Kristiana Musta
Founder of Laboterra Cosmetics
When Kristiana Musta first arrived in Canada, she was juggling full-time studies as an international student and a big idea: a sustainable skincare brand inspired by her pharmaceutical background and her love of natural beauty.
But entrepreneurship was new territory for her. No one in her family had ever owned a business, so she had no context for how to run one or where to begin. That changed when she was referred to Business in the Streets.
Kristiana was first accepted into the YCEO program, and later participated in Boot Camp in 2024. Through support from BITS, Kristiana was able to launch and grow Laboterra Cosmetics, a Toronto-based, environmentally conscious bath and body brand committed to handmade, vegan, and science-driven self-care.
Through BITS, Kristiana found more than just lessons in branding, marketing, and financials — she found accountability, community, and a reason to keep going. The weekly classes gave her the push she needed to show up, ask questions, and keep building her confidence. Through brainstorming with other entrepreneurs and getting real-time feedback, Kristiana not only learned how to pitch her business and manage her finances, she also started seeing herself differently.
“[BITS] made me learn more things about myself. It made me be more resourceful, to gain soft and hard skills as well. They make you realize how your business will work, how you will make all these dreams work for you... It felt more like an accountability program. It’s more like a family.”
One turning point came when she was invited to participate in a summer vendor market as part of the BITS x ILEO collaboration. Vendor markets often feel inaccessible to young entrepreneurs, as they typically have expensive participation fees. Being offered the opportunity to participate in this market free-of-charge through BITS provided her with invaluable experience and feedback: “I had my first in-person interactions with people...I got feedback, real-life feedback. Before that, I had literally no idea what people wanted or what they liked about my products. I was able to put what I learned into my business.”
Today, Laboterra is growing. Her products are featured in several Toronto stores, and she hopes to open her own production lab and expand her product line. “Every time someone chooses my product instead of a big box store, I think: that’s one less plastic bottle in the ocean. It's about how [my products] make people feel and what I’m contributing to the world.”
But the impact of BITS goes even deeper. “Even if my business is going to continue or not, I know that I gained [important] skills...I know how to start again from zero, from scratch. [And] this program is more than education. It’s a community that truly believes in you and wants to see you win. If you are ready to bet on yourself, they will meet you halfway.”
Kristiana’s journey from a curious child in a Greek cosmetics store to a confident Canadian business owner shows what’s possible with the right mix of passion, purpose, and support. With BITS in her corner, she’s not just building a business—she’s building a legacy.
Kristiana hasn’t just built a business, she’s built a future. And thanks to BITS, she’s not only creating skincare products, she’s creating impact, one jar at a time.