Retrophiliac
Vancouver, Mainland/Southwest
Retrophiliac
Vancouver, Mainland/Southwest
I am an autistic, LGBTQIA 2+, neurodivergent person who runs their own business specializing in pins to help people communicate, express themselves and be proud of who they are. I am in over 40 stores between USA and Canada and I donate merchandise when it is appropriate to different organizations and individuals. I use my business as a vehicle for my activism advocacy work, especially in the disability space. I fight for disabled small business owners to have more appropriate and tailored resources to be able to sustain ourselves and I want to lead by example. With my communication pins, they are in clear, concise and expressive. They help individuals express their needs and many have said that they make airport visits much easier. On top of that, my items create greater visibility for folks who want to be able to let others know they are Autistic, Neurodivergent or just want to add a piece of flair to their outfit. My items have expanded to include Patches, Stickers, Lanyards, Keychains, ID Card Holders, ID clips, Magnets and notecards. I currently run my business out of my apartment and my dream one day would be to have a room dedicated to my products. I am also dedicated to reducing the unfair stereotype that disabled people must be reliant on others for their employment and I hope to lead by example.
Retrophiliac has been nominated in the following categories:
Click on the banners to find out why they deserve your vote in each category.
Best Youth Entrepreneur
What motivated you to start your business and what is your vision for the future of the company?
What motivated me to start my business was being unable to find an appropriate job that could accommodate all of my needs, especially pertaining to my difficulties when it comes to communication. I saw void in the marketplace I wanted to fill. The future for my business is to hopefully reach and exceed over 50 retail Locations that carry my goods, Expanding my product range and streamlining product fulfilment so that it is easier for me. I also want to create a mentor ship and Grant in the future to help other disabled entrepreneurs be able to access self-employment easier.
Why do you deserve to win the Best Youth Entrepreneur Award?
I have been working so incredibly hard to change the narrative when it comes to how disabled people access employment. I also want to showcase that autistic people are capable of much more than people give us credit for and many of us don’t need an employment middleman. I hear from so many people in the nonprofit that I’m part of, BC people first that they want to be working for themselves too. I feel that a lot of what I do tends to go unrecognized and I feel like more people should know about my business. My pins can help so many people and that is proven by the positive reviews I receive and stories I hear. In a professional setting, when someone is unable to speak, those are just a couple of reasons why my plans are so important and disabled people need more recognition for being able to do this themselves.
People's Choice
Why do you think you should win the Premier’s People’s Choice Award?
It’s not often that a disabled person gets recognition for running their own business, a lot of the time people who hire us are the ones who are receiving awards and accolades. I feel like it’s important to showcase what we are capable of and to lead by example. I think I should win because I want to be able to help other people achieve this and it’s something that’s very important to me. Everything I do, for my activism to my advocacy work and my business has to do with empowering disabled people and reducing the stigma that comes along with the word. I offer affordable enamel pins that help folks communicate and identify in ways that they may be more comfortable with.