Meet your first 10 Future 40 winners of 2017

CBC Saskatchewan received a multitude of inspiring nominations, sharing the accomplishments of people, under age 40, from across the province.

Now, our judges have made the final cut.

From Monday, Oct. 23 to Thursday, Oct. 26, CBC Saskatchewan is announcing 10 winners each day.

Listen to Saskatoon Morning on 94.1FM in Saskatoon and The Morning Edition with Sheila Coles on 102.5FM in Regina and 540 AM across the province each morning to hear about a fresh batch of winners. Then, tune in to CBC Saskatchewan News with Jill Morgan each evening at 6 p.m. CST for another five winners, announced on television.

The submissions below are written by the nominators. 

Jennifer Dubois

Age: 34

Category: Business and Entrepreneurship

Jennifer is an Indigenous entrepreneur of the highest caliber. She is the owner of Miyosiwin Salon Spa in Regina. It has been a 10-year journey for her to open her dream salon that currently employs eight staff members.

Giving back to her community is one of her main priorities. The salon has had a free elders haircut day, father/daughter nights, and has donated time and products to various fundraising activities.

She lives a clean lifestyle and promotes an active lifestyle for her two children, Eagle and Journey. Hockey, Jiu Jitsu and cheerleading take up much of the family's evenings.

Jayson Derow

Age: 26

Category: Leadership

Eight years of military service in the Canadian Armed Forces with the Royal Regina Rifles and one deployment to Afghanistan has influenced Jayson's life and has positively impacted his choice to study politics, and with that, to volunteer his time as a Canadian Correspondent for the NATO Memorial Federation, a research analyst for the NATO Association of Canada, and to take on the role as the president and co-founder of the Youth Atlantic Treaty Association of Canada (YATA Canada).

As president and co-founder of YATA Canada, Jayson's mandate is to educate and promote cooperation among youth in NATO Allied and Partner states. His mission is to focus on dynamic youth engagement and transatlantic cooperation in the realm of international security and defence through the following initiatives: the enhancement of debate and education within the general population; the engagement and development of youth to be active participants, as well as responsible decision and opinion makers in the constantly changing security environment; and the strengthening of youth visibility and influence through the facilitation of network building between policy makers and civil society.

Jayson's desire to volunteer with these organizations is reflective of his desire in serving with the military, and that is to serve society from a position of leadership in which he can utilize his understanding of politics, diplomacy, and international relations to affect change.

Joe Wickenhauser

Age: 30

Category: Community, Social Activism and Volunteerism

Over the last five years, Joe has helped Saskatchewan become prouder of its LGBT community than ever before.

As both a passionate volunteer and entrepreneur, Joe founded and later became executive director of Moose Jaw Pride and the Saskatchewan Pride Network. He coordinated Moose Jaw's first-ever Pride Parade and has worked tirelessly to organize Pride celebrations in nine smaller communities across Saskatchewan.

Over the past two years, many of these communities flew the rainbow flag for the first time ever, including one flag raising at CFB Moose Jaw. Last year, Joe set up Moose Jaw's first Pride drop-in centre, and has since offered information, support, and diversity training to hundreds of people in smaller communities across the province.

Under his leadership, Moose Jaw Pride received a Community Building Award from the Moose Jaw Police Service.

Joe's master's research explored the history of gender and sexual diversity in Moose Jaw and across Saskatchewan. He used this information to create two historical LGBT walking tours in Saskatoon (downtown and U of S), an LGBT history trolley tour in Moose Jaw, and a permanent exhibit on LGBT history at the Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery — the first of its kind in the province.

He received a Heritage Award from the City of Saskatoon for his historical work. Most recently, Joe worked closely with the Prairie South School Division to develop a high school credit course on gender and sexual diversity which is the first of its kind in Saskatchewan.

Karen Robson

Age: 30

Category: Community, Social Activism and Volunteerism

Karen is the executive director of The Princess Shop where she and her volunteers provide underprivileged young women the graduation experience with a dress, make-up, etc. as well as providing the young women with a mentorship program, scholarship program and the tools to help them succeed after graduation.

