Community Futures Western Ontario
Thursday, September 17, 2026 at 9:30 AM
Community impact
Client Profiles
London, Ontario Located at Western University’s Advanced Manufacturing Park in London, Ontario.
Venue Information
2544 Advanced AvenueThe Collider
London, ON N6M 0E1
Western University building information
Kourtney Spang founded The Barking Brew Inc. in 2024 and launched the company in January 2025. Based in Clarksburg, Ontario, Barking Brew is a proudly Canadian, woman-owned company helping hospitality businesses create memorable dog-friendly experiences.
The Barking Brew’s Beef Hound Ale mimics the look of a craft beer but is actually a premium beef bone broth hydration beverage and food topper made specifically for dogs and cats. Shelf-stable and requiring no preparation, it can be served in a bowl to encourage additional fluid intake or poured over food to entice picky eaters.
Kourtney identified an opportunity to help hospitality businesses move beyond simply allowing dogs to actively including and serving them. Barking Brew gives hotels, restaurants, breweries, wineries and resorts an easy way to create memorable guest experiences through pet welcome programs, dog menus, room service, retail offerings and pet-friendly packages.
Since launching, Barking Brew has expanded into more than 300 locations across Canada, including hotels, restaurants, breweries, wineries and independent retailers. Through these partnerships, the company helps hospitality businesses differentiate themselves, create new revenue opportunities, encourage longer guest stays and generate organic social sharing.
Kourtney’s larger vision is to build Barking Brew into a leading pet-friendly hospitality brand, connecting dog owners with destinations where their pets are not only welcomed, but genuinely included in the experience and served.
The Barking Brew was provided business advisory and financial support on a regional level from the Saugeen Economic Development Centre, Community Futures South Georgian Bay and Bruce Community Futures.
Crafty Ramen is a Guelph-founded food company bringing restaurant-quality ramen from its noodle shops into freezers across Canada. Founded by Jared and Miki Ferrall in 2017 after years spent living, cooking and studying ramen in Japan, the company began as a local ramen shop and has grown into a nationally recognized consumer packaged goods brand.
Crafty Ramen’s frozen bowls are designed to deliver the comfort and craft of a restaurant-made bowl at home, with real broth, noodles, protein and toppings ready in minutes. The company’s product line includes chicken, pork, tofu and vegetarian options, all built around bold flavours, real ingredients and convenient heat-and-eat preparation.
Today, Crafty Ramen is available in more than 2,700 grocery locations across Canada, including major retailers such as Sobeys, Walmart and Loblaws, and has continued to expand through national retail partnerships and Costco roadshow activations. With CEO Khalil Khamis helping lead the company’s retail growth, Crafty Ramen is focused on becoming a household name for restaurant-quality ramen while staying rooted in the community and craft that shaped its first shop.
Crafty Ramen was provided financial support from the Southern Ontario Fund for Investment in Innovation (SOFII).
ELO Gaming is a Brampton-based hardware company designing high-performance mobile gaming and XR technology for players who want console-quality experiences wherever they play. Founded by former semi-pro esports player Adam Hepburn, ELO has grown from early R&D into a Canadian gaming hardware brand with products sold direct-to-consumer and through retail and distribution channels.
Its flagship product, the Vagabond mobile gaming controller, transforms smartphones and tablets into portable gaming consoles with wired USB-C connectivity, customizable controls, Hall Effect joysticks and broad compatibility across iPhone, Android and iPad Mini devices. ELO’s product ecosystem also includes Sentinel XR gaming glasses, Ascend Pro thumbsticks, travel cases, high-speed USB-C cables, multi-port adapters and the Unleashed companion app.
As mobile gaming, cloud gaming, remote play and XR experiences continue to grow, ELO is focused on making premium gaming hardware more portable, accessible and performance-driven. With support from SOFII, the company is scaling production, strengthening its supply chain and preparing for broader retail distribution while continuing to design and engineer its products in Canada.
ELO was provided with financial support from the Southern Ontario Fund for Investment in Innovation (SOFII).
Enhanced Medical Nutrition (EMN) is a food-as-medicine company helping patients prepare better and recover faster from surgery through evidence-based nutrition. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Toronto, EMN develops medical food products designed to support patients before and after surgery, as well as during recovery from critical illness.
Its flagship product, ENROUTE®, is a complete surgical nutrition program recommended by surgeons and developed with nutrition experts. The program features two specialized drink formulas used around the time of surgery: ENROUTE® Build, a multi-nutrient formula with protein, creatine, calcium and vitamin D, and ENROUTE® Prepare, a complex carbohydrate formula with electrolytes and no sugar added.
Together, these products are designed to help preserve muscle mass, support bone health, enhance immune function, promote wound healing, improve hydration and help patients better manage the metabolic stress of surgery. EMN also offers ISOlution®, a modular protein isolate developed to help meet protein requirements across diverse patient populations.
