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Elev | Student Housing Platform

@elevhomes

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Affordable student housing in Edmonton and across Canada.
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Every founder has a story, but behind every success are challenges people don't always see.

Folashade Tajudeen, founder of @thrivecitystudio; @jaybeeknows, co-founder of @elevhomes; and Chidera Ogueri founder of @drinkzohbo open up about some of the biggest challenges they've faced while building their businesses.

From navigating difficult moments to finding ways to keep moving forward, their experiences offer valuable lessons for every entrepreneur.

Because building a business isn't always easy, and sometimes, the lessons learned through the hardest moments make the biggest difference.

Hear their stories, challenges, and lessons on FoundersOutlook.

#Entrepreneurs #Founders #BusinessChallenges #BusinessGrowth #SmallBusiness

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At FoundersOutlook, we’ve had the incredible opportunity to have meaningful conversations with some truly inspiring founders who opened up about their journeys, challenges, lessons, and the experiences behind their businesses.

From Chidera Ogueri, founder of @drinkzohbo , to @jaybeeknows , co-founder of @elevhomes ; Opeyemi Osuntokun, founder of @leiraeventandmedia Events; and Fashad Tajidin, founder of @thrivecitystudio

Each founder shared a different story, but one thing remained the same: building a business is a journey filled with lessons, challenges, growth, and courage.

We’re grateful to every founder who has trusted us with their story.

And this is only the beginning.

#Founders #Entrepreneurship #StartupJourney #BusinessGrowth #FounderStories

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Keep going. Seriously. Keep going.

I’ll be honest with you - entrepreneurship is not easy.

Behind these clips are years of late nights, early mornings, trial and error, rejection, disappointment, uncertainty, and moments where I’ve given 1000% and wondered why I was only seeing 1% in return.

From coming to Canada as a 17-year-old international student, to navigating life as an immigrant, to becoming an entrepreneur trying to build something that genuinely makes a difference… there have been plenty of moments when I’ve wondered whether things would work out.

But through it all, God has been faithful.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about Peter walking on water.

He was literally doing the impossible. But when he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the wind around him, fear crept in and he began to sink.

He cried, “Lord, save me!”

And Jesus immediately reached out and caught him.

“You of little faith… why did you doubt?” — Matthew 14:30–31

Man… how often do we do the same?

We focus on the rejection. The numbers. The money. The closed doors. Everything that isn’t going according to plan.

And suddenly, we’re staring at the troubled waters instead of the One who called us onto them.

So this is as much a reminder for me as anyone: Keep your eyes on Jesus.

When the waters get rough, keep going.
When doubt creeps in, keep going.
And if you start sinking? Reach for Him.

You haven’t made it this far just to make it this far.

God was there at the beginning. He’s here now. And He’ll be there for whatever comes next. 🙏

Today is also the last day to vote for Elev @elevhomes in the @facecoalition MelaMoon Pitch Competition. We’re Top 50 in Canada and pushing for Top 5. 🚀

If you have 30 seconds and want to support us, cast your vote through the link in my bio. 💙🙏

Whatever journey you’re on: Keep going. Keep believing. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Because at the end of the day…Everything is Jesus. ❤️

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One step closer. Now, we need you. 💙

It’s crazy to think about how far this little idea has come. There have been wins, setbacks, long nights, moments of doubt, and plenty of times where the vision felt much bigger than what we had in front of us. But through all of it, one thing has remained constant: people like you showing up and believing in what we’re building. And I’ll never take that for granted.

Today, Elev is Top 10 in Edmonton and Top 50 in Canada in the MelaMoon Pitch Competition!! @facecoalition @elevhomes

Now, we’re going for TOP 5 🚀

And I’m asking you personally to help us get there. Every like. Every comment. Every share. Every vote. It all counts.

If you have 30 seconds to support us, comment “ELEV TOP 5” and I’ll personally send you the links. That’s it. Voting closes on September 22nd 😊

Whether you’ve been rocking with us since this was just an idea, or you discovered Elev today - thank you. Truly 💙

We’re building something special, and I’d love for you to be part of the story.

Let’s make it happen. Together. 🫶

#ElevTop5 #Melamoon

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There is no business without challenges or problems. What matters is how quickly you identify them, tackle them, and prevent them from escalating.

In our conversation, @jaybeeknows, Co-Founder of @elevhomes, shared some of the challenges they face in their business and how they navigate them.

Because every business has problems the difference is in how you respond to them.

#BusinessChallenges #Founders #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurs #Startups

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In our discussion with the Co-Founder of Elev Homes, he explained how the company makes money and, more importantly, how they are helping students especially immigrants navigate the challenge of finding and renting apartments.

It’s a great example of how identifying a real problem can lead to building a business that creates both value and impact.