Karen has a commerce degree in marketing with an interest in non-profit. She was a member of Katimavik and has served on several non-profit boards.

She enjoys skijoring with her rescue dog Jade, as well as playing league basketball.

Karen was a U of S Huskies track athlete. She has a passion for photography and is a talented jewelry maker for KR Jewelry.

Shawn Stevenson

Age: 35

Category: Business and Entrepreneurship

Shawn Stevenson is a sought after mentor who is helping build Saskatchewan's reputation as a source of thought leadership.

In 2016, he was selected to present at Building Building Capability in Nevada along side speakers from NASA, State of New York and the Centre for Disease Control on "Public Sector Customer Experience".

In 2015, he was also approached and asked to travel to Nairobi, Kenya to instruct burgeoning business analysts in their field. He taught leaders in the Kenyan banking industry about gathering requirements to set up operations in rural areas — all based on lessons learned from Saskatchewan. He continues to mentor, on a volunteer basis, Kenyan professionals in the banking industry as they set up new operations in South Sudan.

Shawn authored and teaches two courses from scratch on business analysis that are taught at the U of R Centre For Continuing Education where he is known for his popular engaging approach that encourages professionals to focus on the "human factor".

He has become known as a thought leader in requirements elicitation and optimizing operations.

Additionally, Shawn took an eight-month break from corporate life in 2016 to work non-profit as a full time fundraiser for wetland conservation (Ducks Unlimited) in South Saskatchewan. In this role, (along with volunteers) he managed to raise tens of thousands of dollars to help conserve Saskatchewan's natural beauty and eco-systems.

As if that wasn't enough — Shawn was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2011. He won his battle with cancer and currently works as a consultant at the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency with the goal of helping reduce the impacts of cancer within Saskatchewan.

Shawn is known for being a kind thoughtful man who is an inspiration to others. He also previously served in the Canadian Forces.

Joana Cook

Age: 31

Category: Community, Social Activism and Volunteerism

Joana is a PhD candidate in the Department of War Studies at King's College in London, UK. She is also a senior research fellow with the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence.

Her work focuses on women, extremism, security, and counterterrorism. She is the former editor-in-chief for Strife, an international journal and blog focusing on conflict with over 1.3 million followers. She has provided policy expertise and research to international governments and has been featured on TV and in print in Time, BBC, Washington Post, CBC, National Post, and Telegraph. While most of her work focuses on global security issues, future directions include domestic implications.

Aside from her research, she provides guest lectures for the Department of War Studies and has also done amateur documentary work on the Rwanda Gacaca Court.

During her time at the University of Regina, she wrote for The Carillon and taught English at Regina's Open Door Society.

In her young life, she has travelled to over 30 countries and is well on her way to speaking four languages. Joana loves to travel, cherishes her time with family and friends, works tirelessly promoting causes near and dear to her heart, and is always willing to bring her international friends back to the farm for a Saskatchewan experience.

Rich Francis

Age: 40

Category: Leadership

Since 2010, Rich has been working to raise the profile of Modern Indigenous Cuisine.

Based in Saskatoon, he is set to open a first of its kind modern Indigenous cuisine restaurant The Seventh Fire in spring 2018.

Through his Cooking for Reconciliation workshop facilitation in public schools, culinary schools and post secondary (mainly in Saskatchewan but across Canada) series he has contributed to the awareness and education of truth and reconciliation using Indigenous foods as means of a better understanding in this process.

His first cook book, Closing the Gap: Truth and Reconciliation Through Indigenous Foods, will be at all major outlets spring 2018

He is the co-producer of Red Chef Revival (spring 2018): is a unique travel and food series that will follow Rich Francis on a cross country journey to redefine Indigenous cuisine. Francis will visit three First Nation communities across Canada that are close to his heart, Mackenzie Valley in the Northwest Territories, Haida Gwaii in British Columbia and Ohsweken Village in Ontario.These stories will create a series that blends cooking and history, where Rich will create a better understanding of pre-colonial Indigenous cuisine and the impact of colonization.

