In the bustling textile landscape of Toronto, a story of entrepreneurial success emerged from an unlikely source: an engineer turned founder who drew inspiration from his mother’s work as a seamstress. Albert Chow, co-founder of Silk & Snow, has built a premium sleep and lifestyle brand that stands apart in a crowded market through its unwavering commitment to supply chain transparency and quality manufacturing.
The seeds of Silk & Snow were planted in Chow’s early life. As the child of immigrant parents—his mother a seamstress and his father a postal worker—he initially followed a traditional path, becoming an engineer and then a management consultant. But the entrepreneurial spark remained, waiting for the right moment to ignite.
Chow would find his co-founder in Kenneth Mo, a longtime friend from school. While choosing a co-founder you know well might seem counterintuitive, Chow notes that the deep trust they shared proved invaluable in the early days when the business was “just a hope and a dream.” Though they initially had similar operational mindsets and found themselves competing for the same roles, they eventually developed a strong division of labor: Mo focusing on operations, supply chain, fulfillment, and customer experience, while Chow handled technology, product design, and marketing.
That moment came when Chow and Mo discovered something unique about their hometown of Toronto: while much of North America’s textile industry had faded away, the mattress industry’s entire supply chain remained intact in their backyard. From textile manufacturing to foam and coil production, all the essential elements were local. This revelation, combined with Chow’s personal connection to the textile industry through his mother’s work, set the foundation for what would become Silk & Snow.
The company’s launch wasn’t without its challenges. When they started in 2017, they were “really late to the game” in the bed-in-a-box industry. But rather than rush to market, they took a methodical approach, launching their first product on Kickstarter. The campaign’s success surprised even them, revealing a customer base hungry for transparency and quality in an industry often lacking both.
What sets Silk & Snow apart isn’t just their products—it’s their philosophy. While many competitors focus on rapid scaling and cost-cutting, Chow and his team prioritized understanding every aspect of their supply chain. They made conscious decisions to work with local manufacturers and source the highest quality materials, even when easier alternatives were available. This commitment extended beyond mattresses to their entire product line, from bedding to furniture.
The company’s growth has been organic and deliberate. Unlike many startups that rush to secure venture capital, Silk & Snow never took outside funding. Chow attributes this approach to a healthy dose of fear—the kind that motivates rather than paralyzes. “Operating in fear is probably one of the most powerful motivators,” he reflects, noting how this mindset helped them make prudent decisions about growth and resource allocation.
This careful approach paid off. In early 2023, Silk & Snow was acquired by Sleep Country, Canada’s largest mattress retailer. The partnership made sense: while Silk & Snow had mastered digital retail and built a strong brand around premium home goods, Sleep Country offered extensive brick-and-mortar presence and deep industry relationships.
The company’s culture reflects its origins. Transparency isn’t just a marketing buzzword—it’s woven into the fabric of their operations. Early employees were “a little too honest,” Chow recalls with amusement, readily sharing detailed product information and even supplier lists with customers. Rather than discourage this behavior, they embraced it, making transparency and collaboration core company values.
For Chow, success in business is inseparable from personal fulfillment. “Everything is a job at the end of the day,” he notes, “but you still have a choice of what you want to do as a job. So hopefully you’re picking the one that you love the most.” This philosophy has helped him navigate the challenges of being both an entrepreneur and a father to two young children.
Looking back on his journey, Chow emphasizes the importance of staying true to one’s values. Despite numerous opportunities to cut corners or follow trends, Silk & Snow has maintained its commitment to quality and transparency. They’ve turned down opportunities to create products that didn’t align with their standards, even when they might have been profitable.
The story of Silk & Snow is more than just another startup success—it’s a testament to the power of patience, principle, and passion in business. In an era of rapid scaling and quick exits, Chow and his team have shown that sustainable growth built on genuine value creation can lead to lasting success. Their journey from a Kickstarter campaign to a successful acquisition while maintaining their core values offers valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Throughout the interview, Chow shared numerous insights about building a successful career and life. For those early in their careers, he emphasizes several key lessons:
First, pay careful attention to who you work for. The best leaders, Chow explains, are those rare individuals who can balance both your personal career development and the company’s needs. They should be genuinely invested in your growth while maintaining a clear view of business objectives. These relationships, though often temporary, can be transformative for your career.
Second, strategic timing of career risks emerges as a crucial lesson from Chow’s journey. Coming from an immigrant background where stability was prioritized—his mother wanted him to become a doctor, settling for engineering as “the next best thing”—Chow approached entrepreneurship methodically. He first built a foundation of security by establishing himself in a traditional career path, getting married, starting a family, and purchasing a home. “I had already gone down the path of de-risking everything in my life and ticking all those boxes,” he explains. This methodical approach meant that when he finally took the entrepreneurial leap, he did so from a position of relative security and strength.
Chow’s timing strategy extended beyond personal readiness to business execution. When launching Silk & Snow, despite being “really late to the game” in the bed-in-a-box industry, they used this timing to their advantage. They started with a Kickstarter campaign to validate demand before making significant inventory commitments, demonstrating how even “late” timing can be advantageous when paired with smart risk management. This approach continued throughout their growth, as they chose organic expansion over rapid scaling through venture capital, allowing them to maintain control over their destiny while managing risks effectively.
Third, corporate experience can be invaluable for entrepreneurs. Chow’s background in engineering and management consulting gave him crucial insights into how large organizations function—knowledge that proved essential as Silk & Snow grew and required more sophisticated operational structures.
Fourth, hard work and perseverance through adversity are fundamental values that Chow learned from his parents and now hopes to instill in his own children. However, he acknowledges that teaching these values to the next generation is becoming increasingly challenging in today’s environment.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, pursue work you’re genuinely passionate about. As Chow notes, your career will occupy 60-70% of your life—it should be something you love. This passion shouldn’t just be about the end product but about the entire process, including the problems you’re solving and the people you’re working with.
The power of these principles is evident in Silk & Snow’s success story. As the company continues to evolve, Chow’s journey serves as a reminder that business achievement doesn’t require sacrificing personal values. Sometimes, it’s precisely those principles—combined with patience, persistence, and passion—that create the foundation for lasting success.
His story also demonstrates that career success isn’t just about individual achievement—it’s about building something meaningful while staying true to your values and creating positive impact for others. Whether through providing quality products, maintaining ethical supply chains, or creating opportunities for team members, true success comes from aligning personal passion with broader purpose.
Click here to listen to the full interview with Albert Chow