Proudly supporting women and women-owned businesses
At IGA, we are committed to making diversity, equity and inclusion part of everything we do. Our local supplier program is a natural extension of this journey towards building an inclusive culture. By supporting women entrepreneurs to grow and scale their businesses, we are bringing greater diversity to our stores, our customers and in helping support the communities we serve. In addition to supporting local suppliers, we also support our franchisee network and recognize the amazing owners that work hard every day to improve their communities. Meet some of the inspirational female store owners behind your local IGA.
Alberta Vendors
Seven Spice
Frustrated by the lack of high-quality chili oils on the market, Natalia Lazic took matters into her own hands. With the help of her mother, Anna, she created Seven Spice Chili Oil, using just seven simple yet premium ingredients. What began as a homemade gift for friends and family quickly grew into a beloved product, now available in mild, hot, and extra hot varieties.
Sarjesa Tea
Alexandra is the founder of the Sarjesa Group, a socially conscious collective of brands and a manufacturing business dedicated to quality and impact. Starting as a student entrepreneur, she built a small tea company into a fully operational manufacturing facility within six years, now manufacturing products for tea and beverage brands across North America.
Recently, Alexandra expanded her portfolio by acquiring Buzzd Nutrition, further solidifying her mission to create innovative, uplifting products.
Bootstrapping her business with limited resources, Alexandra has earned numerous prestigious awards for her entrepreneurial achievements. A valedictorian graduate of Mount Royal University, Alexandra remains committed to fostering equity and joy, crafting beverages that uplift and delight women while creating opportunities for women across her supply chains.
Souptacular
Maureen started Souptacular soups in the basement of her and husband Al’s, St. Albert home back in 2001 – at the same time growing a family of three busy boys! Allan had a NAIT cooking degree, and Maureen shared a love for cooking nurtured by her mother’s interest in nutrition. Maureen was the first to inspire the “soup in a bag”, idea! That and lots of beans, are some of the secret ingredients to Souptacular Soup Company. Today she is in over 200 stores and still owns and operates Souptacular with Al and their three sons, making this truly a locally grown business!
Yoggu- Jade Herman
Jade is a foodie and lover of all things natural living. Inspired by her time living in France, Yoggu! Is a high quality, creamy coconut yogurt. It is a fermented coconut yogurt made with billions of live probiotics. Yoggu! Is on a mission to raise the vibration in food by creating products that are nourishing and great tasting!
Margaret Coons- Nuts for Cheese
Margaret Coons is the Founder & CEO of Nuts For Cheese, a market leader in artisan, organic, plant-based dairy manufacturing. Vegan from an early age, Margaret developed a passion for plant-based cuisine becoming a vegan chef and experimenting with nuts and seeds to create deliciously creamy dairy-free cheeses. Since launching at a farmer’s market in 2015, Nuts For Cheese™ has enjoyed explosive growth across Canada and the United States with its award-winning artisanal and versatile dairy-free products. Today, Nuts For Cheese™ employs 35+ people, operating from a 25,000 square foot manufacturing facility in London, Ontario. Nuts For Cheese™ continues to scale year-over-year with a mission to create delicious, dairy-free and vegan cheese for cheese lovers everywhere.
Store Owners
Lorianne Domoney from Blackfalds
From hiring local staff to supporting local businesses, sports groups, and schools, Lorianne ensures that her team is working together for the betterment of the community. She also believes in the importance of empowering women by showing them the possibilities they can reach all while nourishing new relationships.
Rhonda Camilleri from Lakeview
Leading her team through positivity, open communication, and encouragement, Rhonda emphasizes the importance of teamwork and goal setting to better support the needs of the community. Her management team is over 80% female, and she is honoured to work with such an amazing group of women.
Marie Eltom from Banff
As a member of the school council and other volunteer committees, Marie strives to be a community leader, supporting innovation by providing opportunities for local entrepreneurs and seeking opportunities to improve both in-store and through volunteer work.
Saskatchewan Vendors
Road Coffee
Alisha Esmail is revolutionizing the coffee industry. Through fully female-led supply chains and innovative programs like BeyondFair, Road Coffee empowers farmers with financial independence. Alisha’s visionary leadership addresses the coffee crisis, creating sustainable change across the entire supply chain. All while delivering exceptional coffee to communities worldwide!
