Cohort 7 has Launched
We are underway with the Fall 2022 Startup Bootcamp and our latest cohort is getting settled in. Read on while we introduce you to our fantastic entrepreneurs!
Big Cedar Music
Andy is a dedicated and thoughtful music educator with nearly two decades of experience working in a wide variety of settings. He has taught music and songwriting workshops in nearly every school across Yukon territory, as well as having experience working as a music clinician for several universities and colleges across Canada. His most recent endeavour, Big Cedar Music, is borne out of his passion for working with at-risk populations and providing long-term, sustainable access to music education in communities and spaces where no such opportunities exist. The goal of this company is to bring together vulnerable, under-served populations and passionate, highly trained artists, allowing kids, seniors, and community members to pursue and engage with music in collaborative ways that work for them!
Learn more here.
Caribou Woman Creations
Maria started Caribou Woman Creations because of her passion to revive, participate, share and demonstrate her work as a Dene Artisan. She has been teaching skill-building workshops for over 10 years and she continues to reconnect with her Athabaskan culture by learning, and sharing the traditional skills she revives. Her participation in the Bootcamp supports her in learning new ways to better her business and outreach.
Learn about her business here.
Elements Hair Studio and Day Spa
Ammanda started Elements Hair Studio and Day Spa because she loves to nurture, whether it is her guests, staff, or business. She loves the relationships she builds and she wants to support Yukoners in finding the same joy she has found in her career. Her 18 years of experience and over 25 certifications in esthetics show her passion for learning, and her participation in the Startup Bootcamp will continue to grow her skills!
Read more here
Food Action Hub
Joel was prompted to start the Food Action Hub after witnessing significant challenges in the local food production/distribution market, recognizing there is a lack of an overall food hub in Whitehorse, Yukon. He decided that he would be the one to establish an all-encompassing food hub in the Yukon. He has significant experience running a property management group of companies and a broad range of agricultural companies. Joel is joining the Bootcamp to get help determining direction and clarity as he prepares to launch this Hub.
Learn more about the Food Action Hub here!
Karaky Grocery
Basem didn’t initially plan to open a grocery store. He has extensive experience in business and investing, with a Master’s in accounting and business, and he saw the gap in accessing international foods in Whitehorse. Karaky Grocery houses a number of international cuisine, such as Japanese, European, South Asian, and Middle Eastern among others. Basem joined our Bootcamp to network and learn from mentors in the Yukon business community.
Learn more about Karaky Grocery here
Oliver-Beebe Customs
Connor, Vernon, and Mary-Jane bring a wide range of skills together to run their business, Oliver-Beebe Customs! With creative minds, welding skills, a Red Seal Journeyman Carpenter, and excellent organizational skills, this team is a part of the Bootcamp to help them focus their priorities and vision as they move their business forward. This family has a passion for the outdoors and customizing their toys and tools to fit the unique needs of the North. Oliver-Beebe Customs specializes in coming up with unique solutions to people’s unique needs.
Learn more about them here!
Rhizome
Émilie’s business Rhizome stems from her experiences as a student and teacher in the francophone public education system, and is reinforced by her doctoral research. It is an act of social justice for a non-stereotypical representation of minorities in school texts, primarily serving the needs of grades 4-6. Her collaborative business uses texts from Indigenous, racialized, and minority perspectives to fill the gap she’s identified. This is her first time stepping into the entrepreneurial world as academic, community, and school collaborators have urged her to ensure this solution she is crafting in her PhD research lives beyond her dissertation.
Learn more about it here!
Simply Significants
Sam started beading in 2009, making her eldest son a pair of mitts, and since then has made earrings, wristlets, moccasins, fur hats, vests, mukluks, hair clips, patches, and wraparounds. She started Simply Significants so she could be home with her children, initially selling earrings and moccasins. Since then, Sam’s business has grown into teaching workshops and completing custom orders! She loves seeing the pride in her workshop participants’ faces when they complete their first pair of moccasins.
Learn more here:
Sunrise Nutrition
Joline with Sunrise Nutrition decided to start this business because the current state of public registered dietitian services does not serve the needs of the Yukon. She loves to empower people in their health and her career as a Registered Dietitian has helped her fulfill this love! As part of the process to become a registered dietitian, Joline completed her internship at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine with a focus on rural, remote, and Indigenous communities. She has found many different ways to engage her clients and she is looking forward to gaining mentors, learning about marketing strategies, and how to make processes more efficient while being a part of the Bootcamp!
Learn more about Jolene here!