Bailey Austin-Macmillan And Riley Grund, Dropseed Nursery; Ben Marshall, Bag ’Em Freeze-Dried Food; Chantal Ouellet and Josh Wright, Smile Mx
These ambitious young entrepreneurs are proof positive that you can do something you love at an early age and turn it into a venture that has great market potential.
Bailey Austin-Macmillan and Riley Grund
Dropseed Nursery
What if your garden could attract butterflies and birds while supporting the natural ecosystem? “Native plants can be just as spectacular as peonies,” says Bailey Austin-Macmillan, 33, who works with a landscape architect during the day. Many of the projects she works on include native plants. As a result, she and her partner, chef Riley Grund, 29, have become environmental entrepreneurs. They’ve opened up the new Dropseed Nursery just outside of Picton on the road to Milford. “There’s a real energy and excitement about native plants and how to use them,” she says of their new business, which spreads the word about living in harmony with nature. She’s continuing her day job while Grund manages the day-to-day operation of the nursery, which supplies flowers, grasses, shrubs, trees and vines that are native to the area.
Ben Marshall
Bag ’Em Freeze-Dried Food
When he’s not doing jujitsu or hanging out with his friends, 17-year-old Ben Marshall is experimenting with freeze-drying candy in the family kitchen in Hastings. Ever tried a freeze-dried Jolly Rancher? “It’s astronaut food,” he explains, comparing it to NASA freeze-dried ice cream. His Bag ‘Em freeze-dried food company started when Ben ate a whole banana that had been freeze-dried into a delicious fluffy marshmallow. He was hooked on the intense flavour and snack possibilities. “I’ve always loved food and cooking,” he says, “and science and numbers.” He applied for a grant through the Business and Entrepreneurship Centre Northumberland in 2023, and his freeze-dried product line of super-healthy organic fruit and novel candy favourites has taken off. Next are freeze-dried meals like tortilla soup with black beans.
Chantal Ouellet and Josh Wright
Smile Mx
“I destroyed my parents’ lawn with figure eights and my dad said, ‘we need to get you to a track,’” says Chantal Ouellet, 24, a motocross racer in Shannonville.
She was riding at age nine and soon had the family yard turned into a practice course with jumps and gravel. “ The adrenaline is like no other.” She met her fiancé, motocross racer Josh Wright at a local race event, and the two are passionate about promoting the sport. In 2022, they founded Smile Mx, a moto-themed clothing and accessory online shop (you have to love the French bulldog in sunglasses on the tees and hoodies!). The two are also dedicated to helping people with mental health challenges; ten percent of proceeds go to the Enrichment Centre for Mental Health in Belleville. It’s cool moto-fashion you can feel great about.
Story by:
Karen Hawthorne
