Shelby Taylor is an entrepreneur on a mission to create good for the world through nutritious, organic meal options. As a young mother and health food store owner, Shelby recognized the challenge of putting a healthy meal on the table that everyone would enjoy, so she turned a family favorite (pasta) into a superfood. In 2016, the company officially launched the organic pasta made from only chickpeas and lentils in the Canadian marketplace and then expanded into the US less than a year later. In 2017, Shelby and her husband welcomed their second child into the world — just two days before signing her first venture capital deal with District Ventures Capital, Arlene Dickinson’s fund for innovative food and health brands. Shelby remains committed to using her business as a force for good and, in 2019, Chickapea was ranked in the top 10% of all Certified B Corporations on the planet—a reflection of the company’s commitment to meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. Now with about six years of experience as an entrepreneur, Shelby continues to live outside her comfort zone, stand firm in her values, overcome challenges and embrace failures, and she tries to help others to do the same. As a certified women-owned business, Shelby is passionate about helping other women bring their dreams to life. Shelby holds a Bachelor’s degree in Media Studies and Journalism from the University of Guelph-Humber. Today, Shelby is the CEO of Chickapea in her hometown of Collingwood, Ontario, Canada where she lives with her husband and two children.

Labour shortages, competitive markets and a push for improved company culture can leave any business looking for a better way to grow. Join Barriston Law, Busch Systems and Chickapea pasta as they discuss how they’ve used their B Corp Certification to help with employee recruitment and retention, attracting a loyal customer base and developing their companies’ values.