Three Farmers
Two sisters, Natasha and Elysia Vandenhurk, are the driving force behind Three Farmers. Elysia, a Red Seal Chef, infused her culinary expertise into product development. Natasha’s background in Economics, has propelled Three Farmers Foods from its humble beginnings to a flourishing global brand.
Good Spirit Kombucha
Good Spirit Kombucha was founded on a love of whole foods and being a part of the local food community in 2017. Fruity, fizzy, and lightly tangy, kombucha is a delicious and natural alternative. We are proud that our business is majority female owned and operated. Good Spirit Kombucha is brewed with purpose in the prairies and can be found throughout the province of Saskatchewan.
Yoggu - Jade Herman
Jade is a foodie and lover of all things natural living. Inspired by her time living in France, Yoggu! Is a high quality, creamy coconut yogurt. It is a fermented coconut yogurt made with billions of live probiotics. Yoggu! Is on a mission to raise the vibration in food by creating products that are nourishing and great tasting!
Margaret Coons - Nuts for Cheese
Margaret Coons is the Founder & CEO of Nuts For Cheese, a market leader in artisan, organic, plant-based dairy manufacturing. Vegan from an early age, Margaret developed a passion for plant-based cuisine becoming a vegan chef and experimenting with nuts and seeds to create deliciously creamy dairy-free cheeses. Since launching at a farmer’s market in 2015, Nuts For Cheese™ has enjoyed explosive growth across Canada and the United States with its award-winning artisanal and versatile dairy-free products. Today, Nuts For Cheese™ employs 35+ people, operating from a 25,000 square foot manufacturing facility in London, Ontario. Nuts For Cheese™ continues to scale year-over-year with a mission to create delicious, dairy-free and vegan cheese for cheese lovers everywhere.
Manitoba Vendors
Happy Dance Hummus
Mary MacLean is the founder and CEO of Happy Dance Inc - Manitoba's makers of deliciously distinct hummus. Each of their 6 unique flavours are fairly bursting with freshness, packed with wholesome goodness, and designed to get your feet dancing! Vegan, gluten/dairy free, these unique flavors are anything but boring! Their recently launched newest product is called Faba - an upcycled powdered egg substitute, perfect for baking, mayos, meringues, and frothy cocktails.
Cranked Energy Bars
Founded in 2014 in her home kitchen Cranked Energy has grown into a 4000 sq ft facility and has been cranking out 17 different delicious bars that are high in protein, good fats and fibre, all made from high quality ingredients. Unlike most energy bars Cranked Energy Bars are sold in the refrigerated snack foods section. They’re perfect as a snack, a meal replacement, or workout fuel. Plus, Cranked donates extra bars to charitable causes in their community.
Utoffeea
Utoffeea, founded by mom-of-4 Cate Dyck, started as a labor of love in her small home kitchen. After experimenting with different toffee recipes, she launched Utoffeea in 2012, just in time for the Christmas craft markets where she encountered many happy customers! Today, Utoffeea operates out of a production facility in West St. Paul, MB, and is sold in 400+ retailers across Canada. Utoffeea's mission is to create joy and bring people together around food, sparking connections one sweet bite at a time.
Yoggu - Jade Herman
Jade is a foodie and lover of all things natural living. Inspired by her time living in France, Yoggu! Is a high quality, creamy coconut yogurt. It is a fermented coconut yogurt made with billions of live probiotics. Yoggu! Is on a mission to raise the vibration in food by creating products that are nourishing and great tasting!
Margaret Coons - Nuts for Cheese
Margaret Coons is the Founder & CEO of Nuts For Cheese, a market leader in artisan, organic, plant-based dairy manufacturing. Vegan from an early age, Margaret developed a passion for plant-based cuisine becoming a vegan chef and experimenting with nuts and seeds to create deliciously creamy dairy-free cheeses. Since launching at a farmer’s market in 2015, Nuts For Cheese™ has enjoyed explosive growth across Canada and the United States with its award-winning artisanal and versatile dairy-free products. Today, Nuts For Cheese™ employs 35+ people, operating from a 25,000 square foot manufacturing facility in London, Ontario. Nuts For Cheese™ continues to scale year-over-year with a mission to create delicious, dairy-free and vegan cheese for cheese lovers everywhere.