Venture Out

Meet Allison Kormendy: the owner of Wild Roots grew up in Dawson City, Yukon, a small Northern town of less than 1,500 people. She is Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in from her father’s side and Yupik from her mother’s.

One of Wild Roots’ main purposes is to bring First Nations Traditions and values to the forefront of wellbeing. To intertwine modern day sciences with traditional knowledge to create stronger individuals and therefore stronger communities. 

Through her small batch food and plant medicines, Allison is connecting to her culture and helping her community heal physically and spiritually through her business.

Follow Wild Roots 'Holistic Nutrition & Well-Being' on Facebook and Instagram

Venture Out's theme song is Fires Across the Tundra by Denendeh's Leela Gilday.

Meet Angela Code: a Sayisi Dene | Dënesųłıné hunter, hide tanner, land-based educator, filmmaker, and facilitator from Tadoule Lake - a remote northern community in Manitoba. 

Angela has lived in the Yukon for many years and this is where she operates her business, Dene Cha'niyé - Indigenous Cultural Contracting. Dene Cha'niyé is Dënesųłıné for “our code of ethics” or “our set of morals” or “our culture, our way of being and knowing.” Angela loves her culture and being out on the land, and through her business she creates opportunities for others - especially women - to find that love too. 

She offers workshops on ethical hunting and harvesting from a Dene perspective and she also instructs hide tanning, tool making, and the processing of wild meat. Colonization has stifled these practices in many communities, and gender politics impact access to land-based skill development for women. Angela is shifting this narrative in critical ways, and in her words "if women feel empowered with knowledge and skills, they will pass it onto their children and we will have a much more robust economy. Our communities will flourish." 

In this episode, you will also meet Sayisi Dene | Dënesųłıné land guardian and powerhouse Stephanie Thorassie, who is a relative and dear friend of Angela's and is the Executive Director of the Seal River Watershed Initiative, which has a goal to permanently protect the Seal River Watershed from industrial development as an Indigenous Protected Area (IPA). 

Follow Dene Cha'niyé on Instagram and Facebook 

Follow the Seal River Watershed Initiative on Facebook

Venture Out's theme song is Fires Across the Tundra by Denendeh's Leela Gilday.

Meet Jordan Peterson: A disruptor, systems thinker, and entrepreneur from Aklavik, Northwest Territories.

Jordan is the CEO of Affinity North: an Indigenous-owned consultancy dedicated to empowering communities and fostering sustainable growth. With a deep understanding of Indigenous culture and values, Affinity North specializes in negotiations, policy, governance, and strategic planning. By prioritizing cultural preservation, environmental stewardship, and economic prosperity, the consultancy develops tailor-made solutions that create lasting positive impacts.​

As a passionate advocate for Indigenous communities, Jordan has a strong background in leadership and negotiation. He has held significant roles, such as the elected Deputy Grand Chief/Vice President and Chief Negotiator of the Gwich'in Tribal Council, the Strategic Lead for Nation Building at Vuntut Gwitchin Government, and board member of various Indigenous organizations. In these roles, he has focused on advancing self-determination and fostering a new relationship with Canada.  

In this episode you will also meet beloved Elder Sarah Jerome from Fort McPherson, NWT. Sarah has spent her career leading the way in language and cultural preservation, and she is one of Jordan's greatest mentors. 

Follow Jordan and Affinity North on LinkedIn

Visit Affinity North's website

Meet Jennifer: An award-winning Inuk entrepreneur, hairstylist, and mother from Iqaluit, NU. 

Jenn is the Owner of Jenn 87 Hairstyling: Iqaluit's only Inuit-owned hair salon that offers clients a truly unique experience and sense of community. Jenn fell in love with hairstyling as a teenager and it's been her career passion ever since. Over the years, she's built a thriving business that models her cultural teachings and the values of respect and generosity that she was raised with.

The salon is a space where clients come to feel beautiful and to feel at home. Inuit art and traditional design elements take centre stage, and passers-by are always invited to pop in for a coffee. On occasion, there's even the opportunity to buy smoked fish and handmade jewellery from local sellers. Knowing that access to commercial space is a major barrier, Jenn also ensures that her building (which she proudly owns) is available to host local sewing groups and community workshops. 

In this episode you will also meet celebrated Inuk broadcaster and communications specialist, Joanna Awa. Joanna has been a devotee of Jenn's from the very beginning, and she deeply appreciates all the trailblazing work that Jenn has done for Inuit entrepreneurship across Nunavut. 

Follow Jenn87Hair 

​Venture Out's theme song is Fires Across the Tundra by Denendeh's Leela Gilday.

Meet Misty: An Intuitive Entrepreneur who is Dehcho Dene from Tthek'éhsehdélı̨ First Nation (Jean Marie River) in the Northwest Territories.

Misty is the Owner of Dene Roots, which promotes the power of Dene Science and offers products for those seeking deeper spiritual connections, balance, and wellbeing. For over 15 years she's been creating smokeless smudge sprays that can be used anywhere and blend traditional medicines like spruce root, juniper berry, and sage.

