Spinning Strength Into Success: 2024 RBC Excellence Award Winner Rain Emily Zhang Built a Hospitality Business From Generational Wisdom

By Khera Alexander

Some entrepreneurs set out to solve a problem. Some are skilled at identifying opportunities. For Rain Emily Zhang, her entrepreneurial journey is deeply rooted in the generational teachings and family values that were passed down.

“My grandmother told me that to make strong fabric, you must spin the yarn tightly. Without a spin, it’s not strong. I began to understand that the spin is like what we go through,” she says. “I did not fully understand at 16, but she taught me more than technique. She was teaching me about life.”

As the Founder and CEO of Willowest, an in-demand supplier of high-quality hotel linens and furnishings, her approach to business has been shaped by her drive, passion for craftsmanship, and dream of always running her own business.

“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I envisioned myself having an office [with] floor-to-ceiling windows, building something of my own,” she says.

Growing up in a small town in Northwestern China, Rain was raised by her grandmother, who was a pioneer in the modern textile industry. Teaching her fabric weaving, pattern cutting, and furniture making, Rain’s grandmother also instilled in her the importance of possessing strong customer service skills and delivering clients undeniable value. Imprisoned for 10 years due to political unrest, her grandmother’s life also instilled in Rain the importance of remaining disciplined, consistent, and courageous.

“She told me that even in the worst situations, people can force you to have your head down, but you can always keep your back straight,” she says. “That is your hope. That wisdom never left me.”

Immigrating to Canada with her two small children in 2005, Rain’s drive to build Willowest carried her through the many challenging and often isolating days she experienced as an immigrant and entrepreneur, getting acclimated to a new country and way of life.

From cold-calling every hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia, to flying across Canada for one meeting, to shadowing executive housekeepers and room attendants to understand how beds in hotels were made and why, Rain remained consistent in building Willowest, but it wasn’t easy. 

With zero connections in the Canadian hospitality industry, she had a difficult time establishing herself in an industry with longstanding ties to legacy companies.

“Every night, I went to bed surrounded by rejections. I’m an immigrant, and I was new to the industry,” Rain says. “Our competition was in the industry, 60 years, 70 years, 100 years. I kept telling myself just to try one more time.”

In 2008, two years after starting Willowest, things were about to change. As all industries were feeling the effects of the recession, Rain was thinking of an innovative product offering that could set her apart from the competition. Leveraging what her grandmother taught her, Rain created a cotton-polyester blend material to help hotels maintain their standards of luxury and durability while working within their tighter budgets.

“Five-star hotels were using 100% Egyptian cotton made in Italy, but they’re only good for 60 washes,” she says. “My new products were good for 150 washes, and they cost about 30% less. That moment changed everything. Our products were accepted by a large hotel chain and boutique hotels. That opened the door for me to access the hospitality industry.”

Once these hotels started working with Rain, word spread about Willowest, and it didn’t take long before she was having more success securing meetings, landing new clients, and making sales.

Today, Willowest services over 200 hotels across Canada, including leading hospitality brands such as Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt, as well as major commercial brands like CBRE and Snapchat. Following in her grandmother’s footsteps, Rain has transformed Willowest into a Canadian pioneer and expert in textiles, as well as furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FFE). Part of the business’s success and growth can be attributed to her commitment to her clients.

“Even today, I feel the same importance of working closely with front-line workers,” Rain says. “I still visit properties where our products are used and meet their teams, not just management. This is very important to me.”

Winning the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award in the Start-Up category in 2012 — a recognition for businesses that have existed for longer than three but fewer than five years — Rain joins an exclusive club of entrepreneurs who have won twice. 

Receiving the Excellence award in 2024 — a category for entrepreneurs who have run their businesses for more than 10 years with profits that exceed $25 million in revenue — Rain’s win is a testament to her vision and resiliency.

“This recognition permitted me to reflect and to be proud, not just for myself, but for the journey behind me. It means I can finally give myself some credit,” she says. 

“It also brought peace to my family, my parents, who once worried about my choice and my sacrifices. Professionally, it reinforced that doing business with care, integrity, and consistency matters. It’s not just about fast growth; it’s about building something meaningful and sustainable. It motivates me to keep going and pave the path for women, especially immigrant women and minority women.”