=\"is-style-default default\">Make tempeh an indispensable, irresistible part of the Canadian diet. In 2023, they want to be on more than 15,000 plates a week.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p>Become a tempeh innovation leader.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p>They want to make Tempehine Quebec\u2019s tempeh in the next five years.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur roots in Quebec are getting strong. After that, we will look at the rest of Canada, the United States, and the world. Everybody can eat it, vegans, omnivores and carnivores.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Merjuste, some of the best recognition they&#8217;ve received came from the public after they went on the Radio-Canada show \u201cDans l&#8217;oeil du dragon.&#8221; People were hugging them on the street because they loved their passion and authenticity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat motivates us. It&#8217;s our reward. I was also surprised and honoured to be featured on &#8216;L&#8217;\u00e9picerie.&#8217; In a feature on tempeh, they bought all the brands of tempeh to test them, and Tempehine provided the background. They came to film our processes, and Tempehine was the star of Radio-Canada&#8217;s show &#8216;L&#8217;\u00e9picerie.'&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-rbc-default-collapsible\"><p><button class=\"collapse-toggle collapsed\" data-target=\"#collapse834a1009\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapse834a1009\" data-dig-id=\"LP-57738-834a1009\" data-dig-category=\"LP\" data-dig-action=\"accordion closed\" action-closed=\"accordion closed\" action-opened=\"accordion open\" data-dig-label=\"Things our lawyers want you to know\"><span>Things our lawyers want you to know<\/span><span>Things our lawyers want you to know<\/span><\/button><\/p><div class=\"collapse-content collapse\" id=\"collapse834a1009\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-collapsible-inner-block collapse-inner\">\n<p>This article is intended as general information only and is not to be relied upon as constituting legal, financial or other professional advice. A professional advisor should be consulted regarding your specific situation. Information presented is believed to be factual and up-to-date but we do not guarantee its accuracy and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of the authors as of the date of publication and are subject to change. 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https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/life-events\/new-to-canada\/starting-a-business-in-canada\/sonel-merjuste-and-jasmine-exael-of-aliments-merjex-a-close-family-and-a-shared-business-vision\/\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/plugins\/rbc-blocks\/assets\/img\/icons\/icon-email.svg\"\n          alt=\"envelope icon\">\n        <span>\n          Email        <\/span>\n      <\/a>\n      <div class=\"social-button-wrapper sharing-copy-wrapper\">\n        <button class=\"sharing-custom sharing-copy\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/life-events\/new-to-canada\/starting-a-business-in-canada\/sonel-merjuste-and-jasmine-exael-of-aliments-merjex-a-close-family-and-a-shared-business-vision\/\">\n          <img decoding=\"async\"\n            src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/plugins\/rbc-blocks\/assets\/img\/icons\/icon-related.svg\"\n            alt=\"copy 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mob-pad-t-dbl\" style=\"border-radius:0px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-section-inner-block  section-inner\" style=\"border-radius:0x\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading mar-b mob-mar-b-dbl mar-t-0\" id=\"h-read-this-next\">Read This Next<\/h2>\n\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"related-posts-type-2\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"related-post-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"grid-wpr eh-wpr\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class= 'grid-one-third grid-tb-full grid-mob-full mar-b'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"col-wpr mar-b-0 mar-r-0 mar-l-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"postcard-img-ctr post-card-image col-md-12 col-xs-6 mob-mar-b-0 pad-l-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"744\" height=\"367\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/YT-thumbnail.png?quality=80&amp;w=744\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Six business professionals standing on stage at an RBC corporate event with solar panel imagery displayed on screen behind them\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/YT-thumbnail.png 744w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/YT-thumbnail.png?resize=300,148 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 744px) 100vw, 744px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-details mob-mar-b-0 mob-mar-t-0 pad-r-0 col-md-12 col-xs-6\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"primary-taxonomy primary-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/business\/get-inspired\/innovation\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tInnovation\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/business\/get-inspired\/innovation\/unlocking-sustainable-progress-how-innovation-and-collaboration-can-help-drive-transformational-growth-in-canada\/\" class=\"card-title h4 mar-t-0\">Unlocking Sustainable Progress: How Innovation and Collaboration Can Help Drive Transformational Growth in Canada<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class= 'grid-one-third grid-tb-full grid-mob-full mar-b'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"col-wpr mar-b-0 mar-r-0 mar-l-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"postcard-img-ctr post-card-image col-md-12 col-xs-6 mob-mar-b-0 pad-l-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/Nicole-Piggott-Image.png?quality=80&amp;w=1024\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Headshot of Nicole Piggott, Founder and President of Synclusiv\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/Nicole-Piggott-Image.png 1906w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/Nicole-Piggott-Image.png?