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About ThriveNorth

ThriveNorth empowers young people to start and grow businesses in Northern British Columbia. It provides emerging business owners aged 18-39 with resources, financing, mentoring and connections in their communities. It’s a joint initiative between Futurpreneur Canada, the Province of British Columbia, and Futurpreneur Foundation.

The ThriveNorth program has engaged over 5,000 people at local events across Northern BC. The program has provided training and support to over 400 individuals, 31 per cent of which are Indigenous youth, and created more than 113 jobs through ThriveNorth funded businesses.

For more information about ThriveNorth, visit the website: www.thrivenorth.ca

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2019 THRIVENORTH BUSINESS CHALLENGE WINNERS!

Best New Business (18-28): Cameron Bell, Farmer Cam’s Foods (Terrace) – $10,000

Best New Business (29-39): Lucy Sager, All Nations Driving Academy (Terrace) – $10,000

Best Growth Opportunity: Katrina Slorstad – Imperative Recycling (Fort St. James) – $10,000

People’s Choice Award: Brittany Kinahan – Halo Athletic Apparel (Terrace) – $5,000

ThriveNorth Business Challenge Announces Finalists

Local Competition Selects 12 Entrepreneurs to Compete for a Total of $35,000

Terrace, BC (April 18, 2019) – The ThriveNorth Business Challenge is in its fifth year and more than 65 young and aspiring entrepreneurs from across Northern British Columbia answered the open call to participate. Today, ThriveNorth is announcing the names of the 12 finalists who will compete in the final competition on May 7th in Terrace.  

The finalists are split into three categories that highlight overall business strategy and growth. This May, they will pitch their business idea to a live panel of judges for a chance to win up to $10,000 to fund their vision.

ThriveNorth is proud to announce the 2019 ThriveNorth Business Challenge Finalists:

  • Best New Business (18-28): a business at any stage prior to launch or, within their first 12 months in business, by an entrepreneur between the ages of 18 and 28 – $10,000
    • Charlie Broome – The Mutty Paw (Fort St. John)
    • Baljit Singh – Countryside Pizzeria (Dawson Creek)
    • Cameron Bell – Farmer Cam Foods (Terrace)
    • Riley McNeice – Not So Shaggy (Prince Rupert)

 

  • Best New Business (29-39): a business at any stage prior to launch, or within their first 12 months in business, by an entrepreneur between the ages of 29 and 39 – $10,000
    • Katy Peck – Canadian Acres (Charlie Lake)
    • Kristen Auger – Wâpikwanew Arts (Fort St. John)
    • Dannielle Young – Divine by Dannielle (Smithers)
    • Lucy Sager – All Nations Driving Academy (Terrace)

 

  • Best Growth Opportunity (18-39): a business currently in operations looking to expand through increased staff, new locations or new products and services – $10,000
    • Rachel Vowles – Mike 0 Farrier Company (Dawson Creek)
    • Devrey Crossley – Whole Wheat and Honey Café (Fort St. John)
    • Katrina Slorstad – Imperative Recycling (Fort St. James)
    • Brittany Kinahan – Halo Athletic Apparel (Terrace)

 

The objective of the ThriveNorth Business Challenge is to encourage and celebrate aspiring business owners across Northern BC. Finalists are selected from a pool of talent, with all semi-finalists having received support through online pitch training and one-on-one coaching from Futurpreneur Canada’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence. Those individuals who made it through to the final round will prepare over the next few weeks for the live pitch competition in front of a panel of judges and a live audience.

“Entrepreneurs are the backbone of local communities,” says Joanne Norris, ThriveNorth Project Manager. “It takes courage, grit, and perseverance to turn an idea into something real. We’re proud to support those that decide to take the leap.”

The Business Challenge Event

This year’s final event is being held at the REM Lee Theatre in Terrace on May 7 and will be hosted by Carolina de Ryk of CBC Daybreak North. The event will also be streamed on CFNR Radio, so people across BC can tune in to show support for the finalists.

