EntrepreNorth

Are you a Yukon Artist between the ages of 18-35 who wants to turn your creative practice into a business? Apply now for our 2-day virtual workshop in partnership with the Yukon First Nations Culture and Tourism Association! https://www.entreprenorth.ca/ideation-workshops.html... Deadline to apply: Thursday, April 15, 2021

Meet Bradley Thom (Fort Providence): the Pitch Winner of our latest Community Ideation Workshop! He's just launched a Go Fund Me for his brand-new business: "Hi, I'm Bradley and I am the owner of Green Tree Recycling & Holdings. I am one part of the recycling team when it comes to bottle depot operations in my community. Other team members include Lee Thom and Melody Rasmussen. We are hoping to add more to the team soon. The bottle depot is the heart and start of Green Tree ...Recycling & Holdings’ ambitious waste management initiatives. We want to help reduce the amount of recyclable objects being thrown away. Recyclables, cardboard, compost, you name it - if it can be recycled, it should. We have many goals, like starting a mobile recycling service, applying for a lot to host recycling dumpsters, and starting a tradition of giving our customers bottle depot calendar fridge magnets every year. Our most urgent and important goal for us as a team to replace the old bottle depot shed because it has asbestos. Today, we are hoping to have 250 people donate $20 to help us fundraise equity for a loan, and then we will apply for a matching grant to make this all happen. Disposing of a building with asbestos is expensive. Getting a new shed is something that must be done and this fundraising initiative has the potential to help us realize that goal much sooner than anticipated. Here is a link to a Go Fund Me :gf.me/u/zpqdvz Have a great day!" *Photo of bottle depot and Green Tree Recycling & Holdings provided by Bradley*

Cohort member Dorathy Wright of Willow Crescent Quilting not only makes beautiful products - she’s also a masterful teacher and offers workshops in communities across the NWT! Recently, she worked with a group of women and girls in Colville Lake and taught them how to make their own parkas. One participant even made two. Dorathy’s teaching is a key part of her service offerings. It inspires community and capacity building, allows her travel, and keeps her connected to her Gwichin culture. Plus, she’s keeping folks warm and stylish!

"McLeod drafts and sews the dresses. She hires other Indigenous artists in the North to help her with jewellery and accessories, including Dene artist Vashti Etzel, Tlingit and Tutchone artist Kaylyn Baker, and her sister, Shawna. Being able to share the designs with other women has made the experience more meaningful, McLeod says." It's inspiring to witness three of our Cohort members collaborate and support one another's work. Congratulations, Robyn!

Rose said she was nervous to buy the business during the COVID-19 pandemic, but her worries subsided as support began to pour in from outlying Dene and Métis communities.

In January 2018, EntrepreNorth officially took flight after many months of listening, unpacking, and strategic planning. We 'opened for business' with a mixture of excitement and wonder, knowing how much work lay ahead of us. Since then we've had the privilege of walking alongside many Northern entrepreneurs who are passionate about paving new economic pathways that lead to community well-being. Our beloved Advisory Team has been with us every step of the way and we're eter...nally grateful for their sage advice and commitment to success. Their continued support elevates our impact in immeasurable ways. Math'ieya, Steve, Leena, Andrew, and Denise: Thank you for always pointing us in the right direction! Here's to the next 3 years.

Yellowknife: Check out this incredible sale from local business Beb(a)ski and Cohort 1 Alum Aurora Heat!

Last week, we introduced you to Cohort Entrepreneur Papatsi. While developing her business, Papatsi is also enrolled in the full-time Aurniarvik program at - Pirurvik Centre. Aurniarvik is designed specifically for Inuit who have grown up speaking English and who are wanting to build proficiency in Inuktut. Courses in this program emphasize the skills of speaking, comprehension, reading and writing. Pirurvik is owned and operated by Leena Evic, who sits on our Advisor...y Team and has been an essential force behind our business programming. Leena just shared this photograph of Papatsi during an Aurniarvik activity. It's been very inspiring to watch Papatsi immerse herself in Northern entrepreneurship and Inuktut at the same time. She is building a business that centres Inuit values and reclaims narratives of pride, beauty and well-being. She is seeking out alternative ways to operate her fashion label and encouraging those around her to come along for the ride. Indigenous entrepreneurship is a heart-centred practice of reclamation, innovation, and community-building.

Dream jobs now open at Pirurvik Centre!

Meet Circumpolar Fashion entrepreneur Papatsi! Papatsi's passion for designing and creating wearable fashion suitable for the Arctic climate emerged at a young age. Papatsi learned basic garment construction by hand sewing clothing for her dolls, completing her first amauti (a woman’s baby-carrying parka) with a sewing machine at the age of ten. She has been creating garments ever since. In 2019, Papatsi completed a BA in Indigenous Studies at Trent University, before moving ...to Sisimiut, Greenland, to study at Knud Rasmussen Højskolia. She is currently a student in Aurniarvik, the Inuktitut Second Language Program for Inuit at Pirurvik Center in Iqaluit, Nunavut, where she is fulfilling her lifelong goal of learning her mother tongue. Her label, Papatsi, is committed to culture and continuity. Many Inuit women are master seamstresses because the lives of their ancestors depended on this vital skill for survival in the Arctic. Papatsi, which is rooted in Papatsi’s love for fashion, her Inuit culture, and community, celebrates Inuit as champions of Arctic fashion. Papatsi garments are thoughtfully designed and meticulously produced one-of-a-kind pieces made from sealskin, fur, and modern materials. In addition to being a full-time student and part-time seamstress, Papatsi is a mother to Angutitaasaaq. Her four-year-old son motivates her to lead by example and follow her dreams, including her dream of becoming a woman in business. Follow Papatsi on FB + IG: Papatsi Model: Itoah Scott-Enns of daà Strategies Model photography: Pat Kane

Are you looking for an exciting, meaningful job in Yellowknife? We're hiring! https://www.entreprenorth.ca/careers.html EntrepreNorth is seeking a self-motivated and dynamic Project Coordinator who is passionate about empowering entrepreneurs to develop their capacity as business owners and community leaders. ... Deadline to apply: January 15, 2021

As Inuit business owners and partners, we’re seeing increased opportunities for collaboration across borders for pan-Arctic economic development, said Liz Qaulluq Cravalho, IIBA provisional executive committee chair.