ROOTREE FOUNDATION™
3 Prizes to Win, Including anVacation

WHAT
The Rootree Foundation™ is back – and this year, it's about more than what's next for your brand.
We’re giving growing CPG brands three opportunities to recharge, create, and refresh. There’s an opportunity to help you take your next step – or simply take a well-earned break. You’ve earned this. Go enjoy it.
WHY
Because growth isn’t always about doing more.
The Rootree Foundation™ is here to give you something back – whether it’s a chance to get away, bring your ideas to life, or get a fresh perspective on your brand.
WHEN
September 8th , 2026 to October 9th 2026!
Applications close at 11:59:59PM ET on October 9, 2026
HOW TO APPLY
- Apply Until Oct 9th
- Applications close Oct 9th
- Judges Review Applications
- 1-on-1 Virtual Meetings Oct 12th – 14th · pre-selection phase
- Final Judges Session Oct 20th
- Winners Announced Oct 26th
Candidates have until 11:59PM ET on October 9, 2026, to apply.
Past Winners

2024: Brulerie Emma
From Valleyfield, Québec Emma is a 100% female-owned roasting company. Brulerie Emma ensures that their community remains one of their primary focuses – they’re aware of the realities of vulnerable families in their region.

2024: Itso Coffee
Caroline, founder of Itso Coffee, is redefining what it means to build a coffee brand with heart, heritage, and impact. Inspired by a trip back to her hometown in Kenya, she launched Itso to bring direct-trade Kenyan coffee to Canadian communities – while empowering women farmers and youth along the way.

2023: Found Coffee
From Australia to Canada, Found Coffee is building more than a coffee community, but a place that offers comfort. With 3 Toronto locations, and a Guelph location, Found is sharing their focus on social justice and sustainability, with every cup of coffee.

2022: Chien Gourmand
Brianna, a young and inspiring entrepreneur was one of the winners of our 2022 RT | Foundation Award. She was using paper containers with lids to sell what is undoubtedly gourmet dog food under the company named Chien Gourmand.

2021: Northern Wildflowers
Our North American winner, Northern Wildflowers Inc., is a family-owned business based out of the Sudbury, Ontario area that prioritizes sustainability and provides pollinator-friendly, untreated seeds which grow native plants in Northern climates.

2020: Yes Crickets
One of two 2020 recipients, Yes Crickets! Innovative, sustainable, and nutritious, the Owen Sound-based Yes Crickets is trailblazing in Canadian snacks with their dry-roasted crickets.

2020: Saw Dog
One of two 2020 recipients Saw-Dog Coffee Roasters. Based in Vermont, this coffee company is creating positive social and environmental change in so many ways—and producing doggone good coffee.

2019: Café Las Peñas
Our first recipient & the inspiration behind the RT | FOUNDATION is Café Las Peñas, a coffee company that produces and sells amazing beans to local markets and communities in Costa Rica. After our Rootree team visited the plantation in 2019 and had a fresh cup, we were inspired to redesign and manufacture an improved pouch to help the well-deserving Café Las Peñas stand out.

2019: Carvalho Coffee
Our second recipient, Carvalho Coffee, started as a stock/label client and was ready to jump into customized packaging! The Brazilian coffee company spans back five generations of family. Today, it produces beans on several farms across Brazil, moreover, Carvalho Coffee creates a positive environmental impact by incorporating hard waste into the soil of the farms’ neighbouring preserved forests—nothing tops good coffee and a good footprint.
Our Judges

Phil St-Cyr
President and CEO at Rootree Inc.

Phil St-Cyr
President and CEO at Rootree Inc.
Where do we even begin? Phil is the driving force behind the RT | Foundation and the spirit of everything we do at Rootree – which makes him a VIP judge for our 4th annual RT | Foundation Awards. We have a very difficult time narrowing the competition down with Phil on the judging panel because everyone is a winner.
Phil's charisma is so extraordinary that the dictionary even struggles to define him, so let's settle for D.I.R.T: Dynamic, Interesting, Remarkable, and Tenacious, just like the earthy environments he loves spending time in.
Phil began his career in health and nutrition, something that is an integral part of everything he does, woven into his lifestyle and values.
He leads Rootree with a sustainable-first mindset and his business philosophies are rooted in hospitality, curiosity, and a continuous pursuit of bettering oneself. Phil is a true growth advocate, he believes in keeping employees content and customers thriving, because, for him, that's the foundation of any successful venture.
We're fortunate to have Phil as a guiding light in this year’s RT | Foundation Awards.
Legend has it: he’s LinkedIn’s best-kept secret.

