Rok Cork

Elizabeth Roque is the founder and president of Rok Cork, a lifestyle brand of eco and sustainable fashion accessories. Elizabeth launched Rok Cork in 2013 after she was inspired on an annual family vacation back to her childhood home in Portugal. Seeing the potential to combine the natural beauty and sustainability of cork and turn it into something truly extraordinary, Rok Cork was born. Over the last two years, she has grown the business from an idea into an emerging brand which is turning heads in upscale boutiques across Canada and the U.S. Rok Cork is a reflection of Elizabeth’s love for her Portuguese heritage. Each piece she personally designs and ensures it is brought to life with cork that is only grown in Portugal and completed with subtle details drawn from her culture. Growing up with a father who was a trained cobbler, she has been mentored on ensuring products are not only produced to the highest quality, but are also made by skilled artisans. At the age of 70, her father continues to lend his expertise to Rok Cork and oversees quality. From an early age, Elizabeth has worked in manufacturing, logistics, hospitality and retail industries for several internally recognized brands. While new to the role of entrepreneurship, she has masterfully brought together the broad facets of her career and leapt whole-heartedly into successfully owning and running her own business. But it’s not all about creating beautiful handbags, she is also active in her community. Through Rok Cork, Elizabeth supports various environmental initiatives, Canadian Breast Cancer Fund, NEDIC, Children’s Hospital and Women’s shelters. Elizabeth lives in Toronto with her husband Paulo, their 2 daughters Patricia and Nicole and her 2 year old pug Winston.