Earlier this year, Colum Connolly and Elizabeth Murphy were nominated for a Faces of Fusion award (recognizing young business owners who make Saint John, N.B. a better place to live, work and play). More recently, the married couple received a 2025 Canadian Business Excellence Award for Private Businesses, and Connolly was named a finalist for the 2025 Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards.

And it’s all due to the difference they’re making through their Saint John-based company, Bloom Funding. It’s a meaningful name for the business they launched in 2018, says Murphy. “It speaks to the growth we want to help our clients achieve. We also thought it was really fun to say. We added ‘Funding’ because securing funding is one of the main ways we support our clients.”

More specifically, they’re using scientific expertise and expert guidance to transform how small to medium-sized enterprises approach growth. “We’re creating a new model where businesses can thrive financially while making a meaningful difference in their communities and the world. When sustainability and innovation are viewed, not as burdens but as opportunities, when impact measurement becomes a tool for growth rather than just compliance, and when organizations have the resources and confidence to pursue both profit and purpose—that’s when real transformation happens. That’s why we exist,” said the pair in a written statement.

 

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