From 12th to 18th November, we will be celebrating the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW). Celebrated in 160 countries by over 10 million people, GEW is the world’s largest celebration of entrepreneurship. As the Canadian host of the event, Futurpreneur Canada is engaging in sharing the story of inspiring female entrepreneurs who pursued their ambition despite the difficulties.
Today, discover Josiane, producer of the successful events TORONTO PLUS SIZE FASHION SHOW and PARIS PLUS SIZE FASHION SHOW. She was recently awarded by CBC as one of the most innovative/creative young entrepreneurs in the Greater Area of Toronto.
Tell me a bit about yourself
I am a “Curvy-from-birth” kind of woman and embrace it. Born in Cameroon and bilingual English/French, I am a fierce, plus-sized model who was motivated to join the fashion industry to celebrate my glorious curves and motivate other women. Overwhelmed by the opposition that plagued plus-sized beauties, I am working passionately to include plus size fashion into the standard fashion industry.
Founder and CEO of Malia Indigo Corporation (International Fashion Network), successful accountant, Top 100 Black women to watch in Canada, Josiane Laure Modjom A.K.A Malia Indigo has broken multiple barriers and now launching the premier Fashion Social Media Malia Indigo.
Accountant, Business Analyst, Social Media Specialist, Plus-sized Model, Body Advocate and mother of two, I combine multiple skills to growth the Plus Size Fashion industry. I also have a strong believe in power of working as community.
My mantra is: “An opportunity not taken is an opportunity missed”
Tell me a bit about your business
Malia Indigo Corporation is an International Network business based in Toronto, Canada with the mission to bring the fashion community together locally and internationally.
The business is committed to offering convenient social platform and community at the same time that help users to create, find resources and promote themselves.
We will be hosting our next event this November 10th downtown Toronto.
What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
What inspired me, was the desire to impact and inspire young generation. As an immigrant, my goal was to demonstrate that it’s possible to fit into the Canadian society and be successful. Language and cultural barriers should not stop anyone from achieving his dream. Motivation and hard work overcome challenges.
That is the main message behind my entrepreneur hat.
Why did you see a need in the industry for a “product” like yours?
I started in the fashion industry as a model and quickly realized that there was lack of professionalism in the plus-size fashion industry; especially in Canada. Through my multiple researches, I identified that there was a real need of exposure and formula that will highlight talents (designers, stylists, models, bloggers, …).
Therefore, I decided to fill the gap by building a dedicated platform to all professional in fashion and producing high-end fashion show.
What has been your biggest milestone to date?
My biggest milestone was to bring attention to the business, create awareness and build up credibility.
Malia Indigo in a very short period produced two successful international fashion shows, ran two large media campaigns and moved from an online directory to a social media.
The business has been receiving a lot of positive feedbacks and recognitions. Beginning of this year, Malia Indigo was part of Startup City by CBC which recognized the five most creative start-ups in the GTA.
How has Futurpreneur helped you and your business?
Futurpreneur was one of the first organization that believed in my business model and accepted to partially finance the project. Funds and tools were provided to start this wonderful journey. I needed that push.
What has been your biggest learning curve since launching your business?
Since I launched my business, I have learned that every day is an accomplishment because success comes from little steps.
What piece of advice do you have for new entrepreneurs?
My advice to new entrepreneurs is to clearly define their visions, keep their activities consistent, find useful resources and work hard. Consistency is key of success.
Register to her event HERE
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