Aspiring Indigenous entrepreneurs are getting the chance to give their projects a boost thanks to an annual business competition hosted at the University of Saskatchewan.

The Indigenous Youth Idea Challenge run by the U of S branch of international organization Enactus takes place in January and February 2019. Applications are open for prospective Indigenous businesspeople ages 16 to 35.

“The premise of this competition was to help young entrepreneurs turn their business idea into a business opportunity,” U of S Enactus vice-president Leon Zhu said.

Applicants will get the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a panel of experts at the end of the challenge. The winner gets a $10,000 prize to help with startup costs for the proposed venture.

Last year’s winner was Michela Carriere’s Aski Hollistic Adventures, and a number of other well-known businesses are past winners. Companies including Neechie Gear, Bannock Express, Helen Oro Design Inc., Sweet Moon Photography, ShopIndig, SheNative and Neeched up Games were all listed by Enactus as past winners.

Applications for the next Indigenous Youth Idea Challenge are open until Dec. 28, 2018, and the form can be found online.

Published: December 10, 2018
https://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/indigenous-youth-idea-challenge-aims-to-promote-new-entrepreneurs