Rural Entrepreneurship: A Community Building Tool with Abby Pond – April 22, 2021

For founders, a strong connection to one’s community can make all of the difference in finding success. Abby Pond, CEO of Queen of Cups Lingerie Inc., believes that healthy rural communities and strong local startup ecosystems go hand-in-hand.

Abby Pond is the founder and CEO of Queen of Cups Lingerie Inc., launched in 2016. She builds custom-fit lingerie for people that are as individual as the products she makes. She is a passionate community builder- one of the founders of Startup St. Stephen in 2017 and town councillor from 2014-2016. She is a board member of the St Stephen and Area Chamber of Commerce and Chair of Dialogue NB, helping to lead New Brunswick toward greater social cohesion. 

Her company completed the Summer Institute business accelerator program in 2019. She knows the rewards and challenges of starting and growing a business, because she is living the same experience and wants to make it easier for others around her. Her business was named Business of the Year by the St. Stephen Chamber of Commerce in 2019.

Creativity has been and continues to be a driving force in Abby’s life. She is a songwriter, musician, knitter, spinner, sewer, painter, and is always up for trying a new creative outlet. Abby is happiest when she is scheming strategically, drinking coffee and planning her next startup in her garden with her 10 year old and her menagerie of animals. 

“If you’re in a rural community, you need the people around you to support your business. You can’t thrive if your community isn’t thriving.”

On this week’s StartupWomen Podcast, sponsored by the Business Development Bank of Canada and Scotiabank, Abby discusses starting up a fashion venture in rural New Brunswick, empowering consumers through social responsibility, and the shortcomings of COVID-19 support for women founders.