Jacob Pratt is CCAB’s 2016 National Youth Aboriginal Entrepreneur

(Toronto, ON) — The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) and ESS Support Services (a member of Compass Group Canada), are pleased to announce that the recipient of the 2016 National Youth Aboriginal Entrepreneur Award is Jacob Pratt, the founder and creative director of Wambdi, a performance and events company based in Saskatchewan. Since 2012, Wambdi has been providing high quality and culturally appropriate First Nations music, dance, and event services for corporate functions and in First Nations communities. It also offers workshops and youth training.

Jacob Pratt will receive $10, 000 to be put toward his business endeavours and will be honoured at CCAB’s annual Toronto Gala on February 2, 2016 in Toronto, along with the winner of the 2016 ABHF Lifetime Achievement Award.

“We had an impressive field of candidates this year. Youth Aboriginal entrepreneurship is growing in Canada in exciting ways. Jacob Pratt and Wambdi have brought traditional Aboriginal culture to the very competitive field of performance and events, and I look forward to seeing how Jacob expands his business. We’re very excited to have him as the recipient of this year’s award,” said Michael Hachey, President of ESS North America.

The Aboriginal Business Hall of Fame (ABHF) National Youth Aboriginal Entrepreneur Award is given each year to a First Nations (Status or Non-Status), Inuit, or Métis business person between the ages of 19 and 35 at CCAB’s Annual Toronto Gala, and celebrates an Aboriginal entrepreneur who is leading the next generation of Aboriginal business owners and innovators.

“When we started the National Youth Entrepreneur Award we did it to highlight the future of Aboriginal business in Canada. Jacob Pratt demonstrates how Aboriginal peoples are creating new, exciting models of business while bringing forward culture and tradition. I congratulate Jacob on this award and I look forward to celebrating his accomplishments at our annual Toronto gala,” said JP Gladu, President & CEO of CCAB.