ONSIDE Entrepreneur Spotlight: Cinthia Marques, Founder, Made With Love
Cinthia Marques, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is the founder of Made with Love, a home‑based bakery bringing authentic Brazilian desserts to the Halifax community. Specializing in brigadeiro-filled cakes, macaroons, and cupcakes, Cinthia combines her culinary heritage with creativity to introduce the flavors of Brazil to Canadian celebrations. By blending traditional recipes with innovative presentation, Made with Love by Cincho delights customers while sharing Cinthia’s passion for Brazilian culture and community connection.
The Impact
Inspiration, Community & Confidence
“Participating in ONSIDE events, like Radiant Voices, was an amazing experience. Listening to other women entrepreneurs share their journeys and challenges inspired me and helped me feel part of a larger community. Every event I attended taught me something new, and I found myself writing down ideas and thinking about ways I could adapt those lessons to my own business.
When I first started Made with Love by Cincho, I didn’t have business experience here in Canada—I was learning how to open a business, navigate permits, and understand the rules while managing language challenges. Connecting with other founders made me feel understood and motivated. Hearing their experiences reminded me that I was not alone, and that others had faced similar challenges and pushed through.
Being part of OnSide events helped me build confidence, learn from others, and feel inspired to keep growing my business.”
— Cinthia Marques
“Although I haven’t worked directly with ONSIDE, I attended the Radiante Voices conference at the Immigration Museum in Halifax, an experience that deeply marked my entrepreneurial journey. There, I met incredible women, heard stories that strengthened me, and left with insights that truly influenced my next steps.”
— Cinthia Marques
Empowering Women Entrepreneurs
Representation, Community & Inspiration
"To me, this reflects exactly why ONSIDE is so important: it creates spaces where women — especially immigrants like me — can see themselves represented, learn, connect, and believe that their dreams are possible. Even when the support isn’t direct, the impact is real. Having an agency dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs in Canada is essential, because it opens doors, builds community, and inspires courage. And in many ways, I was also touched by this movement."
— Cinthia Marques
