2024 Asper Holiday Gift Guide
Shop local with unique businesses led by Asper School of Business alumni and students!
Sholeth Art and Seduta Art
Photo by @wdyd.series
When building on art collection, you can start small—or as our first gift guide star might say, tiny. An artist, entrepreneur, and Asper alum, Sholeth Choquette [BComm(Hons)/22] creates tiny art, capturing miny moments of calm and ambiance using a mix of oil, alcohol marker, and linocut prints, and presenting them in ornate vintage frames. These pieces and other stationary are available from Sholeth Art.
You can also find her work at Seduta Art, co-owned with fellow Asper alum and business partner Paul Sogeke [BComm(Hons)/19]. While Seduta is stocked online, Sholeth recommends a visit to the Exchange District location itself, where shoppers can peruse arts, crafts, and stationary supplies—testing the feel of sketchbooks and finding their next favourite fountain pen.
“My vision is to bring joy and creativity into people’s lives through unique and thoughtfully designed stationery, artwork, and art supplies,” she says.
Give the gift of making and art this year and follow along for market appearances and new products on Instagram (@sholeth.art) and (@seduta.art), the online storefronts Sholeth Art and Sholeth Art, or by visiting in-person at 91 Arthur Street.
Miranda Dawn Bakes
Precision and indulgence come to mind looking at a box of Miranda Dawn Bakes treats or one of her sculptural cakes. Offering cookies, macarons, cake pops and more, Miranda Harder whips up perfect personalized gifts for the sweet tooth on your shopping list this holiday season (and all year!).
An Asper marketing student, Harder didn’t initially plan to start a business, but since she began selling eight years ago, she slowly branched out to take on more custom orders and sell at local markets.
Shoppers who suddenly feel hungry after reading the phrase “double chocolate mocha drip cake,” can find Harder’s baking on Instagram (@mirandadawnbakeswpg) and Miranda Dawn Bakes.
Ethereal Stones
If you’re looking for something with a little more sparkle, look no further than Ethereal Stones. From polished rose quartz bracelets and romantic goldstone heart-shaped earrings to dramatic onix necklaces, creator and founder Paula Robles offers bold, expressive, and of course, ethereal handmade jewelry.
When Robles isn’t crafting unique and colourful pieces, she is keeping up with her studies in pursuit of a BComm at Asper. “My dream has always been to make my business grow and make is a recognized brand one day,” she says.
Get a little ethereal this holiday season and find Robles’ handcrafted work on Instagram (@ethereal_stones_) and at UM through the Students Organized Market Initiative (@uofm.somi).
Kingdom Cards
Why not give 52 pieces of art (and a couple of jokers) this holiday season? With Kingdom Cards, you can choose from over 350 different decks of unique and original playing cards—from your favourite franchises and cinematic universes to meticulously crafted illustrated sets.
Run by Asper BComm student Anthony Theriault, Kingdom Cards offers products that are beautiful to look at and perfect for your next game of cribbage, rummy, or even Go Fish. They’re also a favourite among magicians (Theriault would know as a practitioner himself), and sure to be a memorable gift for everyone on your shopping list.
Deck the halls with a deck of cards (and grab one for yourself) by shopping at Kingdom Cards and follow along on Instagram (@kingdomplayingcards) to keep up with new releases and upcoming pop-ups.
oxokat
Wear your personality on your wall, backpack, laptop, water bottle, favourite notebook, and more with oxokat’s adorable illustrated stickers, keychains, embroidery, and prints. A project from Asper BComm student Katherine Bardelas, oxokat specializes in the cute and cartoony.
Bardelas primarily sells at markets at the university, working with UM SOMI, and popping up with a pastel booth of tiny treasures. Living out her dream of selling her creations, Bardelas hopes to open an online storefront next year, all while she pursues her ambitions of becoming an actuary.
In the meantime, shoppers can find oxokat on Instagram (@oxokat) to see her latest illustrations, products, and market dates!
Boligrafo Bonito
For the writers and diligent notetakers in your life, check out Boligrafo Bonito’s handcrafted wood pens. You can find BComm student Jamie O’Neill [BA/24] dusting off oak, elm, and cherry wood chips as she works in the fabrication lab, turning wood and crafting unique ballpoint pens perfect for everything from your most pressing correspondence to your everyday writing needs.
Boligrafo Bonito uses sustainably sourced wood to create shapes that are comfortable in the hand and beautiful to look at, offering a spectrum of warm tones that show the organic wood grain.
Whether you need a gift for the difficult-to-buy-for friend or you need a pen to write down your shopping list, check out Boligrafo Bonito on Instagram (@boligrafobonito) and at the North Forge Makers Market (@northforgemb).
Asper School of Business students and alumni bring bold ideas to life every day, whether in the classroom or the marketplace. Be part of a vibrant community of entrepreneurs and emerging business leaders. Learn more about Asper programs of study today!
Browse the Asper Gift Guide archive for even more gift ideas!