Editor’s Note: Since this profile was published, The Foundry Room has ceased operations and several customers have come forward alleging unpaid services. In comments to CTV News published April 30, 2025, Jody Semeret described it as a failed business that struggled through the pandemic and said she should have shut it down sooner.
Age 36
For owner and operator Jody Seremet, The Foundry Room is more than just a wedding venue — it’s a way to stay connected with the community.
“At the end of the day, we built The Foundry because there was a need in the city, but also it was a way to support our families and support charities,” says Seremet.
Seremet and her single mother left Trinidad and Tobago for Canada, living in Toronto before moving to Edmonton when Seremet was eight years old. They sometimes went days without eating and her mom worked as a janitor at Seremet’s school as a way to cover the fees.
“Coming as immigrants to a new country with no money, especially a country with winter — we don’t even know what winter is — it was quite a struggle. We weren’t living the dream life.”
Seremet and business partner Eva Tamayo have grown the Foundry Room to seven locations in Edmonton with plans to expand to Vancouver.
Giving back has continued to be one of Seremet’s top business goals, and each Christmas, she gathers her team to hand out supplies to the homeless.
“The Foundry wasn’t just meant to be a wedding venue. It definitely was a base for us to do other things with, and I feel like having grown up the way I did and having my mom keep me as humble as she was really made a huge difference.”
She built a successful business without forgetting her roots
This article appears in the November 2022 issue of Edify
