Kwe-Biz

We were happy to be included in the #LadyBosses segment on APTN InFocus today! You can check out the story of Micky Colton, founder of Horse Sense Equine Guidance (Kwe-Biz cohort 2020), followed by an interview with Shyra Barberstock (Kwe-Biz Facilitator) talking about the Kwe-Biz program (see 37:50 in the video). If you are an Indigenous woman and considering starting your own business, we recommend watching the full show - there were some great Indigenous women entrepreneurs showcased and they provide some helpful advice to aspiring entrepreneurs! WE CAN Project at Queen's University

https://www.theglobeandmail.com//article-indigenous-growt/

Join Invest Ottawa, Export Development Canada - Exportation et développement Canada, RBC, and our very own Bree Jamieson-Holloway for a free workshop for Indige...nous entrepreneurs in Canada. This one-hour workshop will explore how to scale your business and access funding, with a special focus on programs available for Indigenous entrepreneurs and exporters. If your business is Indigenous-owned or led and you’re looking for tips and guidance on how to grow, we’d love to invite you to register for the April 22nd event. Further details and registration: https://www.investottawa.ca//indigenous-entrepreneurs-how/

CCAB’s Indigenous Women Entrepreneurship Fund is presented by LNG Canada with contributions from Hamilton Holmes and Social Awareness Group. Applications will ...open on Monday, April 19, 2021 at 1:00PM EST and close on Friday, April 30, 2021 at 4:00PM EST. Learn more and apply at https://www.ccab.com/iwef2021/

The Kwe-Biz Startup Accelerator is now full! We look forward to working with the new 2021 cohort. We will be working with 12 Indigenous women entrepreneurs in Ontario. For Indigenous women entrepreneurs who are interested in receiving support with your business, we are still accepting mentorship clients and we will also be launching a workshop series this summer. Visit the Kwe-Biz website for more info - https://kwebiz.ca/

Are you an Indigenous woman in Ontario interested in starting your own business? The Kwe-Biz Accelerator starts in May 2021 (and runs until August 2021) and we have 1 SPOT available (we'll have a cohort of 12 this year and we already have 11 confirmed!). If you are interested in joining this year's group of awesome Indigenous women entrepreneurs, please fill out the application online - https://kwebiz.ca/kwe-biz-startup-accelerator-application/.

Are you an Indigenous woman in Ontario interested in starting your own business? The Kwe-Biz Business Accelerator, May August 2021, is now accepting applications! There are 4 spots remaining. https://kwebiz.ca/kwe-biz-startup-accelerator-application/. #Indigenous #Startups #Business

Grant & mentorship opportunity for one Indigenous woman entrepreneur in Canada interested in starting a business in the food and beverage industry. Deadline for application submission and consideration - April 2, 2021. https://www.wearewomxn.ca//first-waw-grant-and-mentorship-

We are excited to share a new short video feature on Nookoom Learning, founded by Métis woman entrepreneur Candace Lloyd of Napanee, Ontario. Candace was part of the WE-CAN Project's Kwe-Biz program for Indigenous women entrepreneurs. Candace provides Métis cultural based teachings, and she is also a very talented artist! The Kwe-Biz cohort and facilitators have really enjoyed getting to know Candace over the past year and are proud of her many accomplishments. To view the st...ory of Nookoom Learning now, click on the image below. Video filming and production by Lot 48 Film Company https://bit.ly/30lxNJJ

The Canada United Small Business Relief Fund was established to help small businesses offset the cost of expenses to open safely or adopt digital technologies t...o move more of their business online. Successful applicants will receive a relief grant of up to $5,000. Applications Open: February 16, 2021 Learn more: https://occ.ca/canada-united-small-business-relief-fund/ via Ontario Chamber of Commerce

Today we would like to congratulate Pamela Devonshire and Lightning Spark Books on winning the Kwe-Biz Business Plan Competition!! Pam has won $500.00 towards her business (prize sponsored by Okwaho Equal Source). Pam has blown us all away by winning not just one, but TWO contestsshe was also the previous winner of the Kwe-Biz Business Pitch competition. We also congratulate all of the businesses that entered both Kwe-Biz business competitions. A lot of work goes into prepa...ring for a business pitch competition and especially in creating a full business plan. We look forward to continuing to support Indigenous women entrepreneurs in 2021. P.s. Thank you also to Norman Musengimana, Founder of BizSkills Academy, for judging the business plan competition! #Startups #Indigenous #KweBiz WE CAN Project at Queen's University