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/Nicole-Piggott-Image.png?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/Nicole-Piggott-Image.png?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/Nicole-Piggott-Image.png?resize=1536,864 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-details mob-mar-b-0 mob-mar-t-0 pad-r-0 col-md-12 col-xs-6\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"primary-taxonomy primary-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/business\/get-inspired\/business-success-stories\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tBusiness Success Stories\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/business\/get-inspired\/business-success-stories\/synclusiv-how-cultivating-an-inclusive-workplace-fuels-business-growth\/\" class=\"card-title h4 mar-t-0\">Synclusiv: How Cultivating an Inclusive Workplace Fuels Business Growth<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class= 'grid-one-third grid-tb-full grid-mob-full mar-b'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"col-wpr mar-b-0 mar-r-0 mar-l-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"postcard-img-ctr post-card-image col-md-12 col-xs-6 mob-mar-b-0 pad-l-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/02\/Grants-and-Funding-Image.jpg?quality=80&amp;w=1024\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Businesswoman with a digital tablet showing and talking with male worker in distribution warehouse. Manager working with foreman in warehouse checking stock levels.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/02\/Grants-and-Funding-Image.jpg 2121w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/02\/Grants-and-Funding-Image.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/02\/Grants-and-Funding-Image.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/02\/Grants-and-Funding-Image.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/02\/Grants-and-Funding-Image.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/02\/Grants-and-Funding-Image.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-details mob-mar-b-0 mob-mar-t-0 pad-r-0 col-md-12 col-xs-6\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"primary-taxonomy primary-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/business\/managing-your-business\/business-financing-and-funding\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tBusiness Financing &amp; Funding\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/business\/managing-your-business\/business-financing-and-funding\/five-steps-to-help-win-business-grants-and-government-funding-in-2026\/\" class=\"card-title h4 mar-t-0\">5 Steps to Help Win Business Grants and Government Funding in 2026 [Webinar Recap]<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<style class=\"advgb-styles-renderer\">\n\t\t.wp-block-tk-spacer.id-773a2c80-30da-425c-a9e3-aafd03883ab2 {\n\t\theight: 96px;\n\t}\n\n\t@media ( max-width: 480px ) {\n\t\t.wp-block-tk-spacer.id-773a2c80-30da-425c-a9e3-aafd03883ab2 {\n\t\t\theight: 30px;\n\t\t}\n\t}\t\n\t\t.wp-block-tk-spacer.id-607dc045-3735-49df-9e00-0fb15127aa79 {\n\t\theight: 60px;\n\t}\n\n\t@media ( max-width: 480px ) {\n\t\t.wp-block-tk-spacer.id-607dc045-3735-49df-9e00-0fb15127aa79 {\n\t\t\theight: 30px;\n\t\t}\n\t}\t<\/style>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cWhen we come as immigrants, we have our own background, but not the credit history banks want. We have to start from scratch. &#8220;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":64097,"parent":57310,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[157,189],"rbc_content_type":[31],"rbc_audience":[110],"rbc_lob_group":[35],"rbc_difficulty_level":[33],"rbc_mmm_category":[305,323,382,314,316,363],"class_list":["post-57613","rbc_my_money_matter","type-rbc_my_money_matter","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-entrepreneur","tag-women-led-businesses","rbc_content_type-article","rbc_audience-business-owners","rbc_lob_group-business","rbc_difficulty_level-beginner","rbc_mmm_category-business","rbc_mmm_category-business-stages","rbc_mmm_category-grow-your-business","rbc_mmm_category-life-events","rbc_mmm_category-new-to-canada","rbc_mmm_category-starting-a-business-in-canada"],"acf":{"contently_publication_id":"335732","custom_author":"Jean-S\u00e9bastien Bourr\u00e9","rbc_video_header":"","rbc_media_duration":"","rbc_toc_for_mmm_tag":"h2","rbc_toc_for_mmm_limit":6,"rbc_toc_for_mmm":null,"rbc_toc_for_mmm_action":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u201cWhen we come as immigrants, we have our own background, but not the credit history banks want. 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