All the winners of the 2024 Immigrant Entrepreneurship Awards

  The fifth-annual Immigrant Entrepreneurship Awards saw seven Nova Scotian businesses and business owners honoured at the Halifax Central Library on Oct. 15.

Presented by the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia, these awards celebrate the progress made by immigrant-owned small businesses throughout the province, and how entrepreneurs contribute to innovation, economic growth and job creation.

Adding two categories from last year’s awards—the ISANS Business Volunteer Service Award and the Immigrant Women Entrepreneurship Network Business of the Year Award—the ceremony had even more to celebrate in small business this year.

“Immigrant entrepreneurs are visionaries who bring fresh perspectives and innovation to Nova Scotia,” says ISANS CEO Paula Knight in a press release. “At ISANS, we are committed to fostering their talents and breaking down barriers to create an ecosystem where diversity drives prosperity that contributes to the province’s economic growth.”

Shivani Dhamija, founder of Shivani’s Kitchen, won the Exceptional Entrepreneurial Achievement award. Dhamija immigrated to Canada in 2011 and started her Indian cuisine business through cooking classes and a meal delivery service. Dhamija has since gone on to produce spices, pastes and paneer available in big box stores such as Costco.

“Success doesn’t come overnight,” says Dhamija in the release. “It’s the result of hard work, passion, and learning from every mistake. I’ve stumbled, but I’ve always gotten back up. Today, as I celebrate ten years of Shivani’s Kitchen, I’m proud to say that perseverance, along with the support of my family, colleagues, and ISANS, has brought me here.”

The winner of the inaugural Business Volunteer Service Award was Cindy Allen, a government employee who has gone on to help connect new businesses with the resources they need to thrive.

The New Small Business of the Year award went to Iyalode African Wholesale Market, owned by Motunrayo Ige. The business offers groceries, fashion and beauty products from Africa and the Caribbean, and supplies other small businesses across Atlantic Canada, serving over 445,000 Black Canadians and immigrants in Nova Scotia.

Western Shore-based business Starfish Painters won the Small Business of the Year Award. As specialists in residential and commercial renovations, ISANS says Starfish Painters has developed a “strong reputation” among residents and business owners alike, with a high rate of referrals and repeat customers to back up that claim.

Sonia Afroz, owner of Sonia’s Melody, a Dartmouth-based music school, came away with the Innovative Business of the Year Award. With a focus on classical slide guitar and South Asian musical traditions, Afroz’s business seeks to further enrich Nova Scotia’s cultural landscape with lessons and performances.

The inaugural winner of the Immigrant Women Entrepreneurship Network Business of the Year Award is Café Aroma Latino Inc., owned by Claudia Pinto. This Guatemalan immigrant started the cafe in Halifax’s north end with a focus on Central American dishes and has since become a community hub serving up several cultural delicacies.

Finally, MOC Biotechnologies Inc., owned by Sayedali Mousavi, won the Sustainable Business of the Year Award. This biotech company has transformed lobster shells and other crustacean waste into biomaterials that can be used to make scaffolds for 3D bioprinting, amongst other medical applications. This commitment to turning waste into a valuable product led MOC to win this award.

For more on ISANS and this year’s award winners, check out their website.