April 9, 2023 at 6:00 am
Four local students have turned a business idea into a thriving Windsor-Essex enterprise.
Students from Maranatha Christian Academy in Windsor participate in a program sponsored by the University of Windsor that teaches financial literacy and responsibility to secondary school students.
Alisa Preston, Owen Turner, Bethany Liem and David Moloce created YQG Essence as their project. Alisa and Owen told Windsor Country Morning presenter Morgan Ryan that the university had been on their side from the start.
“They sent two tutors to a school near Windsor,” Alyssa said. “It’s really cool that they kind of help you start a small business. They come in twice a week and teach us and give us any advice or help we need, which is awesome.”
The team came up with three fragrances that represent Windsor, Cedar Red, Riviere Blue and the place around Flora Park, and made them sustainable. It was a real challenge to actually recreate the smell of these places, Owen said.
“We did a lot of research,” Owen said. “We used online articles, YouTube videos, and many other sources before we decided on a blend of essential oils and carrier oils, and then we had to make them smell like Windsor, which also required a lot of research.”
Inspired by riversides, Riviere Blue exudes an aquatic vibe. Jackson Park was the inspiration behind the Park de Fleurs variety, while Ojibway Park was the woody idea behind Cedar Rouge. Each fragrance is fully certified vegan, its packaging is made from at least 50% recycled materials and is itself fully recyclable.
The four students were part of the school’s Year 12 business class, which took part in a UW event called You Thrive.
For complete information on fragrances, please visit The group’s website.