A new podcast transmitting from Yellowknife is tuning into stories of Indigenous entrepreneurs in the North.

Venture Out, produced by entrepreneur-support organization EntrepreNorth dropped its first episode on May 26.

The first two episodes, now available on all podcast platforms and on EntrepreNorth鈥檚 website feature Yellowknife-based Gwich鈥檌n jeweller Tania Larsson and Leena Evic, an Inuk businesswoman who founded the Piruvik Centre, a language and culture institute in Iqaluit.

鈥淚t鈥檚 sort of a play on the word 鈥榲enture鈥� which is another word for a business,鈥� said producer and host Xina Cowan, who is also a community manager with EntrepreNorth.

鈥淲e also think of it as entrepreneurs across the North taking a leap of faith and courageously heading out there and opening these businesses because they have the willingness and dream to do it. They鈥檙e doing something that maybe hasn鈥檛 been done before.鈥�

Travis Mercredi from Outland Sound Design is the show鈥檚 co-producer and audio engineer.

EntrepreNorth members planned the podcast for about two years and began producing the first episodes last fall.

鈥淲e have the privilege of working with incredible Indigenous entrepreneurs across the North who have compelling stories,鈥� Cowan said. 鈥淲henever we host a networking event and they have the opportunity to share their stories it鈥檚 always such a highlight and people are so inspired by what they鈥檙e doing. So we thought, why not create a podcast platform so more people can hear their stories, even people outside the North?鈥�

Cowan said she also hopes Venture Out can bring supportive currents to the airwaves for potential or budding business owners.

鈥淓ntrepreneurship in the North can be challenging and sometimes you can feel alone. It鈥檚 important to hear other peoples鈥� stories. And it鈥檚 important for people to hear what鈥檚 actually involved in building a business. It鈥檚 a very vulnerable thing to put a business forward, especially in a small community. It takes a lot of guts and courage.鈥�

READ MORE:

Photographer Jamie Stevenson and artist and Down to Earth gallery-owner Rosalind Mercredi are confirmed future guests on the program.

鈥淲e鈥檒l be growing the list. With time, I hope we can talk with entrepreneurs all across the circumpolar Arctic (as far away as) Alaska and Russia,鈥� said Cowan.

The producers aim to keep selection criteria broad for future episodes to include Indigenous business people of all ages and expertise.

鈥淭hey don鈥檛 have to be new business owners. For example, Rosalind Mercredi has been in business forever. We鈥檒l have folks who are new in business and folks who鈥檝e been doing it for a long time,鈥� Cowan said.

She added that listeners don鈥檛 have to be particularly business-oriented to appreciate the podcast.

鈥淲hat we hear are incredible stories of creative problem solving and growth and healing and joy. These are compelling human stories.鈥�

The first season will include 10 episodes, which will be released every three weeks.