CopperMoon Wins BC Aboriginal Business Award!
 I am very pleased to announce that CopperMoon has won the Inaugural BC Aboriginal Business Award in the "Young Male Aboriginal Entrepreneur of the Year" category. I am honoured to be chosen for this award. I would like to thank everyone who sent in a letter of support: Jaden Langford, Cliff Fregin, Roy Vickers, Dominique Collin, Leona Sparrow, and Susanne Thiessen. I'd also like to thank Juli Taylor for nominating me.
Details of other award winners are available on the BC Achievement Foundation web site. I pleased to see a very impressive list of businesses and individuals who are being recognized through this award. One of the constant themes that I've heard in my work with clients is "we don't celebrate our successes and positive stories." It is great to see an award that cerebrates successes in the field of Aboriginal Business.
I'd like to share some excerpts from the excellent letters I received in support of the nomination. I thought it would be fitting to share some of the more personal excerpts. Thanks again to everyone for your support!
Excerpts from Letters of Support
"I have fond memories of Jacob starting CopperMoon in his bachelor suite apartment at the age of 21. Jacob's vision was to develop a business that would be successful at many levels - where financial success was not the only bottom line, but community, and cultural values were paramount.
In the beginning it seemed like the cards were heavily stacked against Jacob. There was a time when even aboriginal organizations opted to hire mainstream agencies over CopperMoon.
With careful thought and a lot of hard work, Jacob has grown CopperMoon to include a team of
experts, with representatives in 3 BC locations serving a diverse client base. Most importantly,
Jacob's vision of working within communities and honoring culture has been very successful. CopperMoon is highly recommended and continues to grow with minimal advertising.
Jacob's latest work with post-secondary institutions is helping to develop educational programs for first nations students interested in business and communications. This effort is closely linked to his goal to create jobs in BC first nations communities.
In closing, I hope that CopperMoon is selected for the award due to its success and leadership at many levels - business, community, and culture."
- Jaden Langford |
"I have known Jacob since his birth and enjoyed watching him grow into a young man full of ideas and ambition and a great interest in computers. At a very young age he was showing me games that he had put together himself. His short stories kept the whole family amused.
As a young man he created his first web site for myself, his uncle, the web site continues today with millions visiting online every month. And it continues to be successful and I'm proud to say it is my nephew, Jacob Beaton, who has designed it.
Jacob was also present at EDEL board meetings with his enthusiastic recommendations in communication at Eagle Dancer Enterprises Ltd. He also learned the way a company operates using the cultural teachings of his first nations ancestors.
Today Jacob continues to grow with his company, unique as the first Aboriginal owned and operated communications agency in western Canada."
- Roy Henry Vickers |
"Every great organization has great leadership. There are very few people one meets in business or life that are this dynamic or that have the capacity for success that Jacob does. After communicating with CopperMoon Communications and many amazing references from others, I invited Jacob to sit on our Indigenous Business Leadership Advisory Council in the School of Business at Camosun College... Jacob immediately stepped up to the task and became Advisory Chair. He became involved with our academic and student activities without hesitation and his energy and enthusiasm and his professional approach to business are infectious with other Aboriginal students studying business.
There are many great Aboriginal youth doing business in Canada right now, but I can't think of a company or an individual who is more inspirational or more deserving of this award..."
- Susanne Thiessen |
"Coppermoon had produced consistent high quality Aboriginal graphic material using cutting edge computer technology while hiring, training and promoting a number of young Aboriginal artists. The combination of competent programming, graphics design, artistic flair, sustainability values, focus on community-based clients, and deep commitment to cultural relevance made Coppermoon an example and an inspiration for Aboriginal youth entrepreneurs.
After early successes and rapid corporate growth, when the next predictable move would have been expansion, relocation to a major population center and transition to the more lucrative corporate and government market, Jacob Beaton decided to downsize and move his business to a remote northern location, in order to stay connected to his roots and run the business in a way consistent with sound work-family balance as well as the community-focus that was the source of its early success. In the new location, Coppermoon has fared well, demonstrating that technology-savvy communication businesses do not need to leave their communities for larger centers to be successful and that cutting edge business can thrive where they are most critical to impact First Nation job and wealth creation: in the communities themselves. This has once again made Coppermoon a leader and an inspiration for
Aboriginal youth entrepreneurs who value the connection to home, family, culture and community."
- Dominique Collin |
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