Meet Rain Emily (Shi Yu) Zhang, RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards Excellence Finalist

Rain Emily (Shi Yu) Zhang is the Founder and CEO of Willowest, a leading supplier of premium hotel linens, furnishings, and commercial furniture. Her passion for craftsmanship began in a small town in China, where she learned fabric weaving, pattern cutting, and furniture making from her grandmother.

After college, Rain gained valuable experience in project management, marketing, and industrial design with Fluor Corporation and General Motors in Shanghai. At 31, she moved to Canada, identifying a need for high-quality, durable, and sustainable hotel linens, and created Willowest. 

Today, Willowest serves over 100 hotels across Canada, including boutique hotels, major chains, the Crown company, and corporations such as CBRE and Snapchat. Their offerings reflect a commitment to quality, innovation, and sustainability. Willowest focuses on empathy-driven innovation and sustainable practices to enhance customer experiences and operational efficiency.

Rain won the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Start-Up Award in 2012, the Innovation of the Year Award from World of Trade in Vancouver in 2023, the CAMSC Small Business of the Year Award in 2023, the ACCE Progress Award of the Year in 2024, and was a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2024.

I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur when… I discovered my passion for making furniture and working with textiles as a child. I realized I wanted to turn my skills and creativity into a business that could make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.

Entrepreneurship is made for me because… it allows me to blend my creative passions with my drive for problem-solving and innovation, turning challenges into opportunities that benefit both people and businesses.

The impact I hope to make through my work is… to create innovative products that positively impact the industry and improve the lives of those who use them. Additionally, I aim to foster a culture of inclusivity and diversity within the business community.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned on my entrepreneurial journey is… the importance of resilience and empathy — understanding others’ needs and being able to adapt and persevere through challenges is key to transformation and success.

The biggest risk I took that paid off was… investing time, personal savings, and resources into developing a new product blend during the 2008 recession, which ultimately established Willowest’s reputation for innovation and quality.

My biggest setback has been… navigating a different culture and industry as a new immigrant. I faced significant barriers and rejections when trying to introduce Willowest’s products to the hospitality sector due to a lack of historical records and industry recognition. Additionally, after our initial success in 2012, a major car accident in 2015 sidelined me for almost two years, creating new challenges when I returned in 2017.

I overcame it by… gaining deep insights through direct engagement with industry professionals, innovating to meet their needs, and building a reputation based on the quality and practicality of our products.

The best advice I’ve received as an entrepreneur was… “empathy makes you a better innovator.” Understanding the real needs of your customers can drive meaningful improvements and foster stronger connections.

I surprise people when I tell them… how much effort goes into creating and improving our products, and how personal experiences and passions drive my business decisions.

The future excites me because… There are endless possibilities for growth and innovation, and I am eager to continue contributing to a more inclusive and vibrant business community.

Connect with Rain on LinkedIn.