#Founders #Entrepreneurs #BusinessGrowth #Startups

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As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, so here’s August 28th in a few of them 💕

The Advice Constellation opened with a bingo icebreaker that had strangers introducing themselves before the program even started. From there, our panel of six community leaders dug into questions about risk, balance, and what leadership actually feels like day to day, no polished answers, just real ones. Then the room broke into small groups, each one paired with mentors from across the city, working through prompts about advice, trajectory, and what we wish someone had told us sooner.

Somewhere in the middle of the night, people wrote notes to their past, present, and future selves. Those notes stayed up on the walls until we closed the evening in one final circle, going around the room one more time before saying goodnight.

This is what reciprocity looks like when you build a room for it.

Swipe through for a look inside the night 💫

#ECHOFORMstories #ArtivismCohortYEG #TheAdviceConstellation #YEG #Mentorship

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"Storytelling makes us feel less alone" — Lily Yağmur Gosling, Edmonton Learners Collective.

That line stuck with us long after The Advice Constellation wrapped.

On August 28, our closing session for the 2026 Artivism Cohort brought together mentors, panelists and community members for a night that moved from a panel conversation into small-group roundtables, each one built around a shared thread.

We grouped our roundtables intentionally: reps from the Society of Northern Alberta Print Artists, iHuman and a talented creative around creative practice as a form of leadership. Albertan Parents Protecting Public Learning & Education, Edmonton Learners Collective, and Climate Justice Edmonton around advocacy and lived experience. Ujima Fellowship, the ELITE Program for Black Youth and Elev around leadership and opportunity. Aiya Collective and She Said around storytelling as a tool for memory and voice. And Alberta Mentoring Partnership with interVivos, two organizations built entirely around the practice of mentorship itself.

Mentorship isn't one-directional, and Friday proved it. Youth taught mentors as much as mentors taught youth, and every table left with something they didn't walk in with 💕

Our full reflection on the evening will be live on our Substack soon, link in bio: https://publishing.echoxform.org/

#ECHOFORMstories #ArtivismCohortYEG #TheAdviceConstellation #YEG #Mentorship

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"Take a risk. It's the most Edmonton thing you can do."

Moving to Alberta was a risk. Attending that event was a risk. But you know what happened at the end? I have found myself in a community who understands and supports my wildest dreams.

Thank you @echoxform for bringing us together, putting out a thoughtfully designed lab for all the incredible and (a little bit of crazy) dreamers who just show up on a Friday nite!

It's for sure that stories make us feel less lonely in this world. We need to hear and share more!

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Meet two more of the mentors joining us for The Advice Constellation 💕

Housing, education and everything in between, mentorship in this room isn’t sticking to one lane:
💫 Jean Bruce Koua — Co-Founder and COO of Elev Homes, an Edmonton-born student housing company that’s supported over 3,000 students through their housing journeys. Named one of Alberta’s Top 30 Under 30, Jean Bruce also mentors early-stage entrepreneurs through Edmonton Unlimited and NAIT, all grounded in one philosophy: leave the world better than you found it.
💫 Kennedy Daniels Peterson — founder of APPPLE (Albertan Parents Protecting Public Learning and Education), a grassroots project using photography, storytelling, and community engagement to advocate for public education in Alberta. A freelance photographer, writer, and mother of two, Kennedy brings both lived and professional experience to the table.

This is what The Advice Constellation is built on, people from completely different corners of the community, all showing up to be honest about what they’ve learned ✨

📍 Edmonton Public Library, Stanley A. Milner
🗓️ Aug 28, 2026 | 6:00-8:30 PM

Link to RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-advice-constellation-a-mentorship-circle-in-edmonton-tickets-1993496448541

Learn About ECHOFORM: https://linktr.ee/echoxform

#ECHOFORMstories #ArtivismCohortYEG #TheAdviceConstellation #YEG #Mentorship

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Meet Jean Bruce Koua, founder of Elev Homes — one of Edmonton’s Melamoon Top 10 Founders. 🎥 Watch their video to hear their story, and if you’re inspired, vote for Jean by liking, commenting, and sharing. 👏

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Découvrez Jean Bruce Koua, fondateur de Elev Homes — l’une des 10 fondateur(e)s du Top 10 de Edmonton du Melamoon. 🎥 Regardez sa vidéo pour découvrir son parcours, et si vous êtes inspiré(e), votez pour Jean en aimant, commentant et partageant. 👏

#Melamoon2026 #EdmontonTop10 #MelamoonTop50 #Pitchcompetition #Blackbusiness Blackownedbusiness Blackentrepreneurs FACECoalition 1FACE

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Road to Melamoon Pt. 1 🚀

Thanks @facecoalition for the opportunity and stay tuned for part 2 🙌

#fyp #elevhomes #entrepreneurlife

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