Siana Wenzel
Director of Communications at Rootree Inc.

Siana Wenzel
Director of Communications at Rootree Inc.
Our Director of Communications, the writer of everyone else’s biographies, and baker of delicious baked goods. We couldn’t ask her to write her own bio, so here it goes:
This lady did not just find her calling but lives it deeply daily.
She’s a classically trained German baker but is also a word wizard. Imagine if the fairy godmother from Cinderella was a baker, then mix it with the spirit of hospitality and service of Lumière's from Beauty and the Beast.
Now, let that sit and cure for some time and mould it into a wonderful person, haunted with a relentless smile, with a pen ready-in-hand to write out puns and inspirations.
Yes, we know, tough to envision.
Siana assisted in many roles from administration, customer service, and finance, and with various positions in creative and marketing before landing in her current role – our Comms Director!
She has an entrepreneurial spirit and is the co-founder of Bonne Amie Craft Bakery. An effective way to get hungry is to visit her Instagram page.
When she is not taking time off from the above-mentioned endeavours, she's got her camera in hand, taking and editing some of the most beautiful pictures... seemingly taken effortlessly.
Do all of these qualities make her a good judge for RT | Foundation? Nobody knows but we have no choice but to include her as it’s her team that is charged with putting it together.

Pia Simran
Vice President of Product and Business Development at Rootree Inc.

Pia Simran
Vice President of Product and Business Development at Rootree Inc.
Introducing… Pia Simran, the VP of Product and Business Development at Rootree, who's been a Rootree Rockstar since 2015!
Pia's journey at Rootree is a true rollercoaster of ambition and determination. Good thing she likes rollercoasters.
She began as a part of the family business, learning the ropes of daily operations. But Pia wasn't one to settle; she soared through various roles like a champ—general labour, sales whiz, account manager, co-packing star, and now, the VP of Product and Business Development #GirlBoss. Talk about a versatile career path!
Her story doesn’t stop there. She’s got true entrepreneurial spirit, which led her to attending the Beauce School of Entrepreneurship in Quebec, Canada - another reason she will make a fantastic judge for our RT | Foundation Awards.
Now, here's where Pia's personality shines like a blooming garden! She's not just about business; she's all about nature, gardening, music, and singing. With linguistic skills up her sleeve, Pia's the kind of inspiration that adds a magical, youthful touch to the industry.
Pia stands as a vibrant and dynamic force at Rootree, join us in welcoming her to the judge’s panel!

Soek Awalia
Vice President of Packaging Operations at Rootree Inc.

Soek Awalia
Vice President of Packaging Operations at Rootree Inc.
Meet Soek, 6’2” of dedication, the man behind the scenes at Rootree's production facility. His mission? Ensuring that every pouch gets printed and converted to perfection.
Soek is Rootree’s VP of Packaging Operations who thrives on innovation and forward thinking. If there's anyone who knows how to steer the ship in the right direction, it's him.
Now, when Soek steps away from his bustling work routine (a rarity!), you'll find him in various intriguing pursuits. Whether it's quality time with his 3 kids, binge watching 80s Jackie Chan movies, or holding a handstand for an inhuman amount time, Soek is quite the character.
And when it comes to business, his vision is crystal clear. He's got a taste for Chinese food and an even keener eye for the potential of small businesses. To him, packaging is the vehicle to carry a company's message far and wide. He lives and breathes packaging (he literally breathes the air of our production facility for 80% of the day) making him the ideal judge for the RT Foundation Awards.
With Soek's profound understanding of packaging's impact on business success and his commitment to innovation, he's the ideal candidate to judge the RT Foundation Awards. His insights are sure to take the winners’ packaging to new heights.

Allison Caputo
Director of Creative Services at Rootree Inc.

JB Raimondi
Director of Video Services at Flavr

Bryan Raymond
Strategic Business Development Manager at Rootree Inc.