In addition to the main categories, one finalist has the opportunity to win $5,000 in the People’s Choice Award. To cast your ballot, the public can vote online and in person:

  • Online voting is available on thrivenorth.ca (open now until noon on May 7th).
  • Vote in person by attending the event. In-person votes are worth five-times more!

Event Schedule

  • 5:00 – 5:55 PM Registration/Networking, featuring refreshments, local entertainment and an entrepreneur marketplace
  • 6:00 – 7:30 PM Business Pitching Finals & People’s Choice Award voting
  • 7:30 – 7:55 PM Refreshments/Intermission, featuring refreshments, local entertainment and an entrepreneur marketplace
  • 8:00 – 8:30 PM Final Awards Ceremony

Tickets are only $5 and can be purchased online here.

This year there will be food and entertainment including:

  • Band – The Counterfeit Saints
  • Free Beer Samples – Sherwood Mountain Brewhouse
  • Tasty Treats – Donna’s Kitchen

 

FINALISTS – 2019 THRIVENORTH BUSINESS CHALLENGE

Best Growth Opportunity

Rachel Vowles – Mile 0 Farrier Company (Dawson Creek) – Rachel and her spouse have been active equine enthusiasts their entire lives. From working on B.C.’s largest cattle ranches to competing with sport horses, they knew horses were always going to be a huge part of their lives. After completing their education in Advanced Farrier Science at KPU, they opened a horseshoeing company in Northern B.C. After a few short months, they realized the North had a need for their services, so they purchased their first home in Sunset Prairie, B.C. Rachel and her spouse hope to complete their certifications to become journeymen farriers and take on apprentices to continue supporting education in their trade.

 

Devrey Crossley – Whole Wheat and Honey Café (Fort St. John) – Devrey Crossley is passionate about food. She studied commerce, accounting and finance at university, but quickly realized that something was missing. She took over operations of Whole Wheat and Honey Cafe in September 2016, a venture which allows her to blend her skills with her desires in creative and challenging ways every day. Whole Wheat and Honey Cafe serves down-to-earth, locally sourced, homemade fare while supporting local musicians and artists. Within these walls, you’ll find cozy nooks and sunbeams to settle in with a hot drink or a glass of wine, smiling cooks and barista’s and delicious, wholesome comfort food. It is the beating heart of Fort St John.

 

Katrina Slorstad – Imperative Recycling (Fort St. James) – Katrina was born and raised in Fort St James and considers herself an “Eco-Warrior”. She has always had a deep appreciation for the environment. After high school, she started her own curbside recycling company. Eight years later, it is her full-time business and she is exploring the option of purchasing a local bottle depot. If she was to win the ThriveNorth Business Challenge, she would upgrade this building to begin accepting end-of-life electronics in addition to the beverage containers. She has learned that education is key when encouraging communities to recycle and she fully intends to launch an education campaign to promote all recycling options in this town.

 

Brittany Kinahan – Halo Athletic Apparel (Terrace) – Brittany Kinahan is the owner and creative brains behind Halo Athletic Apparel and Designs in Terrace, B.C. She and her team mix their love of sewing and high-end fabrics to create custom garments sized for real people rather than conforming to generic sizes. The company began as an Aerial Arts apparel side hustle in Victoria BC in 2013, and in 2017 blossomed into a full-time dream that has expanded to include sports bras, leggings, swimwear, maternity wear and more.

 

Best New Business (18-28)

 

Charlie Broome – The Mutty Paw (Fort St. John) – Charlie Broome has always had a love for animals since growing up on a cattle ranch, but dogs have a piece of her soul. Charlie has turned this passion into her full-time career. The Mutty Paw is the first and only mobile grooming company in Northeast BC, providing accessibility and affordability. The Mutty Paw also engages with other small businesses and non-profits to create new and unique experiences within the communities she visits. This is a rapidly growing business with so much room to expand, and her priority is in improving what already exists to ensure it continues to thrive.

