$25,000 business investment up for grabs

ABRAM-VILLAGE – Feb. 16, 2025 – A dealer in Madagascar handcrafts, an organizer of special events and a documentary film producer will be competing for an impressive $25,000 investment in their new entrepreneurial project on Wednesday, March 5, at 7 p.m. during the finals of RDÉE Prince Edward Island’s 2025 Francophone Ignition Contest.

This grand evening of competition, presented in the style of the TV shows « Shark Tank » and « Dragons’ Den », will take place at the Village musical acadien in Abram-Village. The public is invited to attend, free of charge. A snack will be served during the judges’ deliberations.

The champion project – which will be either a Malgasy craft boutique by Tsiori Razafindrakoto, Timeless Evnets PEI Inc. by Marie Dubé of Bayview or Productions LTDU Inc. by Hélène Lebon of Bonshaw – will also receive a series of other rewards to support her entrepreneurial journey.

The Greater Charlottetown and Area Chamber of Commerce will contribute a free half-page ad in its Connections magazine, the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce will give a free one-year membership, the Collège de l’Île will offer a free college course, and the Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI will provide a free pair of tickets to the 2025 Entrepreneurs’ Gala (March 22). The Acadian Chamber will also be awarding a free 2025 membership to the three finalists.

This year’s Francophone Ignition Contest attracted five competitors, who all took part in a weekend of intense training. They all competed in the pre-selection day on Saturday, Feb. 15. Judges Gabriel Arsenault (consultant and former superintendent of the French Language School Board), Mathieu Foran (bilingual cultural development officer with Innovation PEI) and Erika Naruwaza (economic development officer with CBDC Central PEI) heard the competitors’ seven-minute pitches, asked them pointed questions, deliberated vigorously, and selected the three they considered had the most potential for success.

The three finalists will compete one last time at the finals on March 5 before the public and three new judges, all from the world of business or finance. They will again have seven minutes to pitch their project, using samples and/or large-screen presentations. The judges will ask them further probing questions to give them the chance to prove that their business development or expansion project is the most deserving of the monetary investment.

Following the snack and deliberations, the champion will be announced and presented with his or her prizes by the sponsors.

The Francophone Ignition Contest is made possible by contributions from Innovation PEI’s Ignition Start-Up Fund and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.

BACKGROUNDER – DESCRIPTIONS OF FINALISTS’ ENTREPRENEURIAL PROJECTS

MALGASY CRAFT BOUTIQUE – Tsiori Razafindrakoto
Originally from Madagascar, Summerside’s Tsiori Razafindrakoto is in the planning stages of her yet-unnamed business, which will sell Malagasy handicrafts (from Madagascar), via an online platform, at fairs, salons and markets, as well as in local boutiques. She offers authentic, sustainable products (spices, raffia bags, embroidery, etc.), while supporting local artisans and integrating a social impact model. The Ignition funds would be used to develop her e-commerce site, purchase stock, launch marketing campaigns, participate in various fairs and cover logistical and administrative costs. She is also planning a trip to Madagascar to select her suppliers and confirm the quality of their products.

 

TIMELESS EVENTS PEI INC. – Marie Dubé
Timeless Events PEI, established in Bayview in 2023 by Marie Dubé and her husband Cole Whiteway, offers a wide range of event planning services (weddings, anniversaries, corporate events, etc.) The duo works closely with clients to understand their vision. The firm can help with decorating, planning and/or coordination. Marie holds a bachelor’s degree in event organization and a Wedding Planner, Coordinator and Consultant certification. The duo has over 10 years of customer service experience. Ignition funds would help build an office space to meet customers and a display area to store (and show customers) all their decorating options, which evolve rapidly with trends and the times.

 

PRODUCTIONS LTDU INC. – Hélène Lebon
With a business partner, Hélène Lebon from Bonshaw founded Productions LTDU Inc. to produce documentaries, shorts and features for television and digital broadcast, streaming platforms and theatrical release. In addition to the video medium, the catalog of works produced extends to audio, text and visual media. Its productions have been shown from Japan to California, as well as Europe. The company would use the Ignition funds primarily to promote itself further, to participate in industry events and film festivals in Canada and abroad to raise awareness of its work, and to purchase some new production equipment.

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INDIVIDUAL PHOTOS: The three finalists in the 2025 Francophone Ignition Contest are Tsiori Razafindrakoto (Malgasy handcrafts boutique), Marie Dubé (Timeless Events PEI Inc.) and Hélène Lebon (Productions LTDU Inc.) They will compete during the grand finals on Wednesday, March 5, at the Village musical acadien in Abram-Village. Dubé and Lebon are in their second Ignition competition while Razafindrakoto is at her first.

PHOTO OF JUGES: Erika Naruzawa from CBDC Central PEI, consultant and manager Gabriel Arsenault and Mathieu Foran from Innovation PEI had quite the task over the weekend to determine which three of the five contestants in the Francophone Ignition Contest should move on to the finals.

For further information, please contact:
Natalia Saldarriaga, coordinator
Francophone Ignition Contest
(250) 253-5794
natalia@rdeeipe.org