Meet the 2024 SMARTstart Entrepreneurs

SMARTstart is a made-in-Airdrie entrepreneurial training program that provides real-world business skills and access to the tailor-made advice entrepreneurs need to help set their businesses up for success. The program is for people with a business idea and owners who have been in business for less than three years.

Over the past 10 years, 144 entrepreneurs have completed the SMARTstart program. The 2024 cohort is made up of 13 entrepreneurs – five with an idea for a business and eight who have already started their journey. Let’s meet them:

From left to right: Lesley Stasiuk, Allissa Blondin, Dr. Mitch Colp, Chelsie Schmidt

Lesley Stasiuk
Daytona Beach Seafood Tacos provides the young and young at heart with healthy offerings both on our seafood taco food truck and in the Airdrie Curling Club (Xtra End Café). Since the introduction of food trucks in Calgary in 2011, I have had a vision to provide a fresh take on beloved classics while promoting community and delighting people with quality food. Daytona Beach offers healthy Baja-styled tacos wrapped up with your choice of fillings: beef, chicken, cod, mahi-mahi, shrimp or tuna with shredded cabbage, freshly made pico de gallo, mango salsa, house made aioli and garnished with local microgreens.
Lesley is matched with mentor Ankur Goklaney of CIR Realty.

Allissa Blondin
We believe there is a message inside of you that the world needs to hear. The Feathered Pen helps authors, speakers and businesses create succinct and effective written communication so they can shine, and their ideas can spread light to their audience. Our professional team of heart-centred writing experts will help you create impact with the written word through our ghostwriting, editing and copywriting services.
Allissa is matched with mentor Michelle Tennant of LochSmith Consulting.

Dr. Mitch Colp
Hexagon Psychology is a nationally operating psychological assessment and treatment clinic. We have a team of expert psychologists, social workers, and speech-language pathologists who excel in offering high-quality services to children, youth, and adult clients. Since opening our doors in Airdrie in April 2021, we have quickly grown to be the city's largest psychological service provider.
Mitch is matched with mentor Dr. Melanie Beingessner of Blessingways Family Wellness.

Chelsie Schmidt
I am a lifestyle photographer that captures life’s little and big moments. Chelsie Rae Photography offers everything from yearly family photos to newborn babies, weddings, couples and lifestyle branding and content creation. I have a passion for capturing people in their element and making them feel comfortable in front of the lens. Photos are the one thing in this world we get to leave behind for our children’s children and I want them to feel as if they knew the person in the photo by capturing their personality.
Chelsie is matched with mentor Tara Pickford of Ambition Performing Arts and Pickford Consulting.

From left to right: Sharity Mackintosh, Yvonne Koprnicky, Ian Irvine, Caira Haynes

Sharity Mackintosh
From the beginning, we at Honeybee Housekeeping didn’t want to be just another cleaning service; we love being a friendly face to our residential and commercial clients while getting to know them and their families. We take care of those dealing with tough times, whether it’s illness or the loss of a loved one. We also take care of our team, who are vital to our existence. We’re passionate about hiring and treating our crew like family and giving them the respect and care they deserve.
Sharity is matched with mentor Brent Park of Liquid Amber Landscape Management.

Yvonne Koprnicky
I was born and raised in Airdrie and graduated from Alberta College of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Design in 2012. After tattooing for ten years, I opened my own studio in January 2024. Sundog Studios has a warm and welcoming California vibe that embodies my love for community, surf culture and beautiful art. The space I purchased in Kings Heights houses myself and four other resident artists. We often have guest artists as well!
Yvonne is matched with mentor Steve Walker-Duncan of Red Deer Polytechnic.

Ian Irvine
I have a BSc. in Kinesiology & Biology and developed a vocational skill in occupational rehabilitation over five years where I learned a variety of injury profiles, treatment protocols, and critical thinking skills to provide quality care. Throughout my experiences, I have witnessed gaps in the care that people are being provided in the medical industry and telehealth is a great solution to many of these challenges. Twin Oaks Telehealth Services will specialize in delivering exercise therapy for the prevention and recovery of disease and / or injury.
Ian is matched with mentor Jennifer Benner of Benner Database Designs.

Caira Haynes
I have been a Registered Nurse (RN) for 12 years and have spent my career at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. Most recently, I received my Health Coach certificate from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and am planning to open a holistic health coaching practice to help improve the health and wellness of those in our great community. I have a passion for nutrition and achieving optimal health through natural means. My goal is to help you uncover the root causes of your concerns and work towards improving your well-being in a sustainable way!
Caira is matched with mentor Tracy Goodbrand of Irricana Kountry Kennel.

From left to right: Ellen Wolfe, Pamela McLeod, Lalit Mohan, Kristy Ecklin

Ellen Wolfe
To support my own yoga practice and artistic interests, I took my unappealing yoga supports and redesigned them into textile art. While attending yoga events I was being approached as to where I purchased my yoga props and requests started coming in. Yoga Room Elements is an e-commerce platform offering handcrafted yoga and meditation support products, including yoga bolsters, meditation seats, supports and accessories. My products are handcrafted locally, utilizing sustainably sourced local materials and are beautifully designed to reflect your unique personality.
Ellen is matched with mentor Tia Callaway of Sonic Coaching.

Pamela McLeod
Vintage Apothecary is a traditional herbal dispensary, natural product retailer and holistic health and wellness consultation service. I am proud to offer high quality, therapeutic herbs that are organically grown or wildcrafted, sustainably sourced, and purchased at fair trade or better. I am a passionate Herbalist and Clinical Aromatherapist and am currently pursuing a Clinical Herbalist certification. My areas of focus include women’s health, Alzheimer’s Disease support and end-of-life care. In addition to being a natural progression of my professional experience in the environmental and natural skin care industries, Vintage was formed from my desire to empower people with options for their health and wellness following the 2020-2021 pandemic.
Pamela is matched with mentors Dawnie McElligott of At Dawn Wellness and Joan Traub, former owner of Airdrie Yoga Studio.

Lalit Mohan
At Continent Constructions, our passion lies in crafting environments where everyone can thrive. Our journey began with a simple yet powerful vision: to revolutionize the renovation industry. As a General Contractor, I noticed a gap between exceptional craftsmanship and quality service, motivating me to establish Continent Constructions. Whether it's designing cozy homes or functional workspaces, we aim to elevate productivity, satisfaction, and overall success for both residential and commercial clients. From grasping our clients' visions to bringing them to life, our devoted team ensures meticulous attention to detail in every project, regardless of its size.
Lalit is matched with mentor Kari Lines of Budget Blinds of Airdrie.

Kristy Ecklin
My name is Kristy Ecklin and I’m passionate about helping people to express themselves through the use of fashion as art.
My mission is to bring together beautiful humans with a strange aesthetic – lovers of shoujo manga, horror stories, and bold street fashion – and to give them a place to connect and bring their unique style to life.
At Cursed Doll Cult, the entire garment is used as a canvas. I’m so excited to bring you an experience that is more than fast fashion: this is unique wearable art!
Kristy is matched with mentor Kelly Paisley of The I.T. Company.