 

Baljit Singh – Countryside Pizzeria (Dawson Creek) – Working in a kitchen and meeting new people is something Baljit always did in his free time. Working in restaurants in Canada gave him a platform to meet and serve people every day. Baljit turned that hobby into a profession and now, as he walks the streets of Dawson Creek, people recognize him for his amazing pizzas and donairs. Having this connection with his local community gives him the confidence to open his own small venture, a pizzeria, and serve people in one of the best places on Earth.

 

Cameron Bell – Farmer Cam Foods (Terrace) – After completing an Environmental Studies degree at UNBC, Cameron spent two years in local government and economic development before committing to a career in agriculture. He has worked with farms, social enterprises and urban agriculture consulting firms in BC and his home province of Ontario, returning to the Northwest last fall. Terrace provided the ideal confluence of agricultural, recreational and musical opportunities for Cam, who is starting Farmer Cam’s Foods this year. Farmer Cam’s Foods produces fresh vegetables for farmers market and wholesale customers in the region. With an entrepreneurial attitude and unbridled stoke, Cam looks forward to growing a business in the northwest.

 

Riley McNeice – Not So Shaggy (Prince Rupert) – Twenty-year-old Riley McNeice is Prince Rupert’s 2019 Young Entrepreneur of the Year and owner/operator of Not So Shaggy, the 2019 Rookie Business of the Year. Riley strives to make the community she has grown up in more dog-owner-friendly by offering services that can only be accessed in the next town over – 140km each way. She attended Western Dog Grooming School and is a certified dog groomer. Riley opened her grooming business and is now expanding into a dog boarding, daycare and training facility. Riley will be continuing her training this September at the West Coast Canine Academy to be an accredited dog trainer.

 

Best New Business (29-39)

 

Katy Peck – Canadian Acres (Charlie Lake) – Katy and Clay Peck own Canadian Acres, a 160-acre homestead. Katy holds an MBA and is a Permaculture Designer with a passion for gardening and caring for her animals. Clay has a Bachelors in Environmental Science, is a professional Agrologist who believes Regenerative Farming is the only way forward. They believe eating local and knowing where our food comes from is important now more than ever. Creating small-batch gourmet canned goods, wild forage skin care and raising beyond-organic produce and meats, they want to provide high quality, nutritious, delicious, locally sourced food, while teaching people how to grow and create their own.

 

Kristen Auger – Wâpikwanew Arts  (Fort St. John) – Kristy Auger is a nêhiyaw (Plains Cree) artist from Fort St. John. She is a member of the Bigstone Cree Nation (Wabasca, Alberta). Kristy has a Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Art from First Nations University in Regina and her work combines block printmaking with beadwork. Her love of the arts inspired her to create Wâpikwanew Arts. Wâpikwanew Arts will teach people about Indigenous arts, culture and languages. Her vision is to give people of all ages the tools they need to empower themselves through the creation of artwork. She wants people to feel pride in who they are and gain the self-confidence one needs to blossom.

 

Dannielle Young – Divine by Dannielle (Smithers) – Dannielle Young recently opened a holistic spa specializing in medical skin rejuvenation. She has 14 years of experience in the esthetics industry, working in a variety of spa environments from seven-star private yachts to high-end nail boutiques.  Through her life experiences, she feels that she has the knowledge and drive to make this a very beneficial spa to have in the North.

 

Lucy Sager – All Nations Driving Academy (Terrace) – Lucy has an extensive knowledge of Northwest British Columbia, along with over 20 years of experience living in and working with rural British Columbia First Nations communities. Lucy started All Nations Driving Academy, providing the education necessary for Class 5 drivers. Lucy stresses the importance of supporting First Nations communities through the process of owning and operating their very own local driving school. Working to further make a difference not only in the community but in the boardroom, Lucy earned her MBA from UNBC in 2013 and she currently resides in Terrace, British Columbia with her two sons.