Saskatoon’s most promising Indigenous entrepreneurs are ready to accelerate their growth thanks to SREDA’s SOAR kihiw paskîyâkêwin Indigenous Entrepreneurship Competition presented by PIC Group. SOAR concluded last night with a Pitch Finale and cultural celebration held at Prairieland Park. There, the top five finalists pitched their businesses to a panel of expert judges, with $30,000 in prize money awarded. Finalists also received a special gift – an artistic print by Saskatchewan Metis artist Phyllis Poitras-Jarrett.
Open to majority Indigenous-owned businesses in the Saskatoon Region, SOAR received many applications this year from entrepreneurs representing a wide range of industries. From the applications, a top 10 was selected for the Semi-Finalist Pitch Round, where each entrepreneur participated in a ‘How to Pitch’ session . After sharpening their pitch skills, the top five finalists were selected to advance to the next round.
At the Pitch Finale, the top five finalists were given five minutes to present their business idea, progress so far and plans for growth. All five impressed the judging panel, with Daniel Belhumeur founder of Deadly Dan Sauces taking home the top prize of $10,000.
Congratulations to the SOAR Finalists:
Daniel Belhumeur, Deadly Dan Sauces
Prize: $10,000
Ryan Thomas, Indigenize Tech Information Technology Solutions
Prize: $7,500
Connor Campbell-Webber and Scott McIntyre, XUSI Clothing & Screen-Printing
Prize: $5,000
Candice Evans-Waite, The Local Adventure Co.
Prize: $3,750
Bradon Eagle, Redeagle Plumbing and Heating INC
Prize: $3,750