In the world of Canadian entrepreneurship, few names carry as much weight—or as much heart—as Jillian Harris. While many first met her through their television screens, Harris has spent the last several years undergoing a profound evolution from lifestyle influencer to a formidable, impact-led founder.
Alongside co-founder Tyler Evans, Harris has grown The Jilly Box from a coveted quarterly subscription into a massive year-round ecosystem that supports over 500 mostly women-led Canadian brands. But the true milestone arrived in 2023, when The Jilly Box and Jillian Harris Design officially became B Corp Certified. In honor of International Women’s Day and B Corp Month, Jillian sat down with us to share why she’s trading “hustle culture” for “stewardship” and how she’s redefining what it means to scale a business in Canada.
On the B Corp Shift
For Harris, the move to B Corp status wasn’t about changing the brand’s DNA—it was about putting it under a microscope.
“Becoming B Corp certified didn’t change our values, it formalized them,” Harris explains. “Before 2023, we were already prioritizing women-owned, Canadian, and values-led brands. But B Corp gave us a framework and accountability. It encouraged us to ask better questions and document the answers.”
Now, the vetting process for the hundreds of brands featured in the Jilly Box marketplace is deeper than just a pretty aesthetic. “We look beyond the product,” says Harris. “We ask: Who owns the company? How are products made? How are workers treated? Does this company give back? We don’t expect every small business to have it all figured out, but we look for those important values. Are they trying to do better?”
On Redefining Scale
Growing a business often comes with the pressure to abandon grassroots values in favor of the bottom line, but Harris is proving that purpose and profit can gallop together.
“While we’ve been growing the business, we’ve also been growing our impact, which I’m so proud of,” she says. With a milestone of $1M donated to communities to date, Harris is adamant that giving back isn’t a post-growth afterthought. “This milestone didn’t happen after we grew the company, it happened because we committed to investing in our community since the very beginning. If growing this business ever required us to abandon our commitments to our values, it wouldn’t be worth it.”
On the Evolution from “Influencer” to “Steward”
The shift from sharing pretty things to running a purpose-driven powerhouse was sparked by a specific moment of professional intuition. Harris recalls being offered a massive deal to promote an “eco-friendly” product that felt more like greenwashing than a genuine fit.
“It was in that moment, when I turned down the deal, that I decided I needed to ensure that EVERY brand and product I promoted moving forward was something that I personally loved and could stand behind,” she notes. “Influence is about reach. Stewardship is about care. I think that’s the main difference.”
The “Ripple Effect” of Supporting Women
The most rewarding part of the Jilly Box ecosystem is seeing the tangible change it creates for other Canadian founders. Harris points to Knots & Pipes, a Hamilton-based brand, as a prime example.
“After partnering with The Jilly Box, they were able to hire ten additional women to join their team—including new Canadians and single parents—all receiving a certified Living Wage,” Harris shares. “They created this beautiful ripple effect where those wages went right back into the local economy. It wasn’t just about a product; it was about lifting up an entire community.”
The Future of Conscious Commerce
Looking ahead to 2030, Harris has a “non-negotiable” vision for the Canadian retail industry. She hopes to see a landscape where transparency is the baseline, not a marketing hook.
“I hope by 2030 it’s no longer impressive for a Canadian retail brand to disclose who makes their products, where they’re made, and who owns the company. I hope that this is just the expectation,” Harris says. “Our goal is to offer a product assortment that is 75% Canadian-owned and 75% women-owned. Those aren’t just feel-good stats; they’re tools to keep us accountable. If transparency became the standard, brands would have to compete not just on price, but on impact.” —Noa Nichol
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