The Canadian Centre for Aboriginal Entrepreneurship (Indigenous) and The Canadian Centre for Accelerated Entrepreneurship

Orene Askew was pretty content with her life. She had a job, was very active, but always had some business ideas looming in her head. She decided she wanted to start her own DJ-ing business. The idea had been in her head for over 3 years, but she wasn’t sure how to pursue it head on. And then she heard about the 2011 Aboriginal BEST Program and decided to register for the classes. Orene now hosts a weekly show on Vancouver’s Co-op Radio, based in the downtown Eastside. The show, Sne’waylh, literally means “teachings” and the first 15 minutes of every program is a lesson in Squamish language. And her business, DJ O Show, keeps the dance floors hopping all over the Lower Mainland. [email protected]

Mountain Sky Soaps www.mountainskysoap.com Raynald Losier and Nina George started the family business in 1993 to stay home with their kids, Malaya Mountain and Rahel Sky. Mountain Sky manufactures soaps, massage bars and lip balm for the company and for private labels. Mountain Sky Soap maintains seven jobs with a production that has increased from 320 soaps per week at its beginning to about 6,000 today in peak production times. With their products in stores from Victoria to St John’s to Yellowknife, Mountain Sky is a true Canadian success story.