Deanna Burger (EMBA ’19)
Co-Founder, commUNITY Inc.
WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT, MY SON AND I MOVED in with my sister, her husband and their kids. One morning over breakfast, we were talking about how grateful we were to have the opportunities we have, and to be able to afford food and PPE and everything else we need. We decided to do something to help people who are not as fortunate. After a few phone calls, the three of us launched commUNITY Inc., which makes high-quality, affordable masks and PPE-related lifestyle products.
The business did so well that within the first month, we needed to find a professional large-scale manufacturer. I reached out to Rocca Morra Hodge (Director of Career Services for Rotman’s Executive MBA Programs), and Jennifer Hildebrandt (Director of Alumni Engagement), who connected me with several alumni involved in different areas of retail, manufacturing, etc. That’s how I met Tim Gu, a fellow graduate of the EMBA program who is a large-scale manufacturer with factories in Toronto and China. From that moment on, Tim and his team have been amazing strategic partners.
Throughout this pandemic, we have sought opportunities to help society navigate the crisis. We started by donating $1 from every item we sold to . To date, we’ve been able to provide hundreds of thousands of meals nationwide. We have also donated face masks to a Niagara-based food bank; supported mental health initiatives
