Sonia Chhinji is the co-founder, CEO, and creative spark behind Woodlot, a Vancouver-based health, beauty, and wellness company. Woodlot is known for handcrafting home and body basics infused with a harmonious balance of pure ingredients and timeless tradition. Sonia and Woodlot are on a mission to transform the industry to a point where quality is never in question. Simply put, well-made products should be the standard. Ignited by a lifelong passion for entrepreneurship and inspired by tradition, Sonia, along with her partner, Fouad Farraj, co-founded Woodlot in 2014 from their kitchen in Vancouver, producing their signature clean-burning, GMO-free soy-based coconut candles, and plant-based soaps. As word-of-mouth spread like wildfire, they rapidly outgrew their home headquarters and expanded their operations and team. Under Sonia’s leadership, Woodlot has evolved to boast a striking 90% average year-over-year growth rate.With a career that began in tourism and hospitality, Sonia’s commitment to service is inextinguishable, and this value is felt throughout the Woodlot ethos. Customer-obsessed, Sonia is always mindful of who buys, uses, and loves Woodlot products, creating a range of candles, soaps, lotions, and essential oils that delight the senses and provide exquisite experiences. Even down to the finest packaging detail, Sonia’s approach is eternally intentional.Partnering with retailers in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, and LA, Woodlot products have been featured at boutiques such as The H Project by Holt Renfrew, Charlie & Lee, Lowell, BeFresh, and Moon Juice. Having captivated the market, Sonia has positioned Woodlot for further considerable expansion within Canada, the US, and internationally.  With Sonia driving strategy, sales, marketing, brand development, and product development and launches, the future is extraordinarily bright for Woodlot.Prior to launching Woodlot, Sonia made her mark on the start-up scene in Vancouver. Leading Community and Events for Bootup Entrepreneurial Society, Canada’s 1st accelerator, Sonia’s work drove, engaged, built, and amplified the local tech community, and illuminated the brilliance of Vancouver start-ups. Later joining A Thinking Ape as the company’s 9th employee, Sonia was entrusted with defining and designing the corporate culture to attract and retain the best and the brightest in the industry. As Head of Brand and Culture, she helped grow the company from a start-up to an 80-person enterprise. Sonia is a British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) Marketing graduate. Deeply dedicated to contributing to the entrepreneurial community, Sonia serves as a start-up mentor, working with organizations like Young Entrepreneurs Society (YES). Additionally, she is a sought-after E-commerce, marketing, and brand development expert, panelist, and keynote speaker.