Rich was a finalist on season 4 of Top Chef Canada which helped raise the profile of Indigenous cuisine here in Canada and the U.S. even more and is considered one of the leading chefs forging a new paradigm of Indigenous cuisine.

Seventh Fire Hospitality and Consulting was launched in Saskatoon fall 2017.

Rich continues to be a cultural ambassador for his First Nation peers and restaurant industry in Canada with his vision, traditions, culture and to begin a new chapter in Indigenous food and culture.

Tyler Willox

Age: 29

Category: Leadership

At 28 years old, Tyler was named one of the youngest chairs of the Regina and District Chamber of Commerce in its 131-year history. In this role, Tyler provides leadership on strategic files that support the chamber's mission as "independent member driven organization, dedicated to fostering an environment in which our community prospers," including actively promoting gender parity for board members, advocating for municipal and provincial support of renewable energy, and seeking improved access to capital for young entrepreneurs.

Tyler was recently asked to represent Canada at the 2017 G20 Young Entrepreneur's Alliance Summit in Berlin, Germany. Tyler is also an active senior volunteer for CNIB in several capacities including: chair of the Government Relations and Advocacy Committee; member of the Philanthropy and Communications Committee; and as vice-chair of the board. In this role,Tyler has been instrumental in securing ongoing provincial funding for vision loss rehabilitation. Tyler also recently became a member of the Regina Airport Authority Board of Directors.

Tyler is currently employed as a Strategic Adviser, Corporate Development at ISC, where he assisted the former Crown corporation successfully transition to a publicly traded company, and now pursues growth opportunities for the company world wide.

Ashley Nemeth

Age: 33

Category: Community, Social Activism and Volunteerism

Ashley Nemeth is recognized as a vocal advocate who breaks down barriers for the blind and partially sighted community.

As a role model she is breaking down stigmas and misconceptions and addressing issues that her community faces by speaking publicly to the media, as a motivational speaker, a CNIB spokesperson, CNIB staff member, on her blog (blindmovingon.com), Facebook page, Twitter page, YouTube channel, becoming a correspondent with AMI, and volunteering at CNIB with fundraising events, the support group and doing eye safety presentations. She is also a leader by example and represents the 'possibilities' for people with sight issues by achieving a high level of independence through mastering various rehabilitation programs at CNIB like independent travel, independent living skills and technology training.

Ashley also parents, cooks, cleans, golfs and snowboards. Ashley is continuously breaking new ground and being an agent for change by speaking publicly in the media, on her blog and her YouTube channel about the issues that affect the blind and partially sighted community. As well as, demonstrating how people who are blind and partially sighted can do the same things that sighted people do like parent, cook, clean, put on make-up, travel around their community by themselves and hold a job.

Melissa Morgan

Age: 37

Category: Arts, Culture and Entertainment

Following the loss of her father, Melissa Morgan was nurtured and empowered from her early years through graduation from Winston Knoll Collegiate by a community of strong women of colour. Early musical talent and dedication led to three ARCT diplomas (piano, flute, voice).

Her leadership qualities found youthful expression, as an assistant in the family daycare, as apprentice and then assistant conductor of Juventus Choir, as a leader in church music, and as a participant in Black History Month and the Caribbean Club. English and Education degrees at the University of Regina led to a masters degree in choral conducting at Western University.

After teaching experience at Campbell Collegiate and appointment in 2008 as Pfeifer Memorial Chair in Music at Luther College High School in Regina, she took leave to gain a doctorate in choral conducting at the University of Toronto, where she conducted the MacMillan Singers.

Returning to Luther, she continues to lead with energy and distinction an acclaimed school music program which includes choral and instrumental groups, an annual musical, and IB music. She is the founder/director of the recently-formed Prairie Chamber Choir, which emphasizes collaboration with such prairie composers as David McIntyre and Alain Perron and community partners like the MacKenzie Art Gallery and the Regina Symphony Orchestra, with whom it makes its first appearance in 2018. The PCC was a featured performer at the 2016 Choral Canada Podium conference and at the 2017 Western Canadian Music Awards, and will shortly release its first album.