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Illustration of the Venture Zone  logo, which displays a bright yellow lightbulb with a dollar sign placed over it next to the words “CNIB Venture Zone”

Success Stories

Clover Thursday holds up a comic character she created named Cutie Cthulu.

Designing Your Own Path: Clover Thursday

Clover Thursday designs accessories and sells them on her Etsy shop, Bae & Boba. Read about her journey being an artist with sight loss!
Denise Justin smiles and waves, wearing a shirt and toque with the Say Hello logo. She's standing in a CNIB hub in Toronto.

Say Hello to Denise Justin

Denise Justin wants you to ask her about her braille logo. She owns Say Hello 2 Blindness Accessories, a product line that she hopes will raise awareness about sight loss. Watch the video for her story!
Frontier Computing owner Chris Chamberlin smiles while sitting at a desk in the CNIB Bayview office.

Meet Chris Chamberlin of Frontier Computing

Chris Chamberlin owns an assistive tech company called Frontier Computing.
Brett Devloo smiles, wearing sunglasses and a headband.

Skateboards, Sight Loss and Speaking Out with Brett Devloo

Check out our podcast with Brett Devloo, a skateboarder and entrepreneur who makes YouTube videos, a clothing line and runs a non-profit!
Ashley Nemeth smiles and sits in a restaurant, wearing sunglasses.

How Blogging Turned Ashley Nemeth into an Entrepreneur  

What happened when a cyclist hit Ashley Nemeth's guide dog? She blogged about it. She has over 4,000 followers on her blog about living with sight loss. Read her story for more!
Joshua Simmonds sits in a chair in his office, wearing a suit. There are certificates on the wall behind him, and a coffee table and plants on the left side.

Joshua Simmonds: Passion and Purpose

Joshua Simmonds is a clinical psychologist in Montreal. For him, sight loss is an asset in business. Read about his journey and advice.
Marie Claire Bilyk smiles, standing in front of a garden outside.

Business in Bloom: Marie Claire Bilyk

When Marie Claire received a business grant from Goodwill, she became determined to grow and succeed. Find out how she started Blossom Fitness and rose above the competition.
Hillary Scanlon stands in front of a CNIB community hub wearing the shirt with her brand on it: Sustainability Through an Inclusive Lens.

Meet Innovator Hillary Scanlon

Hillary Scanlon is developing tactile indicators to make waste disposal more accessible.
Close up of Neena's hands painting in blue on her sketch pad.

Meet Neena Avery

Neena Avery loves painting and crafting, but she used to give away her wares. Then, she decided to sell them on Etsy and have her own business.
Emilee giving Hannah a piggy back and laughing while Hannah kisses her cheek.

Best Face Forward: How sisters Emilee and Hannah Schevers are creating community for people with disabilities

Emilee and Hannah Schevers know the importance of feeling included. That's why they created Tru Faces, an online community for people with disabilities and other identified differences to share their experiences. Read the story of these two teenage sisters and their mission to build a more open world.
DJ Shane Cashin laughs while wearing headphones.

Meet DJ Shane Cashin

Shane Cashin is a DJ who is partially sighted. He runs a successful business in St. John's, Newfoundland.
Image shows a podcast microphone in a recording studio.

Where Talk Meets Tech: Nelson Régo

Nelson Régo wasn't a tech guy. That is, until he lost his sight and decided to take over a website on technology. Now he owns Cool Blind Tech and makes podcasts. Read his story to find out how he got here.
Chris Maley smiles in a head shot.

The Power of Voice: Speebly Founder Chris Maley

Chris Maley was always passionate about voice technology, so he decided to create his own voice assistant. Read about his new startup and journey as an entrepreneur.
CNIB's Jacklyn Gilmor and entrepreneur Pina D'Intino laugh as they record a podcast in the CNIB studio.

Venture Zone Podcast

Check out CNIB's Venture Zone podcast! We profile dynamic self-starters who are blind or partially sighted. Listen to their stories and get inspired.