Congratulations to Pam Devonshire of Lightning Spark Books for winning the Kwe-Biz Business Pitch Competition 2020! Pam is an author with Mohawk, British, and Scottish ancestry. She writes books about significant Indigenous people and events to inspire and educate children with stories of courage, ingenuity and determination. Congrats Pam, we are so proud of you! Thank you to the judges who volunteered their time to listen to the business pitches of the Kwe-Biz 2020 cohort. ...Thank you also to all of the Indigenous women entrepreneurs who participated in the pitch competition. You did a great job and the judges enjoyed hearing about all of your businesses! The Kwe-Biz Business Pitch Competition was sponsored by Okwaho Equal Source and the top prize of $1,000.00 has been provided to Pam Devonshire to support her business. #Indigenous #Startups #pitchcompetition WE CAN Project at Queen's University

WE-CAN CLIENT PROFILE: Candace Lloyd of Napanee is a retired nurse and traditional knowledge holder of the Metis way of life. Her business, Nookoom Learning (me...aning learning grandmother’s way), offers cultural education for schools, community groups and organizations on what it means to be Metis. She is also a participant in the WE-CAN Project’s Kwe-Biz program for women entrepreneurs who identify as Indigenous. While most schools have now begun to teach students about Canada’s First Nations, there’s rarely a focus on Metis peoples, points out Candace, who is a teacher candidate in the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program (ATEP) at Queen’s University. Having learned first-hand from her grandmother about Metis culture and way of life including hunting, fishing, trapping, voyageuring, medicine making, crafting for clothing and more Candace feels compelled to share her knowledge with others. My vision is to be a catalyst for change, she explains. I want to reach beyond local schools and into our communities to show that we can work together, respect the land, make the most of what we have and come together to support one another as a community. Candace started her business five years ago but struggled with the typical small business centre approach to launching and growing her business. Most people just told me to go write a business plan, but that meant nothing to me, she says. I really had no idea where or how to start. A few months ago, Candace discovered Kwe-Biz, a 100% Indigenous business accelerator program for women supported by the WE CAN Project at Queen's University with funding from FedDev Ontario. Kwe-Biz has made a huge difference for me, she shares. The facilitators teach with a traditional knowledge-sharing approach and that’s what has helped me move forward in my business step-by-step. They answer my questions and have mentored me when I’m facing specific challenges. They follow up, because they really care. One of the aspects of Kwe-Biz that Candace has appreciated the most is learning how to value the programs and services she offers to her clients. Before my Kwe-Biz mentorship, I was giving away my time and knowledge for free, she says. While I still love to volunteer, I also recognize that my time and knowledge have value. Kwe-Biz has given me the confidence as an Indigenous woman and a traditional knowledge holder to recognize the worth of the services I offer. During her time with Kwe-Biz, Candance has obtained a business license, set up a business bank account, selected a business name, developed a logo and a web page, and acquired professional photos for her digital media platforms. I went from not knowing what I was capable of doing to realizing I have a great business and the skills to build the foundation for a strong future, she notes. Candace has since been approached by several new clients and is always looking for opportunities to share her traditional knowledge with individuals and groups of all ages. Her advice to someone who is considering applying for Kwe-Biz is simple: Do it. Don’t feel overwhelmed, just go in with an open mind. Get to know everyone and take it at your own pace. Learn everything you can from these amazing people and ask lots of questions. They’ll help guide you along the path every step of the way. Miigwetch, Candace we truly appreciate you sharing your story with us. To learn more about Nookum Learning, visit www.facebook.com/nookoomlearning. The Kwe-Biz program provides culturally aware mentorship, workshops and accelerator programs for women entrepreneurs who identify as Indigenous. It is funded by Queen's University with support from FedDev Ontario through the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy Ecosystem Fund. The program is delivered by Okwaho Equal Source, a 100% owned Indigenous company based on Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, and is led by Shyra and Rye Barberstock of Okwaho Equal Source. To learn more or get involved with Kwe-Biz visit https://kwebiz.ca/. To learn more about the WE CAN Project at Queen's University visit https://bit.ly/3o0XdXH. Photo by Jeannie Gane Photography

Thanks to Steve Mongeau from APTN for capturing this photo of Micky Colton (Horse Sense Equine Guidance) and Shyra Barberstock (Okwaho Equal Source and Kwe-Biz) on the day of the video shoot. It was a fun, memorable day! Thanks also to APTN reporter Annette Francis for the interview.