Who is eQuo

About eQuo

When Canadians choose to support small businesses, they also help create jobs, build their communities, and create a more diverse and interesting economy. And this holiday season, supporting small businesses in Canada is as easy as shopping with our small business directory and small gift guide.

Users can share their visit or purchase in their favourite social media channels using the hashtag #gosmallcanada to encourage others to do the same.

Too many entrepreneurs are left out of the current ecosystem. Unless we are all included, we all miss out on opportunities to realize our collective potential and the economic and social benefits that come with it.

At eQuo, we aim to provide the support Founders need in sourcing the knowledge, funding, capital alternatives, customers and talent they need to succeed.

eQuo is levelling the playing field

Not all of us have the same opportunities.

And when some of us miss out, we ALL miss out on an opportunity to realize our collective potential and change the world.

Welcome to eQuo, a community built to provide the tools, resources and support to level the playing field for ALL small businesses in Canada regardless of gender, race, age, sexuality, geography or disability.

When Canadians choose to support small businesses...

...they also help create jobs, build their communities, and create a more diverse and interesting economy. And this holiday season, supporting small businesses in Canada is as easy as shopping our small business directory and small gift guide. Users can share their visit or purchase in their favourite social media channels using the hashtag #gosmallcanada and encourage others to do the same.

Mission Vision Values

eQuo was named with intent. After all, when you break status quo, it starts with an eeeeK and ends with a WOAH, and that is exactly how you pronounce eQuo. The status quo is marginalizing founders and encouraging them to have unrealistic expectations for exponential growth and Unicorn outcomes. We’re not only breaking status quo, but the myths attached to it.

eQuo is inclusive of all entrepreneurs and stakeholders, encouraging them to pursue realistic growth and to develop actual business models capable of generating profit. We believe that helping companies grow from $250K to $1M, or from $2M to $5M and so on is not only realistic, but it will also lead to more Unicorns and greater growth overall than status quo.

At eQuo, we believe that it is hard to have competition when demand far exceeds supply. This is the case for SMBs and their need for funding, capital and customers. We support anyone helping Founders scale.

So even when there are companies that aren’t likely to become eQuo partners, we still want them to succeed. We believe that every decision made by eQuo, must benefit entrepreneurs. When decisions benefit entrepreneurs, they also benefit everyone who supports them. We succeed together.

That’s why we want to partner, refer, and support anyone who is helping entrepreneurs to grow.

Our Mission

To realize the power and potential of “SMALL”.

Our Vision

To create the first globally distributed marketplace that democratizes opportunity for everyone.

Our Values

We believe that every decision made by eQuo, must benefit entrepreneurs. When decisions benefit entrepreneurs, they also benefit everyone who supports them. We succeed together.

We also believe that inclusion is the central foundation behind eQuo. If some of us are left out, none of us can realize our true potential.

Introducing the eQuo Research Council.

To continually incorporate research results into the product development lifecycle and logic and data layers of the eQuo platform.
Our ultimate goals?
To understand the full entrepreneurial journey, including barriers and accelerants to success.
To understand what barriers and accelerants change for key groups, industries, regions, races, lifestyles, religions etc.
To be able to use our learning to work with partners, not-for-profits, regions, stakeholders etc to remove barriers and create a more supportive ecosystem that is data driven through insight and understanding.
To use our learning to connect with media and inform content that can be used as part of our eQuo messaging.

We want to understand the complete entrepreneurial journey and the data behind it. Our goal is to create research that truly understands the barriers and opportunities facing founders throughout their entire journey.

The purpose of the eQuo Research Council:

Create ongoing research to understand the barriers and opportunities facing Founders;
To ensure data privacy, use and rights and obligations are maintained in a manner that respects our community;
Understand implications of bias and how can we incorporate ways to infuse JEDI (Justice, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion) into the approach so we truly understand how our data is being gathered and that we are understanding the full entrepreneurial journey for everyone;

Advisor, eQuopreneur

The eQuo Community

eQuo is a community built by entrepreneurs that OWN the eQuo platform.

Entrepreneurs have difficulties as they navigate the entrepreneurial journey. They experience challenges and barriers that can deflate founders and cause mental, financial and emotional strains, which is why we need to display empathy and understanding when working with founders.

eQuo cofounder Shawn Wells on Empathy for entrepreneurs

Tami is the Chief Mom behind VarageSale. While on extended maternity leave in 2011, she came up with the idea for a safer and better buy and sell app that would stretch family budgets and connect local communities.

Tami Zuckerman on being an entrepreneur, success and motherhood

When one of us is left out, we all lose out.

Zainab C. Williams discusses how equality needs to be actionable and how eQuo helps all founders.

At 23 years old, Giancarlo is a serial entrepreneur who is always looking for new opportunities to take advantage of.

Giancarlo Sessa discusses entrepreneurship and why you should join eQuo

eQuo is important to support entrepreneurs by helping them to succeed.

Kundan Joshi discusses why small business matters and why eQuo can help.

Just because BIG can't understand why your business is worth investing, doesn't mean that you need to believe them.

Paolo Frescura talks about how great businesses struggle to find resources and how eQuo can help.

eQuo can help immigrant entrepreneurs gain trust and traction.

Surbhi Guleria-Joshi discusses the difficulties immigrants face as entrepreneurs.

They may not understand your business, but that doesn't mean that your business isn't worth funding.

Dan Turcotte on the importance of eQuo

Surbhi Guleria-Joshi, Poorna Wellness Founder discusses the difficulties that immigrants face as entrepreneurs and how eQuo can help.

Why you should join eQuo