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Email: info@friendlygorillas.com
The Benatshipama family immigrated to Canada in 1998, settling in Edmonton, Alberta. In 2005, one of the five brothers, Michel K. Benatshipama, purchased a 16-foot moving truck, officially marking the family’s entry into the moving, logistics and transportation industry and served the Edmonton and surrounding areas for many years.
In 2020, with just a $1,500 investment, our Visionary Founder & Managing Director, Louis Bena K. Benatshipama, launched The Friendly Gorillas Junk and Moving Company in Calgary, Alberta.
By 2025, we successfully repositioned our brand as Friendly Gorillas: Complete Move Management Solution. What started out of the need to provide for his young family and a survival side hustle during the Covid-19 Pandemic, has quickly become the flagship brand of the family group, THE BENATSHIPAMATM FAMILY INVESTMENT CORPORATION.
Louis Bena, a Congolese-Born, Canadian-Raised, is a dynamic, result-oriented, corporate executive and versatile entrepreneur with a rich background spanning several industries, including banking, payment technology, retail software, office products, security management, transportation to commodity trading and real estate investing.
A graduate of the Management Program from the School of Business at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta, Louis Bena began his career at Scotiabank and has since held leadership roles in both SMEs and major corporations.
As an accomplished professional, Louis has completed over $1,000,000 in professional development training across corporate sales, leadership, and internship programs with some of the world’s leading companies and training institutions. He is currently enrolled in executive education at the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary.
Recognized as a Compassionate and Elite Senior Care Expert, Louis is a Certified Relocation and Transition Specialist (CRTSTM certified), a discipline that support late life home transition, such as moving, downsizing or aging in place.
At the age of 29, Louis founded Global Axxess Trading Co., an international commodity exportation agency based in Edmonton, Alberta. Despite facing a significant setback when the company lost a $30,000,000 export contract, the experience became a pivotal point in his entrepreneurial journey. It’s the catalyst to his commitment to excellence.
In 2024, driven by a vision to create a complete homecare solution for seniors aging in place, Louis established Dignified Homecare: Senior Support Services. The agency is committed to delivering high-quality, in-home care that supports seniors in a dignified way. Its mission: A Dignified Life at Home— Happy Life. Longer Life.
As the flagship brand of The Benatshipama® Family Investment Corporation, Friendly Gorillas Management Company is a true Canadian success story—and we are proud of what we continue to build.
The Benatshipama family immigrated to Canada in 1998, settling in Edmonton, Alberta. In 2005, one of the five brothers, Michel K. Benatshipama, purchased a box truck, officially marking the family’s entry into the moving industry.
In 2020, with just a $1,500 investment, our Visionary Founder & Managing Director, Louis Bena K. Benatshipama, launched Friendly Gorillas Junk and Moving Company in Calgary, Alberta. Founded during the COVID-19 pandemic, the company was created to provide affordable relocation services and support Louis’s young family.
By 2023, we successfully repositioned our brand as:
Friendly Gorillas: Complete Moving Solutions.
