Brent Hughes is the founder of ABA Hughes, an architectural firm located in the Greater Toronto Area. In his years working in prestigious design firms he developed a fascination with how technology can be used to streamline processes and workflows. Now, as an entrepreneur, Hughes is working on ambitious projects designed to bring cutting-edge technology to the Canadian architecture market.
When it comes to business, Hughes has always been interested in the ‘how’. Early in his career, while working for established architectural firms, Hughes began to take note of which software programs were being used by both the firms he was working for, as well as the manufacturing companies they worked with to streamline processes. When he started his own company, the years of observation and learning paid off in a big way. “As a one man show in the beginning, I really needed to have that competitive edge,” he says. Developing smart systems and leveraging the latest technology allowed Hughes to maximize productivity while keeping operations lean. “We’ve really become a leader within the architecture community utilizing Building Information Modeling (BIM), which is a workflow that is still […] in the early stages of being adopted in North America, but [has] definitely proven itself in the European market,” says Hughes.
Inspired by what he was observing in the European market, Hughes has begun working on bringing the technologies being leveraged by architects and manufacturers overseas and making them accessible to Canadians. In particular, he is interested in helping manufacturers create digital twins. Put simply, these digital twins are virtual representations of real-world products that can then be used by architects and designers in virtual reality or augmented reality designs when planning projects or presenting concepts to clients.
Hughes was in the early stages of this project when he came across the Racialized and Indigenous Supports for Entrepreneurs (RAISE) program through a friend who forwarded him an email about the project. RAISE is a provincially-funded, comprehensive grant initiative that supports Indigenous, Black, and other racialized entrepreneurs in Ontario who are on the road to starting or scaling their businesses. In addition to grant funding, the program provides entrepreneurs with access to business development training, business coaching, and culturally responsive support services through a partnership with the Parkdale Centre for Innovation. Hughes jumped at the opportunity. “I’m a technologist, I’m a designer, but I’m not a very good salesperson,” notes Hughes. So, he was keen to connect with mentors who could help him navigate those areas of business he had less experience with.
Hughes put in his application and began working through the program. Although Hughes received funding, he says the opportunity to network and receive support and mentorship was the most valuable part of his RAISE experience. “I think one of the greatest tools that I had was the Digital Main Street business assessment. It would […] let you know how your business scores in terms of different aspects, whether it be marketing systems, business operations, e-commerce. Seeing that broken down into very clear objectives […] where you’re able to set goals and work towards achieving those goals. That’s been a big help,” says Hughes.
Having grown primarily through referrals and word-of-mouth, Hughes shared that one of the key gaps he identified through his assessment was the business’s online presence. Hughes says his Parkdale Centre program advisors helped him address this gap by “laying out a roadmap, showing me exactly what tools, what systems, [and] what resources might be available for me to take advantage of.” Today, Hughes is combining his skills as a technologist and designer with the learnings he gained from participating in the RAISE grant program to create a truly unique online platform that not only provides digital assets of manufacturers’ products but also hosts them on an e-commerce website for designers, architects and homeowners to leverage in their project planning.
Hughes says RAISE was instrumental in bringing this e-commerce project to life. “I think I’ve accomplished more in a semester of working with the grant program than [in] two years of […] brainstorming. […] I’m just really grateful that my friend sent me that link.” Hughes is just one example of the many innovative entrepreneurs the RAISE program supports as they work to create positive change in their industries.
