In addition to her personal practice, Lor is a Product Developer for Métis-founded footwear brand, Manitobah, where she helps bring Indigenous footwear and accessories to life and facilitates Manitobah’s artist partnerships all while supporting Manitobah’s vision to make positive impacts in Indigenous communities.

MANIGOBAH’S ORIGIN STORY

As a young Métis entrepreneur, Sean McCormick began Manitobah Mukluks with the vision of creating a successful company while benefiting his community. Today we continue that vision on a larger scale, as a global brand making a positive impact in Indigenous communities across North America.

Sean McCormick spent much of his childhood in northern Manitoba and started selling leather and fur while still in high school. In 1990, he established a trading post where Indigenous artisans traded handmade mukluks and moccasins for tanned leather, skins and furs. During this time, Sean saw an even greater opportunity to connect members of his community to the growing demand for authentic Indigenous footwear. In 1996, after completing the Manitoba Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneurship Training Program, Sean created the business plan and framework that would become Manitobah.

In 2008, Manitobah began global operations and today it is one of Canada’s fastest-growing companies, with employees and customers worldwide. Despite the rapid success and growth of the brand, Manitobah remains connected to its roots and continues to provide authentic, Indigenous- designed products that return value to Indigenous communities.

Manitobah became a certified B Corporation in 2023, a designation that demonstrates a business meets high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials.

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At RISE Wellness, Sequoia combines her research in Indigenous Education with her certifications as a Personal Trainer, Performance Enhancement Specialist, and Nutrition Coach to create personalized wellness programs. Her approach emphasizes balance and alignment with the true self, intentionally distancing from mainstream wellness trends. RISE Wellness is committed to fostering resilience and well-being, empowering individuals and communities to build strong, culturally informed foundations for lasting health. 

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At the San Francisco Arts Commission she led grant-making strategies, cultural equity, and Native & Traditional Arts initiatives for nonprofit arts organizations and artists. She oversaw the California Art Council’s (CAC) statewide grantmaking programs, served on the Council’s Equity Committee, and co-led the CAC’s participation in the Government Alliance for Racial Equity (GARE) Capitol Cohort. As the Executive Director of the Imagine Bus Project, she developed creative opportunities for youth impacted by the juvenile justice system to imagine a successful re-entry into their communities and futures. 

She is an Interdisciplinary artist, curator, and photographer. She received a Master of Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University.

Jaren was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Adopted at birth, she continues the search for her ancestral homeland. She currently resides in Yelamu, the unceded land of the Ramaytush Ohlone, also known as San Francisco.

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They’ve worked on productions ranging from short films, features, to studio productions such as Amazon Studios’ Outer Range (S1& S2) and Marvel Studio’s Echo.

In addition to working on productions, Peshawn Bread is a Sundance Film Institute alumni of the Full Circle Fellowship (2014) and the 2019 Indigenous Filmmaker’s Lab where they had the opportunity to workshop, develop and shoot their script “The Daily Life of Mistress Red”. A mockumentary short film about a Native Dominatrix for hire who whips apologies out of white supremacists.

As a Creative Director, Peshawn created a visual narrative and representation for Teton Trade Cloth (2020-2021) that drove sales and inspired fashion brands to include indigenous peoples in their advertising and styling. While working as Creative Director they were able to get Teton’s product into film productions such as Reservation Dogs, and Echo. Also creating opportunities for indigenous fashion designers/artists to showcase their work by running the Teton Trade Cloth Fashion Show, two years in a row. Bread has created content for different fashion brands and is the Founder/designer of their own brand – House of Sutai.

Peshawn also acts as a consultant on bringing indigenous representation to media; Currently working with Ralph Lauren as a Cultural Liaison while pitching their TV series about Indigenous vampires.

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Outside of work, Lacee connects to her Native community through the Anishinaabemowin Language Program to learn her ancestral language and has recently accepted a fellowship with the Sage Leaders Community Leadership Institute.

Eighth Generation

Eighth Generation is a Seattle-based art and lifestyle brand owned by the Snoqualmie Tribe. Founded in 2008 when Louie Gong (Nooksack) started customizing shoes in his living room, Eighth Generation is now a thriving small business with customers across the globe. As the first Native-owned company to ever produce wool blankets—and with a flagship retail store downtown Seattle—Eighth Generation is a proud participant in the global economy.

Eighth Generation provides a strong, ethical alternative to “Native-inspired” art and products through its artist-centric approach and 100% Native designed products. Our Inspired Natives® Project, anchored by the tagline Inspired Natives®, not “Native- inspired,” builds business capacity among cultural artists while addressing the economic impact of cultural appropriation.

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Melanie Norton, a longtime small business champion, oversees the operations, program delivery, and entrepreneurial ecosystem development for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Seattle District, serving Washington state and northern Idaho. 

Norton leads the SBA Seattle District team with nearly two decades of experience in economic development, and a commitment to supporting the equitable delivery of programs to ensure no entrepreneur is left behind in realizing their dream of successful small business ownership.

Norton began her career with the SBA in 2013 as an Economic Development Specialist for the Seattle District with a focus on outreach and education, increasing access to SBA programs and resources for small business communities throughout the district. She continued her work serving the SBA Pacific Northwest Regional office for five years as Regional Communications Director, coordinating public affairs across the Seattle, Boise, Portland and Alaska District offices. In 2021, Norton returned to the SBA Seattle District as Deputy District Director, providing strategic leadership, development, and delivery of SBA Seattle District programs and initiatives. In 2024 Norton was named District Director of the SBA Seattle District.

Prior to joining the SBA, Norton served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Bulgaria for two years working in economic development and supporting the country’s integration into the European Union. She continued her service in the U.S. Peace Corps domestically where she created and led the agency’s first public affairs team. Prior to her 17 years of federal public service, she worked in a variety of startups, small businesses and nonprofits.   

Of the 68 SBA district offices across the Unites States and Territories, the Seattle District is among the top 10 in SBA loan volume, averaging approximately $1 billion annually the past few years. The Seattle District manages one of the 10 largest portfolios of firms in the SBA 8(a) Business Development federal contracting program and boasts an extensive network of SBA Resource Partners.

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