Alumni Business Owner Profile

Five years later, it was time to start expanding and planning what she imagined years before. Jennifer enrolled at First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv) and earned a certification in Indian Communication Arts (INCA), solidifying her expertise in communication and branding. It was at FNUniv that she heard her entrepreneurial call.

Eager to learn how to excel as an entrepreneur, she advanced her education and began full time studies in Administration with a Marketing major at FNUniv and cast the mould of her future. FNUniv helped her recognize her entrepreneurial talents, inspired her approach to business, and shaped her belief in integrating Indigenous values with modern business practices.

“First Nations University of Canada was not only where I built the foundation for my business,” she says, “but where I found my identity as an Indigenous person and began to understand what an Indigenous-led business could and should look like.”

While still in business school, she focused her case studies on the beauty industry and further developed her business idea. She found that FNUniv’s supportive environment, from inspiring instructors to elders to fellow students, helped her shape her business plan and in 2015, Jennifer graduated with a Bachelor of Administration from the First Nations University of Canada, and her business vision started to come to fruition.

Things were starting to roll: in 2012, Jennifer entered the CBC Saskatchewan Boom Box Competition, an all-Aboriginal business idea competition, and came in runner-up. This, plus funding from the Saskatchewan Indian Equity Foundation’s Contribution Program, enabled Jennifer’s dream of opening a salon spa in Regina in 2017. She called it Miyosiwin.

Miyosiwin (pronounced mee-oh-SEE-win), a Cree word, means “being beautiful”, beauty, or refinement. First Nations health-based knowledge is about the balance of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Miyosiwin incorporates Indigenous traditions in subtle and meaningful ways, and strives to reflect Indigenous values of community, care, and connection in everything they do. 

“Our teachings keep us connected to our people, our elders, youth, and relationships with others living and non-living,” Jen explains.

Miyosiwin is a welcoming space for Indigenous clients and staff, honouring traditional wellness practices when appropriate, and incorporates cultural touches like smudging, Indigenous art, and language. Jennifer is dedicated to promoting health, beauty, and cultural sensitivity, and supports Indigenous-owned brands and initiatives where possible. The salon offers a range of services and provides a space for learning about Indigenous protocols while employing qualified Indigenous stylists and estheticians.

Besides being the first Indigenous business to brand itself as an Indigenous business in Saskatchewan and running a successful salon and spa, Jennifer is passionate about giving back to First Nations communities. She organizes and offers beauty services and shares health-based knowledge to both local clients and those in surrounding Indigenous  communities. For example, in 2023, her Miyosiwin team travelled to Labrador to offer mobile services to Natuashish and Sheshatshiu First Nations.

Her work and commitment to Indigenous business and support for Indigenous women extends to many Indigenous organizations in Canada, including Futurepreneur, Canada’s Indigenous Advisory Committee, where Jennifer worked with aspiring entrepreneurial students and trade schools across Canada. For two years, she served on the George Gordon Economic Development Board, an Indigenous organization that supports First Nations business development. As a dedicated mentor, Jen works with Indigenous women entrepreneur programs like Winfire Business Solutions and the Clarence Campeau Development Fund, which financially supports Metis business, allowing her further support and empowerment of Indigenous women in business.

Through her professional work at Miyosiwin and her passion and dedication to economic and personal growth, Jennifer strives to inspire and uplift Indigenous entrepreneurs and professionals throughout Canada.

When asked if she had any future plans she’d like to share, Jen explained that Miyosiwin is always evolving and is currently expanding its mobile services to reach more Indigenous communities and intends to offer training opportunities in remote areas. She’s also working on growing her beauty education program (to include lash extension courses), in order “to help mentor the next generation of Indigenous beauty professionals”. Her new vision is to develop training programs more accessible to isolated Indigenous communities, as well as expanding to a more medical and holistic spa, “blending modern beauty services with traditional healing practices”.

Jen’s Indigenous advocacy, dedication, determination, and supportive family have enabled her to offer a unique salon experience for the women of Regina and area. She explains that the community has responded with a lot of pride and support.

“Miyosiwin Salon Spa has become more than just a place for beauty services—it's a trusted, welcoming space where people feel seen, valued, and connected. Many clients have been with us for years, and we’re now serving second-generation clients, which speaks to the trust we’ve built.”