Devon Brooks

An entrepreneurial tour-de-force. Devon defined a new market category when she co-founded Blo Blow Dry Bar, a first of its kind franchise concept, born from her second year University project. Currently at 28 locations across North America and Asia, the business continues to grow; she and her co-founders have been celebrated for creating the edgy brand and culture Blo is most known for. She was dubbed 'The Business Mind' as one of Canada's Top 13 Bright Young Things in FLARE magazine, has been named 'Hot 20 Under 30' 'Women of the Year' by Chatelaine Magazine. Platformed by her experience building Blo, she has since moved on to manifest more dreams, both her own and those of others. Devon is an active mentor and advisor; She is the Canadian Youth Business Foundation's (CYBF) youngest mentor. Her CYBF mentees The Juice Truck have taken off, working with Canadian mega_brands like Lululemon and receiving hundreds of foody fist pumps, including major love from the Food Network's Eat Street. Devon is on the board for Women Against Violence Against Women (WAVAW). As Chair of the Marketing Committee she is focusing on brand and strategic initiatives to grow awareness of the rape crisis center as well as the cause geographically. Devon's commitment to this cause is personal. Among her adventures she was assaulted in two untimely, and entirely separate incidents at 18 and then again at 21, right after launching Blo, and went through the ensuing judicial process that eventually led to a guilty plea by both men. It's no wonder Canada's National Post called her “an adventuress and big_picture_thinker [who]...doesn't cut corners”. She is candid about her experiences, finds humor in life's curve balls, and digs honesty hard. Her desire to see a global culture shift in the way we respond to interpersonal trauma, and it's effects, sparked the content for her first TEDx talk in 2012, and her project in the works. Watch this space. Recognizing her for personal and professional story, PROFIT Magazine named Devon one of the 'Top 30 Entrepreneurs in Canada' for their 2012 Fab 30 list alongside the likes of Cirque's Guy Laliberte and Joe 'Fresh' Mimran. What we know for sure is, that feeling of success is all the sweeter when you have jumped magnanimous hurdles.