Looking to host a conference, trade show or business gathering in Toronto? Meet four Indigenous business owners, each providing distinct goods and services to elevate and enrich your event.
Four years ago, Mitch Gegwetch founded Resist Clothing Company from a spontaneous idea. "I wore a DIY shirt with a provocative design to a couple of rallies. When I told people I made the shirts, they suggested I start selling them," Gegwetch explains. This led him to identify a market gap for contemporary, Indigenous-themed awareness apparel.
"I wore a DIY shirt with a provocative design to a couple of rallies. When I told people I made the shirts, they suggested I start selling them.”
- Mitch Gegwetch, Resist Clothing Company Founder
The experience
Gegwetch’s commitment to quality, authenticity and social impact has built a loyal consumer and corporate client base for shirts, hoodies, accessories and custom promotional items. He designs many items himself and supports the work of other Indigenous artists and designers.
To help non-Indigenous customers support Indigenous communities without cultural appropriation concerns, Gegwetch created an Allies section on his website. “It was developed in response to people wanting to support and be involved, but not really knowing how or not wanting to overstep,” he explains.
Idea File
Gegwetch recently launched the R1 line, a customizable shirt line, cut from Canadian-made textiles and sewn in the Greater Toronto Area.
2. Staff Shop's commitment to inclusivity and impactful events
At the core of Staff Shop is a passion for hospitality and events. Led by founder and CEO Jennifer Ménard-Shand, an events industry veteran and keynote speaker, Staff Shop has grown into a full-service staffing and consulting firm across Canada, the U.S. and the Caribbean.
The company offers trained temporary assignment employees—specializing in anything from security, registration and administration to kitchen staff and food and beverage servers—for any size of gathering, whether a business conference or a Toronto Blue Jays game.
“People want to get behind a mission and do meaningful work.”
- Jennifer Ménard-Shand Staff Shop founder and CEO
The experience
Staff Shop is an award-winning Indigenous and woman-owned business that prioritizes inclusive work environments. It is certified with the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB), Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council (CAMSC), Women Business Enterprises Canada (WBE) and WEConnect International.
In recent years, Ménard-Shand has observed a shift in worker priorities towards meaningful employment in environments where they feel safe and welcome.
Consequently she advises event planners to communicate their event's purpose and impact to temporary staff, emphasizing shared values. “People want to get behind a mission and do meaningful work,” she explains.
Idea file
Ménard-Shand is an experienced keynote speaker offering insights on advancing Truth and Reconciliation in the workplace and sharing her personal story of resilience and inspiration.
3. Simply Indigenous showcases artisans with curated gift boxes
In 2021, Hawklene Lawton started her gift box business as a way to support Indigenous-owned businesses, artists and entrepreneurs from across Turtle Island. Simply Indigenous offers a wide selection of carefully curated items that are perfect for giving to keynote speakers, workshop facilitators and business event delegates.
“By purchasing one gift box, you are supporting multiple Indigenous peoples,” Lawton says.
Hawklene Lawton, Simply Indigenous
“All of the pieces we sell include a bit of information about the artist so everyone knows who they're supporting.”
- Hawklene Lawton, Simply Indigenous Founder
The Experience
Among the goods offered by Lawton are artwork pieces, such as mugs, purses and wallets, that are sourced from Oscardo, a souvenir and gift supplier representing iconic Indigenous artists. Oscardo’s parent company collectively represents 13 First Nations and four northern communities.
“All of the pieces we sell include a bit of information about the artist so everyone knows who they're supporting,” Lawton explains.
Simply Indigenous curated gift box
Idea File
When choosing items for your gift boxes, Lawton suggests including pieces that depict Indigenous artwork, such as cards and journals. Lawton makes a point of supporting small business, so be sure to include a bag of Birch Bark Coffee, hot sauces by Sriracha Revolver, beaded earrings by Shaylyn Little Chief, Sequoia Soaps and Bannock mix by Bangin’ Bannock.
4. Red Tape Brewery Crafts personalized beers for special events
When Sarabeth and Sean Holden’s son, Raymond, was born, the family celebrated the occasion with Sean’s homebrewed, orange and ginger-flavoured Celebration Saison beer. Fast-forward six years and Red Tape Brewery crafts a line of pilsners, stouts, porters, ales and lagers and works directly with clients to design and brew bespoke beers for special occasions.
“We sit down with our clients and get to know them, learn about their event and what they’re celebrating.”
- Sarabeth Holden, Co-owner of Red Tape Brewery
The experience
A client recently asked Red Tape to design a beer reminiscent of their time spent in New Zealand. Holden’s team created a blood orange sour IPA called Hop We Do in the Shadows, a riff on the cult movie What We Do in the Shadows.
“We sit down with our clients and get to know them, learn about their event and what they’re celebrating,” explains Sarabeth Holden.
Idea file
The Red Tape microbrewery can host tasting events for groups of up to 32 people, or the team can bring the tasting experience to larger venues.
Story created in partnership with Ignite Magazine.
