Entrepreneurs win cash to develop info management company
- EFN Staff | October 14, 2014
An entrepreneurial husband and wife team from Regina have won a $50,000 prize to help develop their innovative idea to help First Nations become more efficient. Cecile Brass & Trevor Schleede created First Systems Filing Inc., a full-service record and information management company developing tailored solutions for First Nations communities. Some of the services First Systems Filing Inc. provides are training for employees, archival, audio/video services, proposal writing for funding for implementation and policy development.
Cecile Brass is a born entrepreneur with experience running a number of other ventures, but launching First Systems Filing has been a dream of hers for many years. She is from Peepeekisis First Nation but she and her husband reside in Regina.
“I am very proud of the First Nations communities across the country and believe that we have the potential to be a great economic leader,” said Cecile. “In a small way, I believe that facilitating Bands to better manage historical records will help to ensure sovereignty and autonomy of our communities.”
A reserve, like any government body, is required to manage multiple portfolios of information – from general population governance (deaths, births, and locations), to housing and infrastructure, to financial stewardship, to corporate agreements and partnerships. Cecile recognized years ago that the ways in which Bands tracked this information varied greatly. She wanted to use her skill-sets to increase Bands’ ability to track information consistency and accurately, while also contributing to her community.
In addition to providing communities with the backend software, First Systems Filing also leads extensive training for local employees and provides all of the required data storage.
In partnership with Spin Master Ltd. and co-financing partner the Business Development Bank of Canada, Futurpreneur Canada (formerly Canadian Youth Business Foundation) encourage Canada’s next group of highly innovative young entrepreneurs who are ready to take their businesses to the next level.
These young entrepreneurs each receive a start-up package of up to $50,000 in financing from Futurpreneur Canada and BDC, and a hand-matched mentor from Futurpreneur Canada’s industry-leading mentoring program.
When asked how Futurpreneur Canada helped her business, Brass said, “It has given me the confidence to move forward as a new entrepreneur and providing me with the invaluable resource of having a mentor which has guided me to a path of future success.”
The First Systems Filing software is currently going through final testing. Check them out online.