Sharing success: Indigenous entrepreneurs open trading post in North Bay, Ont.

Whitney Couchie and Anthony Beaucage knew they were destined to be entrepreneurs and support their community, but success came faster than they were expecting.

One year ago. the couple founded an online clothing brand called Anishwe, a word that means "an Anishinaabe Way" in the Nipissing language.

This month, they celebrated the grand opening of their brick and mortar store in downtown North Bay, Ont., where they plan to display and sell the work of other artists and entrepreneurs. The creators of Anishwe are using their momentum to create a trading post.

Their profits, like the space, will also be shared. Thirty per cent of Anishwe's profits will be donated to community organizations that help people who are hungry or unhoused.

"Being in downtown North Bay, you see a lot of homelessness and a lot of issues that are ongoing and getting worse. We're trying to help out with that kind of stuff," Couchie said.

What sells the product is the story behind it.​​​- Whitney Couchie

One of the most popular images on Anishwe's sweatshirts and T-shirts features wolves running around the Grandmother Moon.

"Anishinaabe people in the past would watch wolves, and they learned how to hunt together as a family unit, because the wolves work together like that as well," said Couchie,

"So our mission is to get people united and really working together to fix whatever is going on."

Most items at the Anishwe store carry similar stories.

Beaucage was a sales person before becoming an entrepreneur and sought artists and goods that convey an emotion.

"That's really what sells the product is the story behind it. Each person, each of our artists here has such amazing, heart-touching stories about what each piece of their art means." said Couchie.

Couchie and Beaucage gathered names and references from local markets and scoped out their favourites. They asked artists to join their collective and tell their own stories at Anishwe.

Anja Kiiskinen travels around to local farmer's markets, but says she could never afford to have her own downtown storefront. She was pleased to join Couchie and Beaucage as a vendor at Anishwe.

"It's great. They really care about their community and want people to thrive," she said.

"It's a very welcoming environment."

Kiiskinen carves stone jewelry and housewares and, like the other vendors at Anishwe, each of her pieces carries a story.

The artisan uses stones and scraps from countertops.

"It's about finding things I think are special, and making them into something special for others," said Kiiskenen.

In addition to goods and community, Anishwe will be home to future craft workshops and artistic initiatives.

The founders are also looking for help around the store and hope to employ even more members of the community.