Soundhouse Studios - dancing to a new beat

"Vancity has been a great resource for me and I now see how my account there directly helps entrepreneurs just like me." -- Karen Parusel, co-owner of Soundhouse Studios

For Karen Parusel, building a community was the most important aspect when she and her boyfriend ‘Pher’ opened Soundhouse Studios, a recording space in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood. As musicians, they saw a lack of clean, creative space in Vancouver and wanted to design a place that inspired creativity and community.

To help with start-up costs, Karen received a Vancity microloan. She says, “Vancity has been a great resource for me and I now see how my account there directly helps entrepreneurs just like me.”

As a female entrepreneur, Karen has faced specific challenges breaking into what has traditionally been a male-dominated industry. From learning about soundproofing to negotiating a lease, Karen has had to assert herself on many occasions. “This all started as a little grain of an idea that exploded because we were persistent. We were driven to provide something better than what was out there,” she says. “I never thought of myself as a business person before this. We literally built the business from the ground up, and I am grateful for all the help we have received.”