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Breakthrough Nation With Karen Restoule
Trisha Pitura on creating products that travel from culture to market
Season 2, Ep. 3
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As Indigenous women increasingly shape Canada’s business landscape from the ground up, Trisha Pitura stands out for building a brand where design and market relevance meet.
Co-founder and Head of Design at Mini Tipi, a lifestyle company based in Québec, Pitura has been central to shaping a business that competes on quality, craftsmanship, and originality. Mini Tipi produces high-quality blankets, shawls, ponchos, and accessories rooted in authentic Indigenous design and manufactured locally in Canada.
Under her creative leadership, the brand has moved well beyond niche retail. This past fall, Mini Tipi appeared on Dragon’s Den, gaining national exposure, and has since secured high-profile partnerships, including recent collaborations with @Mastercard and the @Toronto Maple Leafs.
Pitura’s work spans creative direction, artist collaboration, and brand development, ensuring that each product reflects artistic integrity and cultural meaning without losing sight of scale, execution, or customer demand. The result is a business that operates confidently in competitive retail markets while maintaining a clear and disciplined creative vision.
This conversation explores how Indigenous women are exercising economic leadership through design innovation and business execution, building companies that meet the moment in a real way – through products people choose, buy, and keep.
ABOUT BREAKTHROUGH NATION
Breakthrough Nation spotlights people whose ambition, grit, and sense of duty are moving Canada forward. I’m Karen Restoule, your host, and each episode features leaders delivering real results across regions and sectors.
About Series 2.
Series #2 brings the spotlight on Indigenous women entrepreneurs who are building businesses, creating jobs, and exercising real economic leadership. You’ll hear from people who are motivated by ambition, opportunity, and the desire to create something of lasting value that delivers results – real results.
You’ll hear from former Chief Karen Ogen of the Wet’suwet’en Nation, former Chief Kim Baird of the Tsawwassen Nation, and Claire Sault of the Mississaugas of the Credit Nation, alongside entrepreneurs like Lorie Restoule-Young, cofounder and head of Young Forestry Services, Trisha Pitura, cofounder of Mini Tipi, and others who are moving capital, people, and ideas into action.
SERIES 2 is presented in collaboration with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.
Make sure you subscribe to never miss an episode.
Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on: iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.
WATCH podcasts in video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BreakthroughNationCA
Thank you for joining us on Breakthrough Nation podcast.
Follow along at:
YouTube: / @breakthroughnationca
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