Support Indigenous Entrepreneurs this Giving Tuesday
Tomorrow is #GivingTuesday, an international day of charitable giving and volunteering. No doubt there will be many worthy causes and organizations asking for your support. We here at the Fashion Zone hope you will consider championing emerging Indigenous entrepreneurs in your #GivingTuesday generosity. Your donation will directly support a high potential entrepreneur as part of the Indigenous Fashion Support (IFS) award program.
Indigenous Fashion Support Program Entrepreneur Fund
Small businesses and startups are an economic engine in Canada. They create jobs, improve lives and elevate communities. But not all communities are able to access entrepreneurship opportunities equally. While entrepreneurial drive is strong among Indigenous people, they may face particular challenges — including limited financial resources, a lack of guidance or role models, and limited access to space or equipment — all of which can discourage them from pursuing a future as an entrepreneur or limit the success of their new venture.
The IFS is a free, virtual incubation program at the Fashion Zone at Ryerson. It was designed in consultation with Indigenous organizations, partners and advisors to address the unique challenges that Indigenous entrepreneurs face and to help Indigenous entrepreneurs from across Canada build or scale a business in the fashion industry. The IFS program:
- Strengthens the entrepreneurial skills that set founders up for success
- Offers proprietary skills development programs explicitly created for Indigenous entrepreneurs
- Provides access to Indigenous industry mentors and a network of 40+ industry experts
- Provides access to Shopify eCommerce curriculum and a free Shopify account (3+ months)
Fashion Zone by the numbers:
- 135 Indigenous entrepreneurs engaged
- 12 Indigenous-led startups incubated
- 8 Earned Media Features, including CBC, TVO and CityNews6 Indigenous business leaders engaged as mentors. [end sidebar]
How you can help
Please support the Indigenous Fashion Support Program Entrepreneur Fund today! To make your gift, visit the Zone Learning Giving Page, and select Fashion Zone from the gift designation drop-down menu.
Your generous tax deductible donation will help us recognize and reward talented Indigenous entrepreneurs as they tell the story of their history and culture through fashion and the arts. We look forward to sharing details on the inaugural award winners in 2022.
