In early 2024 the team travelled to Akwesasne Territory to learn about daily life in Akwesasne and what entrepreneurship looks like in the community.

In this episode your hosts Andre Spence and Afaf Ghazi recount the team's experiences in the community. Hear from community leaders Jason Lazore and Troy Thompson about the challenges of living in a unique area. We had the opportunity to help develop multimedia skills for Camryn and Alden, a couple of Mohawk high school students.

While in Akwesasne we met with many entrepreneurs including lacrosse stick makers Lewis and Doreen Mitchell, Kelly Back, who turns beadwork into a business and a form of healing, and artist Kit Thomas, who discusses their work as a platform for Indigenous and LGBTQIA2S advocacy.

Funding support from ⁠⁠CEWIL Canada⁠⁠.

Supported by Futurpreneur

With institutional support from ⁠⁠Durham College⁠⁠.

Music by ⁠⁠Penguin Music⁠⁠.

Sometimes we just need a little push. Being successful is about taking that next step, but what is that next step?

We asked our interviewees what they would say to a young person trying to start out in the complicated world of business.

In episode three, Chris Schnedler and Afaf Ghazi go over the words of advice given by the entrepreneurs featured in Founders Drive Season Two, and also share some of the resources found along the way.

Hear from Zechariah James, Tamara Green, Brandon Nolan and Jenn Harper what they think new business owners should keep in mind before setting out. Each guest touches on different aspects of becoming a business owner, from financials to personal and professional connections.

Links:

https://www.ncct.on.ca/

https://3nolans.com/

https://tamaragreen.wixsite.com/indigenesis

https://www.cheekbonebeauty.com/

Funding support from ⁠⁠CEWIL Canada⁠⁠.

Supported by Futurpreneur

With institutional support from ⁠⁠Durham College⁠⁠.

Music by ⁠⁠Penguin Music⁠⁠.

Education is key! Which kinds of education leads to success? How do we learn? Though some might define success through money or individual accolades, the Indigenous entrepreneurs that we spoke with emphasize the importance of community and cultural education in a successful business.

In this episode, your hosts Navraj Sandhar and Megan Foster challenge the individualistic image often associated with entrepreneurship and explore how Indigenous entrepreneurship is driven by community various methods of communal and cultural education.

We hear from Jacob Crane again about creating spaces where Indigenous students can connect with elders, mentors and each other. We discuss how important it is to face challenges together, and how Indigenous businesses strive to bring their communities along for the ride.

We also take a look at Nav’s conversation with Brandon Nolan of 3Nolans, a hockey school designed for First Nations, Metis, and Inuit youth to develop skills and become leaders and role models, using education and community bonding as the foundation for what they do.

We met Zechariah James at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto and discussed ways to contribute to reconciliation and help foster self-sufficiency and economic empowerment for Indigenous communities to help create a sustainable cycle where success fuels more success.

Funding support from ⁠⁠CEWIL Canada⁠⁠.

Supported by Futurpreneur

With institutional support from ⁠⁠Durham College⁠⁠.

Music by ⁠⁠Penguin Music⁠⁠.

What does entrepreneurship look like? What does a successful entrepreneur do? The perception of entrepreneurship varies in different places with different people, including First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities.

In the Season 2 opener of Founders Drive, meet the new members of the team to hear about why we joined as well as what we learned about culture, tradition and innovation and how it ties to entrepreneurship from conversations with Indigenous entrepreneurs.

In this episode Megan Foster discusses her conversation with Jacob Crane, a program manager for Indigenous entrepreneurship at United College, about how Indigenous entrepreneurship is rooted in community values and the challenges faced by founders on reserves.

We also hear from Navraj Sandhar, who explores the culinary world of entrepreneurship with Tamara Green of Indigenesis, a personal chef who provides catering services using only pre-contact ingredients with a modern twist.

Andre Spence travelled to St. Catharines, Ontario to speak with Jenn Harper, the founder of Indigenous cosmetics brand Cheekbone Beauty, whose mission is to empower Indigenous youth and promote sustainability in the beauty industry.

Funding support from ⁠⁠CEWIL Canada⁠⁠.

Supported by Futurpreneur

With institutional support from ⁠⁠Durham College⁠⁠.

Music by ⁠⁠Penguin Music⁠⁠.

In this special bonus episode, Andrew Neary sits down with Anong Beam, an entrepreneur making natural paints with traditional methods she learned from her father on Manitoulin Island.

Originally set to air in an earlier episode, the Founders Drive team agreed this conversation needed to be heard in its entirety. So here it is, a conversation with Anong Beam.

Funding support from ⁠CEWIL Canada⁠.

Supported by Venture Development Institute.

With institutional support from ⁠Durham College⁠.

Music by ⁠Penguin Music⁠.

Success can mean many different things, from making a social impact to making millions.

In the last episode of season one, we learn what winning means for the entrepreneurs we met.

To Jenna McInnes and Ashley Moore of Bombshell Beauty Bar, success is doing what you love for a living - supporting women entrepreneurs and running a successful business at the age of 20.

Tia Grossett grew up dancing and loved every second of it, but when she reached the top, she stopped. Now, she's returned to her passion and turned it into a business she loves – Brickhouse Body was born.

Serial entrepreneur Kevin Shaw says business comes from "finding a problem that you can't help but solve, and fixing it." As a member of the sight loss community, Kevin started his first company solving the problem of accessible movie options before any of the major platforms - and that was just the beginning.

Funding support from CEWIL Canada.

Supported by Venture Development Institute.

With institutional support from Durham College.

Music by Penguin Music.

Getting over rejection isn’t easy, especially when it’s personal. Many of us have heard the word “no.” Sometimes from family, sometimes from friends, a bank, a landlord – or even ourselves.

In this episode, we hear from entrepreneurs who overcame their 'no's' to succeed. Frank Porco is a tattoo artist and owner of Against the Grain Tattoo Collective, a tattoo parlour in Whitby, Ont. Frank told himself 'no' for a long time, but he now runs one of the most successful shops in Durham Region.

Naa-Adei Laura Marmon is a fashion designer who creates pieces that pay tribute to her heritage. Naa-Adei's 'no' took her on a long journey away from her dream and down a dark path, until she started saying 'yes' and believing in herself.

Mary Jubran is a photographer, videographer, graphic designer, producer, and maker of soaps, candles, clothes, and trinkets - but her family said "No, you need to make something of yourself." Today, Mary's hard work paid off. She used her experience to land the job of her dreams while still freelancing as much as she wanted. Now, her family understands what she saw all along.

Funding support from CEWIL Canada.

Supported by Venture Development Institute.

With institutional support from Durham College.

Music by Penguin Music.

Yes, you can.

In this episode, we speak with six successful entrepreneurs who faced major obstacles to pursuing their dreams of starting a business: systemic discrimination, not being taken seriously as a young founder and disability.

Taylor Lindsay-Noel was on track for the Olympics when a career-ending injury got in her way. Today, her teas are among Oprah’s Favourites, and she's showing the world what an accessible life can be.

Glenda, Gladys and Heidy are the first women in Las Arrugas, Guatemala to go to post-secondary school – with no money to pay for it. Their solution: French fries.

Funding support from CEWIL Canada.

Supported by Venture Development Institute.

With institutional support from Durham College.

Music by Penguin Music.