P.E.I. Startup Zone to host Invest Atlantic 2018

With the popularity of shampoo bars gaining momentum on online platforms, Leslie MacKinnon, owner of The Farmer’s Wife, decided to make them as a product to sell in her soy soap and candle business. MacKinnon says the bars are not only good for a person’s hair but also safer for the environment.

Those looking to live a greener lifestyle will have another outlet to buy all-natural shampoos thanks to a business located near Grand River.

Recently the Farmer’s Wife a handmade soy candle and soap business recently began producing shampoo bars.

“I’ve had a lot of people inquire if I made shampoo bars. And because I had requests I decided to try it. I’ve made a liquid shampoo, but not a solid form,” explained Leslie MacKinnon, owner of the Farmer’s Wife.

MacKinnon packages her soap and shampoo bars with a single slip of compostable paper. And in addition to lessoning package waste, the ingredients in the shampoo bars are safer not only for a person’s head but also the earth.

“Commercial shampoos and all-natural homemade shampoo are very different. With commercial shampoos, they strip your hair’s natural barriers and oils. It’s often why you have to use a conditioner. Because the way they work is by stripping the hair and then coating it in something to protect it.”

But with homemade shampoo, they are filled with oils and materials that hair natural produce and love, she said.

“Your hair won’t have the same reaction as when it is washed with commercial shampoos. You’re not going to get that bubbly foam that you’re used to but rather a thick creamy lather. It’s why the shampoo bars may be a fad, because it will take a couple of week to notice the differences and adjust. Natural products usually consist of jojoba oil and argon oil, which is very nourishing to hair, and not harmful to the environment.”

They’re also she said.

“When you travel you have a bottle for you shampoo, your condition and your body wash. But because of the ingredients in shampoo bars, it could be used as body soap bar as well. And because of the nourishing oils, you won’t need a conditioner.”

In post-secondary school, MacKinnon studied environmental economics and worked for Island Waste Watch to help establish current programs in place.

“It’s my background to be more aware of what we’re putting in the ground and throwing out. One of these bars isn’t just replacing one bottle of shampoo. It’s replacing about two-and-a-half to three bottles. Not only are you going to be protecting your hair, but it will also be better for the environment, from reduction of packaging to not releasing those chemicals into the earth.” travel friendly,

Atlantic Canada’s largest networking event for start-ups, investors, seasoned entrepreneurs, mentors and service providers is coming to Prince Edward Island.

The ninth annual Invest Atlantic will mark the conference’s first trip to Charlottetown, building upon past conferences hosted in Moncton, Halifax and St. John’s.

Startup Zone is partnering with Invest Atlantic in hosting this year’s conference Sept. 19 and 20 at the Confederation Centre and Holman Grand Hotel.

This year’s theme features a call-to-action for the entrepreneurial ecosystem, “Get Collaborative; Get Innovative; Get Invested.”

IA2018 will provide attendees an outlet to network and gain connections, find innovative solutions, and discover new tools to grow their business.

Organizations such as Island Capital Partners, First Angel Network, NACO, East Valley Ventures, Springboard Atlantic, BDC, Stewart McKelvey, Synapse, Island Advance, Dalhousie University, and SMU’s Venture Grade will share experiences and ideas on how to build businesses.

During the first day of the conference, up to 40 startup companies will come together to attend the PitchCamp series of workshops focusing on delivering one and two-minute pitches.

The top companies will then present on the second day and pitch to investors and a crowd of more than 200 conference.

The conference also features an array of hands-on sessions for entrepreneurs delivered by invited experts from across Canada, including well-known local entrepreneurs and investors to provide innovative solutions for today’s startups.

For more information on Invest Atlantic, visit investatlantic. ca.