Trailblazer and apparel brand founder Joanna Griffiths of Knix named Canada’s EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2022

The program recognizes 10 national winners for their unbounded innovation, growth and prosperity 

Joanna Griffiths, founder and CEO of Knix— a Toronto-based intimate apparel company best known for their human-centric design and cutting-edge technology – is Canada’s EY Entrepreneur Of The Year^®  2022. Selected by an independent panel of judges and announced last night, Griffiths is this year’s national program winner for her commitment to leading with purpose, working towards greater sustainability and transforming the consumer landscape.

“In a niche industry where innovative technology doesn’t typically come top of mind, Griffiths has successfully created a mission-driven brand that champions product innovation and sustainability, all while celebrating body positivity and prioritizing comfort,” says Paula Smith, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Canada Program Director. “As a market disruptor and successful entrepreneur, she is paving the way for the next generation of human-centric brands by shining a light on the real day-to-day challenges faced by their customer base and responding with ground-breaking products.”

Knix is connecting with real and diverse people and pushing boundaries in the market through inspiring campaigns featuring matters like fertility and the postpartum experience. By driving conversations around typically stigmatized topics, the brand is successfully creating much-needed awareness and acceptance, while promoting a community-first approach to business. Knix’s success recently led the company to expand into new categories with leakproof products that span underwear, swim, lounge, activewear and more. 

“We’re so grateful at Knix to EY for this incredible honour and to Canada for not only embracing the idea of leak-proof underwear, but for welcoming a brand that looked different. We could never have done it without them and our community,” shares Griffiths. “We’re a company that focuses on impact and one that celebrates people for who they truly were. In a world that profits from society's self-doubt, we at Knix believe that the most aspirational thing is to love yourself exactly as you are.”

At the virtual award ceremony hosted by Canadian journalist Amanda Lang last night, Griffiths shared the virtual spotlight with nine other entrepreneurs from across Canada who were recognized as EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2022 National Award Winners for their unstoppable achievements that demonstrate strong leadership, bold innovation and creative industry solutions. Up next, Griffiths will represent Canada on the global stage to compete against 60 other country winners for the title of EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ this summer in Monaco.

The EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ North America Class of 2022 and the EY Entrepreneurs Access Network Class of 2022 were also recognized, including nine Canadian entrepreneurs in the latter. The EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ program identifies high-potential women entrepreneurs in Canada and the US and provides them with the network access, advisors and resources needed to help scale their companies and help them achieve their full potential as market-leading innovators. The EY Entrepreneurs Access Network aims to support marginalized communities such as Black, Latino and Indigenous entrepreneurs through seven tried-and-tested drivers of growth: people, technology, operations, customer, finance, transactions and risk.

Both these programs coupled with EY Entrepreneur Of The Year are part of the firm’s 28-year-long commitment to supporting entrepreneurship for all in Canada at every stage of the growth journey.

EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ North America Class of 2022.

EY Entrepreneurs Access Network Class of 2022.