Joella Hogan, founder of The Yukon Soaps Company, is a prime example of how Indigenous businesspeople can establish companies that generate profits and significantly impact their communities and traditions. In the center of the Yukon, her creative approach to fusing traditional knowledge with contemporary business methods has turned a modest soap-making business into a flourishing center for community involvement, cultural preservation, and sustainable economic growth.
Anchored in Heritage and Community
Returning to her ancestral home in Mayo, Yukon, marked the beginning of Joella’s journey as a member of the Crow Clan and the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun. This choice demonstrated her resolve to reconnect with her roots, her people, and the land. As a result of this strong sense of community, she established The Yukon Soaps Company in 2012.
Joella’s Northern Tutchone ancestry is evident in her homemade soap and shampoo bars, which are flavoured with wild plants like fireweed, Labrador Tea, and Juniper Berries. These are responsibly sourced gifts from the boreal forest and demonstrate Joella’s commitment to using her products to share her culture. Her experience as the Manager of Heritage and Culture for her First Nation and her training in environmental science and community planning prepared her to build a company intricately linked to community empowerment and cultural preservation. This also allows her to feature traditional beadwork and artwork on her products, which creates extra economic prospects.
Joella welcomes everyone worldwide to enjoy the beauty and customs of the Yukon by preserving Indigenous knowledge and fostering a sense of connection via each bar of soap.

A Blueprint for Sustainable Business
The Yukon Soaps Company promotes sustainable and community-focused entrepreneurship based on Indigenous values. Joella’s comprehensive approach to business prioritizes:
Sustainable practices: The company assures environmental sustainability by collecting robust plants that grow quickly.
Community Engagement: Joella incorporates elders and local youth in the botanical collection, promoting intergenerational knowledge exchange.
Cultural Enrichment: The Northern Tutchone language is integrated into the company’s activities and products, thereby promoting linguistic preservation.
Economic Empowerment: The company promotes local economic progress by creating jobs and developing skills.
Artisan partnerships: Joella collaborates with Indigenous artisans to feature traditional beadwork and artwork on her products, which creates extra economic prospects.
This complex business approach has received widespread attention, including the 2019 Indigenous Business of the Year award in Yukon. The company’s success demonstrates how culturally grounded entrepreneurship can have a broad influence, presenting an encouraging example for Indigenous and non-Indigenous entrepreneurs.

Navigating Challenges, Envisioning Growth
Joella Hogan’s entrepreneurial journey has been challenging. Obtaining a business loan was difficult due to the lack of property rights on First Nations land. However, Joella’s persistence and connections, including BMO funding, allowed her to expand operations by shifting to a downtown Mayo location.
Joella’s vision goes beyond soapmaking. She envisions a community hub in Mayo that will offer skill development workshops, language revival projects, and more job prospects. This is consistent with her belief in using traditional wisdom to generate plenty. Joella received approximately $99,000 in CanNor funding under the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy to advance her objective of establishing a new manufacturing factory that would fulfill expanding demand while retaining a strong community emphasis.

Legacy of Impact and Inspiration
The Yukon Soaps Company is a prime example of how Indigenous business can spur revolutionary change. Joella’s business has inspired would-be business owners by skillfully combining sustainability, community involvement, and cultural preservation.
Her belief that business is “never just about soap” and instead involves land management, cultural exchange, and storytelling strikes a deep chord. The Yukon Soaps Company exemplifies how integrating corporate objectives with environmental and cultural values can have significant, long-lasting effects.

Joella’s story highlights Indigenous entrepreneurs’ distinctive viewpoints and priceless contributions, who are becoming increasingly prominent in Canada’s economy. She strengthens ties, revives customs, and illustrates how entrepreneurship can be a positive force through her work. Because of Joella Hogan’s commitment, The Yukon Soaps Company is more than just a company; it is a living example of the tenacity and depth of Indigenous culture and community.
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