06/26/2026
We're excited to launch Community Futures South Fraser's Self-Employment Success Stories, a series celebrating the entrepreneurs who have built businesses through our Self-Employment Program.
Our first story features Megan te Boekhorst (they/she), founder of Thrive & Connect Community Consulting.
For Megan, thriving communities don't happen by accident.
"They're built through deep connection, collaboration, and a whole lot of shared purpose. Oh, and contagious joy. That part's non-negotiable."
Based in the Fraser Valley, Thrive & Connect partners with nonprofits, educational institutions, municipalities, and rural communities to help strengthen the work they do every day. Through project management, facilitation, and grant writing, Megan helps organizations move great ideas forward, build meaningful programs, and secure the funding they need to create lasting impact.
Over the past few years, Megan has helped organizations secure nearly $3 million in funding for community initiatives. But ask what they love most about their work, and the answer isn't measured in dollars.
"The work I love most is the relational side: helping organizations design programs that actually reflect the people they serve and creating spaces where people feel genuinely valued and connected."
Like many entrepreneurs, Megan's journey has included moments of uncertainty, exciting ideas, and the occasional voice of self-doubt. Looking back, they credit Teresa Pippus, who guided them through the Self-Employment Program, with helping them find clarity while never losing sight of their vision.
"Teresa is one of those rare people who can hold all of you at once, your potential, your blind spots, and your big ideas, and somehow help you sort out which is which."
Reflecting on the journey, Megan says one of the greatest gifts of starting a business was having someone in their corner.
"Starting a business is vulnerable. There are so many moments where self-doubt creeps in or you lose the thread of why you started in the first place. Having someone in your corner who believes in you, and who knows when to challenge you and when to remind you you're on the right track, makes an enormous difference."
Learn more about Thrive & Connect Community Consulting by visiting thriveandconnect.co.
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This story is part of Community Futures South Fraser's Self-Employment Success Stories, celebrating local entrepreneurs whose entrepreneurial journeys have been supported through the Self-Employment Program and the guidance of Teresa Pippus.
