Success Stories
From start-up to growth, every business is unique
When one Indigenous entrepreneur wins, that is a win for their family, community, nation and Vancouver Island as a whole.
Celebrating our Clients’ successes
Behind every successful business is a great story and no two entrepreneurial journeys are the same. What’s it take to turn your dream into a reality? Read these success stories to find out.
Bright Smile Clear Skin – Melida Gus
Fashion, Health & Wellness | Brentwood Bay, BC
Melida finds her strength and drive after losing her mother and brother. Melida’s goal is to build a business that acknowledges those that are forgotten. …
Lone Cone Hostel & Campground/Lone Cone Trail, Tofino Wilderness Resort & Ahous Adventures – Maaqtusiis Hahoulthee Stewardship Society (MHSS)
Accommodations, First Nation, Tourism | Tofino, BC
Maaqtusiis Hahoulthee Stewardship Society (MHSS) is a ‘hereditary’ run entity that is in control of Economic Development for Ahousaht First …
Pearson Tire – Justine & Curtis Schmidt
Automotive and Mechanical, First Nation | Port Alberni, BC
Curtis and Justine Schmidt proudly own and operate their family business which has been passed on from 2 generations. Curtis has worked in the shop since …
Naas Foods – Stephen Dennis
First Nation, Fishing, Food & Drink | Tofino, BC
Stevie Dennis from Ahousaht, BC. Is a naturally grown entrepreneur. He watched his parents build and succeed in their businesses. He got the business …
Bare Bones Fish House and Smokery – Lance Dodding & Vishal Dewli
First Nation, Food & Drink | Port Alberni, BC
Business partners Lance and Vishal, offer ‘upscale casual dining,’ a different genre of the restaurant business. Discover a culinary haven at Bare Bones, a …
R Barker Contracting – Ryan Barker
Construction, First Nation | Port Alberni, BC
Ryan Barker Ryan started as a first-year apprentice at Camosun College then moved his way up to complete his 4th year and obtain his Red Seal at Vancouver …
Primal Sisters – Tamara Wensley
Food & Drink, Retail | Errington, BC
Tamara Wensley, Metis, grew up with her family in Errington, BC. She started the business, Primal Sisters, with her sister back in 2015. The business was …
Gulf Island Seaplanes – Alison and Sean Evans
Tourism | Gabriola, British Columbia
Sean spent many years as a pilot on the West Coast as a pilot for Tofino Air. They started their business in 2014 after buying Tofino Air’s …
SignAge Canada – Roger McKinnon
Professional Services, Retail
Roger says he got his business sense from his father and 3 uncles who owned McKinnon’s Dairy in Port Alberni. Roger went to Malaspina College and the brand …
BC Cannabis Inc – Dr. Michelle Corfield
Health & Wellness, Indigenous Woman Entrepreneur, Retail | Nanaimo, British Columbia
They are ‘growers.’ Michelle has been on this journey since about 2019. And then the pandemic hit! And that sunk everything for a couple of years which …
Chims Motel – Naomi & Edmond Nicholson
Accommodations, Indigenous Woman Entrepreneur, Tourism | Port Alberni, British Columbia
“Čims” means ‘Bear’ in the Nuu-chah-nulth Barkley dialect. To help guests pronounce and spell the word, they added “h” to spell “Chims.” Naomi …
West Coast Wildflowers by Alissa Assu
Fashion, Health & Wellness, Indigenous Woman Entrepreneur | Campbell River, BC
Alissa Assu was born in Prince Rupert, BC and raised by her grandmother Emma Derrick from Wet’suwet’en First Nation and her grampa Robert Derrick from the …
The Cottage and Castle – Christina Kemp
Accommodations, Indigenous Woman Entrepreneur, Tourism | Chemainus, British Columbia
Christina Kemp from Witset, BC (formerly Moricetown a Wet’suwet’en Village) started her business, The Cottage and Castle in 2020 in Chemainus, BC. She …
HFN Group of Businesses
First Nation
The HFN Group of Businesses is building economic self-determination for the Huu-ay-aht First Nation on the west coast of Vancouver Island with robust …
Jaiden George Photography
Professional Services
Jaiden George is a photographer, writer and future Hereditary Chief from the Ahousaht First Nation. With support from NEDC, he has taken his freelance …
Care Dental Hygiene
Professional Services | Campbell River
It’s unclear how many of the 31,000 dental hygienists in Canada are Indigenous. The figures are not readily available. But becoming a dental hygienist was …
Bigfoot Donuts
Food & Drink, Tourism | Courtenay
We wanted to create a more fulfilling future for ourselves, with a fun, community-oriented gathering place built around a childhood favourite, the humble donut.
Liquid Gold Hot Sauce
Food & Drink | Tofino
Matt Grapko, a member of the KENHTEKE KANYEN’KEHÁ:KA (Mohawks Bay of Quinte) established 1Man2Pans Meditati Inc (Meditati is latin for imagine) operating …
Billybeauty
Retail | Port Alberni
Natasha started Billybeauty MKTG with the help of her husband, Bill Dennis, in August of 2020. The couple is from Tseshaht & Ahousaht First Nations, …
Action Packed Charters
Tourism | Port Alberni
Introducing Action Packed Charters, established in 2016, owned by Carla Halvorsen (First Nation Name: Hoolth upii – which means “the calm before the storm” …