The Niaka Agence creative autochtone (Niaka Indigenous graphic design agency) was one of the recipients of the second edition of the Nikanewin Bursaries. This Indigenous company is to date the only one to be registered in graphic design. It was created by Megan Hébert-Lefebvre and Valérie Laforce, two Abenakis from the community of Wôlinak.

The Niaka graphic design agency specializes in packaging content of all kinds according to the requests of its customers. Logos, visual identity, pamphlets, and public postings are among the elements covered by Niaka. What sets them apart is undoubtedly their understanding of the Indigenous environment. The company is 100% First Nations, so it has easy access to the environment as well as cultural and symbolic knowledge and other types of knowledge. Understanding the vision and values of a people promotes understanding the demands of its customers. For Megan and Valérie, working with First Nations and having an impact on the Indigenous environment, while ensuring authenticity and avoiding cultural appropriation, is of vital importance.

What the bursary allowed them to do…

For Megan and Valérie, this $2,500 came at the right time because they needed smart tablets to help them take notes during meetings with clients. These tablets also help them with their drawings and for all the organizational aspects of their projects. They are also ecologically beneficial for the company since they no longer use paper. This made a difference as they were able to pay themselves a salary more quickly. The bursary really made it possible to improve their business on many levels.

According to these two entrepreneurs, “winning this bursary has promoted us in Indigenous circles thanks to the publishing of our names in the press releases and social networks of the FNQLEDC.” They found the application form easy to complete while giving them the opportunity to put their ideas down clearly in writing and better structure them.

Do you have a business project in mind? As part of the 3^rd edition of the Nikanewin Bursaries, we invite you to share your entrepreneurial project with us. Who knows, perhaps securing a bursary could help you make your project a reality. We would like to remind all future entrepreneurs that they can benefit from the free support and guidance of our team to develop their project.

To learn more about the 2023 edition of the Nikanewin Bursaries or to submit your application, please visit our website.

If you would like to consult portraits of more entrepreneurs, we invite you to visit our blog section.