Nunavummiut who are just beginning their entrepreneurial journey will get paid to develop self-confidence and become business-minded this September through Small Economy Works.
The online training program's Nunavut chapter is set for Sept. 22-Dec. 12.
Participants learn marketing, how to write grant applications and how to turn their passion projects into profit. The information comes from founders of businesses who have done it all before.
Perks include a payment of $700 every second week, program-specific travel and up to three micro-credentials from the University of Toronto's School of Continuing Studies.
The Inspire Nunavut program has instructed 250 Nunavummiut in 21 communities since 2015, according to Small Economy Works.
Annie Oyakyoak, 23, from Cambridge Bay, enrolled in Inspire Nunavut's 12-week entrepreneurial leadership course last September, which helped her identify what business she wanted to launch. She got down to business after the course, rolling out Annie's Creative Seams. She sells handcrafted items on Facebook.
Inspire Nunavut walked Oyakyoak and other participants through selling fictional products and helping them navigate which grants businesses qualify for.
"It really gave me the confidence to start my own business and authentically be myself," Oyakyoak said.
Small Economy Works' programs in Nunavut are funded by the Kitikmeot Inuit Association with grants from places like the Ecosystem Fund, which supports LGBTQ entrepreneurs.
Susan Pryde, 61, who lives in Regina but is originally from Cambridge Bay, took the Inspire Nunavut program last year. Her business, Sew Your Story — Inuit Wall Hangings, has taken off, attracting customers from all over the world.
Pryde's 22-year-old daughter, Albanee Harden-Pryde, started by helping her mom navigate the online inquiries and, this year, began taking an course herself. Harden-Pryde got involved in a course specifically for queer youth, which had its last class on Aug. 29.
"As a queer person myself, it was amazing just to be with other queer Inuit, especially urban Inuit, that share that experience of not really feeling like you belong," Harden-Pryde said.
While she learned the same business lessons as her mother and Oyakyoak did, the LGBTQ-focused course was also aimed at overcoming self-worth challenges unique to the queer community. A trip to the Arsaniq Inuit Pride in Ottawa this summer was included as part of Harden-Pryde's class. While she's still working on her business idea, Harden-Pryde knows she wants to create a housing initiative for ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø communities.
"My aunties and my cousins in Gjoa Haven, they live in mould-infested houses, and everyone deserves to have a home — a home that's safe — and they deserve to have that security," Harden-Pryde said. "I think this program really helped me kind of flesh out my idea for housing initiatives that I wanted to start."
