THE JILLY BOX INC. CO-FOUNDER & CCO JILLIAN HARRIS EARNS
TWO MAJOR AWARDS FROM BCBUSINESS MAGAZINE & THE RETAIL COUNCIL OF CANADA
Harris Named One of BCBusiness Magazine’s 2026 Women of the Year
and Independent Retailer Ambassador of the Year
by The Retail Council of Canada
“Through visionary leadership, intentional innovation, and a clear commitment to lifting others as she grows, Jillian has created lasting positive change across the business landscape,” says The Jilly Box CEO Julia Freeman. “She has moved from audience to impact, and from personal success to creating opportunity for others and helped establish a model for modern entrepreneurship that’s rooted in both integrity and performance. Her work continues to generate meaningful economic opportunities for small and women-led businesses while demonstrating that influence, when paired with values, can be a powerful force for community impact.”
The Jilly Box, Inc. Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer Jillian Harris was named one of BCBusiness Magazine’s 2026 Women of the Year and the Retail Council of Canada’s Independent Retailer Ambassador of the Year this week at separate ceremonies in Toronto and Vancouver.
Kelowna-based entrepreneur, media personality and advocate for purpose-driven business was one of 23 women across BC to be recognized by BCBusiness Magazine as it held its annual Women of the Year award ceremony at the Terminal City Club in Vancouver. Harris was among three women bestowed with an Entrepreneurial Leadership award at the event alongside Jane Stoller, Glimmer Wine CEO and Co-Founder and Tina Lee, CEO of T&T Supermarket.
“This is a truly incredible honour that I share with my whole team at The Jilly Box and all women entrepreneurs who strive to make a difference in how they do business,” said Harris. “My sincere gratitude to BCBusiness Magazine for considering me for this award. It’s an honour to be included among such an amazing group of women who are leading the charge to create positive change in their communities across BC and beyond.”
Also earning awards at the ceremony were:
- Leaders Category: Tracy Medve, CEO of KF Aerospace, Tamara Vrooman, YVR President and CEO, Fiona Wilson, Chief Constable, Victoria Police Department, Charlotte Mitha, President and CEO, BC Hydro;
- Innovators Category: Stephani
e Simmons, Founder and Chief Quantum Officer, Photonic, Inc. and Melanie Bitner, Co-Founder and CMO, Fireswarm Solutions; - Changemakers Category: Verna Mendes, Director of Business Integration, BC RCMP, Heather Ray, Chief Transformation and People Officer, Mark Anthony Group, Jen Murtaugh, Co-Founder of Maturn, and Gillian Vandermeirsch, Director of Research, Development and Lab, Village Farms International;
- Diversity and Inclusion Champions Category: Jessie Williams, Dean of Indigenous Initiatives, Vancouver Community College, Nerissa Allen, Co-Founder and President, Black Business Association of BC, and Chantelle Krish, CEO of Big Sisters of Lower Mainland;
- Community Builders Category: Pennie George, Program Director and Founder, UBC Swift, Cindy Beedie, Executive Director, Beedie Foundation, Christina Brown, Board Director, 2025 Co-Chair of Pitch Finale Activation Committee and Chair of Strategic Engagement, The Forum, and Cara Gardner Morey, General Manager, Vancouver Goldeneyes;
- Rising Stars Category: Taylor Hui, Founder, Beautiful Foundation, Alexa Suter, CEO, Huha, and Anjali Dhaliwal, Founder of Gelee AI.
“Together, these women are shaping the systems B.C. relies on — running major institutions like BC Hydro and YVR, building global-facing companies from Vancouver, rethinking public safety and indigenous education and creating products and platforms that are quietly scaling far beyond the province,” said the magazine.
The previous night in Toronto, Harris was honoured with the Retail Council of Canada’s (RCC) Independent Retail Ambassador of the Year at the Excellence in Retailing Awards Gala at RCCSTORE26, Canada’s premier retail conference. The award recognizes an independent retailer whose vision, community commitment and entrepreneurial spirit exemplify the best of Canadian retail.
“What sets Harris apart as an entrepreneur is what she has done with her platform. In a retail environment where small and independent businesses face mounting pressure to find customers, cut through noise, and compete for shelf space, Harris has created an alternative,” stated a press release from the RCC.
“Jillian Harris has built something genuinely distinctive in retail,” says Kim Furlong, President and CEO of Retail Council of Canada. “At a time when independent entrepreneurs are navigating one of the most challenging market environments in recent memory, she has used her platform and her business to actively open doors for them. That kind of leadership is exactly what this award was created to recognize.”
In 2019, Harris co-founded The Jilly Box with Tyler Evans as part of a mission to champion small, values-led businesses, particularly those that are Canadian, women-owned, and led by founders from equity deserving communities. Each seasonal box is thoughtfully curated to elevate independent makers and connect them with a highly engaged national audience. In addition to championing small businesses, The Jilly Box contributes $40K quarterly to support causes that are meaningful to the brand and its community. This commitment ensures that each purchase generates direct, measurable impact beyond the product itself and reinforces Harris’ belief that business can be both profitable and purpose-led.
Earlier this spring, the Canadian B Corp-certified lifestyle brand celebrated a major milestone by reaching more than $1 million in donations made to local and national charities through its social impact initiatives over the past six years.
Harris’ ability to scale impact while maintaining authenticity and integrity has been recognized nationally before. In 2025, The Jilly Box was named one of Canada’s Top Growing Women-Led Companies and again in 2026 one of Canada’s Top Small and Medium Employers, reflecting not only strong business performance but also a commitment to building an inclusive, supportive workplace culture and leading with empathy and intention.
“Through visionary leadership, intentional innovation, and a clear commitment to lifting others as she grows, Jillian has created lasting positive change across the business landscape,” says The Jilly Box CEO Julia Freeman. “She has moved from audience to impact, and from personal success to creating opportunity for others and helped establish a model for modern entrepreneurship that’s rooted in both integrity and performance. Her work continues to generate meaningful economic opportunities for small and women-led businesses while demonstrating that influence, when paired with values, can be a powerful force for community impact.”
About The Jilly Box
The Jilly Box Inc. is a Canadian B Corp-certified lifestyle brand and direct-to-consumer marketplace co-founded by Jillian Harris and Tyler Evans in 2019. Launched as a quarterly subscription box, the brand has grown into a national platform supporting values-driven businesses through curated storytelling, community engagement and conscious commerce. The Jilly Box has supported more than 500 small businesses and donated more than $1 million to community organizations, with a focus on supporting women and families.
For more information or to join The Jilly Box Insiders Club, go to jillybox.com, and follow @thejillybox on Instagram.