Anishinaabe Bimishimo
Emilie McKinney, Anishinaabe from Swan Lake First Nation, is an award winning Indigenous entrepreneur and the founder of Anishinaabe Bimishimo. Today, Anishinaabe Bimishimo is North America’s award-winning jingle cone manufacturer, shipping to 109 stores and offering a wide range of locally produced Anishinaabe-designed goods.
Emilie founded Anishinaabe Bimishimo at the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey when she was just 16 years old. When the company first opened its manufacturing doors in 2017 in Somerset, Manitoba, its main focus was to manufacture a variety of jingle cone products. Since then, she has flourished in opportunities, kickstarting projects, traveling to many home communities to deliver jingle cones, and being included in many fashion shows, museum exhibitions.
Emilie has expanded the production line to manufacture bags, clothing and more, collaborating with many organizations, PowWows, artists and sports teams. Each year, she represents the company at over 40 of the largest Indigenous evens across the continent including PowWows, national conferences, sporting events and festivals. With continued growth and community connections, Emilie has led Anishinaabe Bimishimo to become the leading jingle cone brand in North America.
Vincent Design Inc.
Shaun Vincent is an artist, graphic designer and entrepreneur who grew up in the Métis community of St. Laurent, and the founder of Vincent Design Inc.
He founded the company in 2007, after earning an Advanced Diploma from Red River College Polytechnic and spending several years working in the design industry. Shaun saw the need for representational design and struck out on his own to build a branding and marketing firm with a focus on promoting Indigenous communities, organizations, and companies. Today Vincent Design Inc. has grown to a team of close to 40 doing this work.
Shaun has designed hundreds of logos, specializing in those that require a deep understanding and sensitivity to the people and stories they represent. He worked on the Survivors’ Flag, a design created for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation in honour of residential school Survivors. The Flag was introduced during the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation federal holiday in 2021 and raised at Parliament Hill in Ottawa. He has also worked with several organizations across Canada, including the Southern Chiefs’ Organization on branding and marketing around their acquisition of the historical, flagship Hudson Bay Building, web presence and branding for Indspire, and branding and layout for Canadian Geography on the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada.
As an artist and entrepreneur, Shaun has crafted a unique style guided by connections to the land, history and ‘knowing.’ It is this Two-Eyed Seeing bridging Indigenous understanding with Western strengths that defines Shaun Vincent’s work and Vincent Design Inc.
To visit Vincent Design Inc.'s website, click the link below.