The MAV is pleased to share this special blog post by guest columnist Jenna Kiesman, Marketing & Community Engagement Liaison at Community Futures North Okanagan.

Ten years ago, in 2015, the seeds of the Enterprize Challenge were sown.

Blossoming from a successful experience with a Youth Dragon’s Den program, Leigha Horsfield, Executive Director of Community Futures North Okanagan, recognized something was missing in the local entrepreneurial landscape. Aspiring business owners possessed innovative ideas but often lacked the guidance and support to transform those concepts into viable business plans and ultimately, thriving enterprises.

Stepping up to fill this vital gap in the North Okanagan, the Enterprize Challenge was born.

Ad for the 2015 Enterprize Challenge. Image courtesy Community Futures.

Leigha Horsfield remembers initial uncertainty, wondering if there would be enough interest and even considering it might be a one-time event.

VantageOne Credit Union was among the first to champion this vision, becoming one the inaugural sponsors. Amy Gilles, Commercial Services Account Manager with VantageOne, fondly recalls those early days. Being a first-time mentor was a slightly “terrifying” experience for Amy, building up her mentorship experience while also helping those first Enterprize Challenge participants. Amy now mentors other VantageOne staff as Enterprize Challenge mentors, helping grow and support the program further. Amy’s favourite part of her experience with Enterprize Challenge is “people that I’ve mentored, I have truly become friends with.” 

Among the first entrepreneurs to apply for Enterprize Challenge in 2015, there was Amy Kermociev, Orchard Green Farms; Bernie & Maylene Ramis, Rollin’ Spring Rolls; Marc Pilon, Trinity Valley Hops; Mark Kemper, Kemper & Sons Artisan Millwork; and Nancy Wilde, JuiceBox Tool Box.

The early commitment from sponsors like VantageOne Credit Union, the City of Vernon, Sun FM Radio Station, Nixon Wenger, KPMG, the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce, Real Focus Business Consulting, and Sproing Creative in 2015 clearly demonstrated the strong belief in the Enterprize Challenge’s potential within the local business community.

An Enterprize Challenge pitch by Joy’s Kitchen. Images courtesy Community Futures.

Mitchal Derksen, founder of Agile BK, is a testament to this. In 2018, Mitchal had just moved back to Vernon and was starting his business. Recognizing that the Okanagan business scene thrives on connections, Mitchal joined the Enterprize Challenge primarily to build a local network. He wasn’t expecting to be a finalist that year, and he found the public speaking aspects of the pitch competition to be especially ‘challenging.’

Reflecting on his pitching experience, Mitchal, a self-described “fairly comfortable public speaker” and “pretty good storyteller,” admitted, “I was caught off by the nerves that I felt when I was presenting… I remember getting up in front of judges and just butterflies.”

Overcoming his nerves, Mitchal found Enterprize Challenge was a great way to meet new people and receive valuable mentorship as a new entrepreneur, especially since his background is not in marketing and entrepreneurship. His positive experience led him to return as a mentor for three consecutive years, from 2019 to 2021, sharing his insights with new cohorts of entrepreneurs. As a judge, Mitchal now watches the Challengers’ pitches and has a lot of empathy for the presenters.

“It’s like drinking from a fire hose,” recounts Mitchal of his recent experiences as an Enterprize Challenge judge. “People with great business ideas [are} trying to tell you as much as they can in the short period of time they have.”

Now, in 2025, the story has come full circle. Agile BK has stepped up as the title sponsor for the Enterprize Challenge, a powerful demonstration of the program’s lasting influence and the success stories it has helped to create. This milestone not only celebrates a decade of empowering local entrepreneurs but also underscores the enduring spirit of collaboration and growth that defines the Enterprize Challenge.

2015 Enterprize Challenge finale at the Vernon Rec Centre. Image courtesy Community Futures.

For participants, the Enterprize Challenge journey culminates in a final pitch event that has grown in stature over the years. In 2015, the first pitches took place within the familiar walls of the Community Futures North Okanagan offices in downtown Vernon. After these initial pitches, the judges chose a winner and the awards ceremony was planned for a separate date – and location.

The Vernon Recreation Centre provided the perfect spot for both the tradeshow element – Enterprize Challenge participants were given booth space to market their products and services – as well as a stage for the 2015 Awards Ceremony. The general public visiting the tradeshow, excited by the entrepreneurs and their new businesses, didn’t get a chance to see the actual pitches. After all the effort put into their pitches, the Enterprize Challenge results were revealed with the opening of a special sealed envelope at the awards event. In 2025, the Challengers now command a much larger stage, captivating audiences with their compelling pitches on-stage at the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre.

And the winner of Enterprize Challenge in 2015? Well that would be Bernie & Maylene Ramis of Rollin’ Spring Rolls!

2015 Enterprize Challenge winners Bernie and Maylene Ramis of Rollin’ Spring Rolls. Photo courtesy Community Futures.

The public is welcome to join Community Futures North Okanagan for the 10th annual Enterprize Challenge presented by Agile BK. The event will take place on Thursday, May 8th, 2025 at the Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre. Tickets are complimentary but pre-registration is required. Don’t miss this exciting milestone event: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/enterprize-challenge-finale-event-tickets-1307041569519?aff=oddtdtcreator.

Jenna Kiesman, Marketing & Community Engagement Liaison at Community Futures