Awa Bissap Corp’s juices won over the jury of the Fosse aux lions

Awa Soumbounou, the owner of Awa Bissap, won the 12th Fosse aux lions (Lions’ Den) on April 24, beating three other entrepreneurs: Jacinthe Blais of Nénuphar, Joel Bisson of Arc and Fire Manufacturing, and Fatima Thiam of Fa Allure. 

Although Awa Soumbounou admits that she was “nervous” on the evening of the Lions’ Den final at the Théâtre Cercle Molière, this did not prevent her from giving a performance that convinced the jury. As she says herself, “I’m proud of my products, I believe in them, and I know that no one knows them better than I do. So it was easy to overcome my stress in the end.” 

And for good reason: the exotic fruit and flower juices offered by the company Awa Bissap Corp., the Senegalese native has been perfecting them since the age of seven! “It was my mother who taught me back home. When I came to Canada in 2013 for my studies, I prepared some, and people really appreciated them.” 

She now estimates that 90% of the people who taste her juices buy them. Awa Soumbounou offers five flavours brought back from Senegal: red hibiscus—bissap in Senegal, the national drink; hence the name Awa Bissap—white hibiscus, tamarind, ginger, and baobab. 

Her journey as an entrepreneur

She says it herself: “I was born an entrepreneur. I’ve always loved entrepreneurship. When I was a little girl, I was already setting up small businesses, and I really liked it. My whole maternal family, my mother, my uncles, and my aunts are entrepreneurs. My father is also a businessman. » 

So, it’s no surprise that she decided to dive into the entrepreneurial adventure, but not on a whim! “I’d been thinking about it for a long time, but I wanted to finish my studies first. Then, I wanted to work a bit. Finally, as I saw that my juices continued to please and that I had the support of my husband and in-laws, I felt ready to go for it in January 2023. ” 

CDEM’s support

Once she had made up her mind, Awa Soumbounou didn’t wait to seek advice from Joel Lemoine, Director of Business Support at CDEM. “I didn’t know what I needed to get started, what documents I needed, like my Food Handling Certificate. Joel helped me with all of that. “ 

It must be said that the young woman was already familiar with CDEM, and CDEM was already familiar with her products.  Between 2015 and 2016, Louis Allain, the former executive director of CDEM, had tasted them, he really liked them, and he had offered to support me in this project. But I was a student at the time. I wasn’t ready. “ 

Awa Soumbounou also appreciated CDEM’s support for the Lion’s Den. “Like the other three finalists, I had several meetings with CDEM to see where I was at. They guided me and gave me advice. It really helped me. It was effective support, as Awa Bissap won the hearts of the jury and won the grand prize of $15,000. 

A head full of projects

What to do with $15,000? There is no shortage of ideas for Awa Soumbounou. “It’s going to be so busy, especially this summer with all the markets, that I’ve already started the process of hiring someone.” 

She wants to develop her marketing, in particular by creating a more professional website with the help of an expert. She also wants to find a place to set up her own professional kitchen rather than using a community commercial kitchen as it is today. “It would allow me to have access to it whenever I want and leave all my equipment there,” she explains. 

And she’s going to need some equipment. “I’d like to get into supermarkets in three years’ time, and for that, I have to be prepared. In particular, I want to take training and buy equipment, such as blenders and machines to fill bottles in large quantities and fridges and freezers to store them. Today, I make about 210 bottles in a day. The machine will be able to fill 350 in less than an hour! ” 

In addition, Awa Soumbounou plans to launch a new product this summer: popsicles flavoured with her juices. “I also need a special machine to make them.” 

Finally, the winner will use a portion of her prize money to purchase or import large quantities of raw materials, bottles, and labels. 

To find Awa Bissap products, visit the www.awabissap.com