EMN was provided with financial support from the Southern Ontario Fund for Investment in Innovation (SOFII).
Joanie’s Gluten Free Bakery is a London, Ontario-based dedicated gluten-free bakeshop helping customers rediscover classic baked goods without compromising on taste, texture or quality. Founded by Joan Hepburn, the bakery grew from her personal experience with Celiac disease and her determination to perfect a gluten-free pastry recipe that could stand alongside traditional baking.
Best known for its award-winning butter tarts, Joanie’s offers a wide range of certified gluten-free pastries, cookies, cupcakes, cakes, frozen items and other treats, with dairy-free options also available. The bakery serves retail customers, accepts online orders and supports wholesale accounts, making its products accessible both in-store and beyond the local community.
Built on a deeply personal story of friendship, resilience and entrepreneurship, Joanie’s has become known for proving that gluten-free baking can be every bit as indulgent, comforting and memorable as the original. From its dedicated gluten-free facility in London, the company continues to grow its product offerings while staying focused on quality, safety and flavour.
Joanie’s Gluten Free Bakery was provided business advisory and financial support from Community Futures Middlesex.
Generations Cider Co. is a Middlesex County cider company rooted in more than 100 years of family apple-growing tradition. Founded by siblings Gregory and Colleen Crunican, the business was created as a new branch of the Crunican family’s long-standing orchard operation, giving the next generation a way to build on the farm’s history while bringing something new to local customers.
The company produces small-batch alcoholic ciders made with 100% Ontario-grown apples, offering another way for customers to support local agriculture and enjoy the flavours of the family farm. Generations Cider Co. sells through the Crunican Orchards farm market and local markets, with cider tastings available seasonally at the orchard.
Built around the idea of being “rooted in tradition, flourishing through generations,” Generations Cider Co. reflects both the strength of a multi-generational family business and the entrepreneurial drive of Gregory and Colleen as they grow the cider side of the farm. Their long-term vision includes making the orchard a destination not only for apples and local products, but also for hard cider, tastings and community experiences.
Generations Cider Co. was provided business advisory and financial support from Community Futures Middlesex.
Platinum Foodz Inc. is an innovative Canadian snack food company based in Southwestern Ontario. Founded by entrepreneurs Amin and Hashmat, the company operates out of the Elgin Innovation Centre in Aylmer, Ontario, producing its signature “Not Ordinary” line of popped corn, potato and ancient grain chips.
With a mix of franchise management, IT expertise and multi-generational chip-making experience, Amin and Hashmat have built Platinum Foodz around bold flavour, quality ingredients and a commitment to local sourcing. The company uses locally grown corn and ingredients sourced through regional partnerships, including the Elgin Federation of Agriculture.
From its Southwestern Ontario base, Platinum Foodz is focused on growing a snack brand that feels fresh, flavourful and distinctly different from ordinary chips. Its “Not Ordinary” product line reflects the company’s goal of offering customers a more memorable snacking experience while supporting local supply chains and food innovation in the region.
Platinum Foodz was provided with business advisory and financial support from Elgin Business Resource Centre (EBRC).
Ingersoll Rails is a craft brewery rooted in the history and spirit of Ingersoll, Ontario. Inspired by the town’s railway heritage, the brewery was created around the idea that, much like the railroads that once connected people and places, beer has a way of bringing communities together.
Every beer at Ingersoll Rails is crafted with care using quality ingredients and time-honoured brewing methods. From smooth lagers to hop-forward IPAs, the brewery’s products are built around bold flavour, craftsmanship and a strong sense of place.
With a focus on tradition, innovation and local connection, Ingersoll Rails reflects the grit, determination and community pride that shaped the railway town it calls home. The brewery continues to build an experience where guests can gather, enjoy thoughtfully brewed beer and feel connected to the story behind each pour.
Ingersoll Rails was provided with business advisory and financial support from Community Futures Oxford.
Axe Living is a Canadian housing company helping address the need for more affordable, sustainable and quickly built homes. The company designs prefabricated, fully panelized all-wood homes that are energy-efficient, low-carbon and net-zero ready, offering a practical alternative to traditional construction.
Using state-of-the-art materials such as mass timber while minimizing steel and concrete, Axe Living creates customizable homes ranging from studio units to four-bedroom accessory dwelling units. Each design can be adapted to the site and homeowner’s needs while remaining focused on reducing one of the biggest barriers to homeownership: cost.
With factory-built efficiency, Axe Living homes can be installed in less than a day once the site is ready and fully finished in under a week. The company’s approach brings together affordability, sustainability and speed, offering a timely response to Canada’s housing needs without compromising the look or performance of a traditionally built home.
Axe Living was provided with financial support from the Southern Ontario Fund for Investment in Innovation (SOFII).