Misty is also a Reiki Master and Life Coach. Last year, she made the bold decision to combine her gifts and jump into entrepreneurship full-time. She hasn't looked back since and wants to encourage more Northerners to take the plunge. For Misty, entrepreneurship is a pathway to inspire community-level change that elevates our economies and our collective sense of wellbeing.

In this episode you will also meet Tłı̨chǫ changemaker Benjamin Scott, who is the Founding Project Director of EntrepreNorth. Ben and Misty are thought partners who have offered each other a lot of mutual support over the years, and Ben has been witnessing Misty's growth journey since her participation in EntrepreNorth's inaugural Land Crafted cohort.

Follow @deneroots

Visit deneroots.ca

This episode features Northern Love Affair by Digawolf. Venture Out's theme song is Fires Across the Tundra by Denendeh's Leela Gilday.

Meet Joella: A Northern Tutchone entrepreneur who connects people to culture and to land. She also happens to be an EntrepreNorth cohort alum and our first guest on S2 of Venture Out!

In 2012, Joella stepped into entrepreneurship and purchased an existing soap business in the Yukon. She named it The Yukon Soaps Company and turned it into a community-building, language-learning, earth-connecting hub in her home town of Mayo.

For Joella, entrepreneurship is a way to promote language ("if we don't use it, we're going to lose it") and uplift Indigenous young people in meaningful ways. She always starts by asking, 'what does the community need?' and takes it from there. Most recently, this has involved the launch of two new ventures: Raven's Landing and Dan K’ehte Natsedan - Learning Our People’s Way.

In this episode you will also meet Northern Tutchone changemaker Eileen Peter, who is Joella's right-hand woman and the Marketing & Social Media Manager at The Yukon Soaps Company.

Follow @yukonsoapscompany

Visit yukonsoaps.com

This episode features Brave Face by Diyet & the Love Soldiers. Venture Out's theme song is Fires Across the Tundra by Denendeh's Leela Gilday.

Meet Bobbi Rose: a Gwich'in tourism entrepreneur and certified paddling guide who bravely launched her business Dinjii Zhuh Adventures in the Spring of 2021.

Bobbi has a deep love for the land and people she comes from and is an active protector of the Peel Watershed. She's passionate about sharing this love with Indigenous communities, youth, and visitors whom she takes on customized paddling trips. Bobbi (an alum of our 2019-2020 Tourism Cohort) is also a natural leader who is supporting Indigenous youth to become certified guides and stewards of the land. This is her calling, and she's showing up for it wholeheartedly.

Follow Dinjii Zhuh Adventures on Facebook | @DinjiiZhuhAdventures

Follow Dinjii Zhuh Adventures on Instagram | @d.z.adventures

Visit www.dinjiizhuh.com

This episode features the track Space by Leela Gilday. Venture Out's theme song is Fires Across the Tundra, also by Leela.

Meet Jamie: a 22 year-old Tłı̨chǫ Photographer who has brought the sensual art of boudoir to the Northwest Territories in a big way. She got her business license at 18 and has since built a highly successful company that helps clients to overcome their fears, step into their courage, and embrace their unique, sexy beauty. Jamie herself has overcome a lot and is proof that young people can do incredible things.

In this episode, you'll also meet Sahtúgot'ı̨nę entrepreneur Jennie Vandermeer, who was Jamie's first boudoir client of 2021.

Follow Jamie on Instagram | @jamiestevensonboudoir & @jamiestevensonphotograhy

This episode features the track Giants by Leela Gilday. Venture Out's theme song is Fires Across the Tundra, also by Leela.

Meet Rosalind: a former government director who became a full-time artist and entrepreneur in her fifties. She is the Owner of the beloved Down to Earth Gallery, which carries pieces from over 140 artists located across the territories. It's situated in Yellowknife's iconic Old Town and it's a hub for events, annual shows and creative encounters. For Ros, the real magic of her business comes from the 'Down to Earth family' who makes it possible for Northern artists and locals to come together and build community.

At the end of this episode, you'll also meet Tłı̨chǫ artist Violet Martin who sells at the Gallery and has deep respect for Rosalind's big heart.

Follow Down to Earth Gallery on Facebook: @DownToEarthGallery

Venture Out's theme song is Fires Across the Tundra by Leela Gilday

Meet Katie: a bridge builder and visionary who's in the business of creating transformative experiences for people all across the Yukon. She is the Owner of Bella Elite Events and Consulting and the Co-Founder of the Adäka Cultural Festival. Katie is Southern Tutchone from Kluane First Nation, and in her language 'Adäka' means "coming into the light." This message embodies the path that Katie is on as a business owner and mother. Whether she's hosting a community forum or producing a performing arts mentorship program, she operates from a place of service and integrity; recognizing that her work is connected to something much bigger than her. In Katie's words, "Indigenous entrepreneurship is legacy."

In this episode, you'll also meet Charlene Alexander (Executive Director of Yukon First Nations Culture and Tourism and Co-Founder of Adäka), Vashti Etzel (Artist and Owner of Golden Eye Designs), and Katie's daughter Bella.

Follow Adäka: www.adakafestival.ca | @adakaculturalfestival

Featured song: We're Still Here by Diyet & the Love Soldiers

​Venture Out's theme song is Fires Across the Tundra by Leela Gilday