A national spotlight on Indigenous leadership in procurement
Indigenous SME Business Magazine’s Nov–Dec 2025 issue features Anishinaabe entrepreneur and eSupply Canada founder, Steven Vanloffeld. The profile highlights his work to transform everyday purchasing into a tool for Indigenous economic empowerment, and to keep more procurement dollars in Indigenous communities.
At eSupply Canada, we see procurement as more than transactions. It is a chance for businesses, governments, schools, and everyday Canadians to choose where their money goes and whose economies it builds.
From an idea to the first Indigenous-designed office chair
One of the stories brought forward in Steven’s interview is the Waaban Chair.
The Waaban Chair is:
- The first Indigenous-designed, Canadian-made ergonomic office chair
- A collaboration between Indigenous-owned eSupply Canada, ergonomic leader ergoCentric, and Mi’gmaq artist Tracey Metallic
- A statement piece for boardrooms, council chambers, classrooms, and work-from-home offices
“Waaban” means morning light in Anishinaabemowin. The design brings that sense of new beginnings and hope into spaces where decisions are made. When leaders sit in the Waaban Chair, Indigenous presence is literally in the room with them.
Procurement with Purpose in action
The Waaban Chair is more than a beautiful design. It is also a concrete example of Procurement with Purpose.
When organizations choose Waaban, they are:
- Purchasing from an Indigenous-owned Canadian business
- Supporting Indigenous art and storytelling through Tracey Metallic’s work
- Helping fund education for Indigenous students, with $20 from each chair donated to Indspire
For corporate buyers, school boards, and public institutions with reconciliation and ESG commitments, the Waaban Chair turns those commitments into something visible and tangible. It is a daily reminder that reconciliation shows up in the choices we make about who we buy from.
What this means for Canadian businesses
Canadian companies are under growing pressure to align their supply chains with their values. Steven’s feature in Indigenous SME Business Magazine is a sign of how quickly this conversation is moving. Indigenous-owned suppliers are no longer an afterthought. They are central partners in building a more equitable economy.
Choosing the Waaban Chair is one way to:
- Bring Indigenous design, language, and presence into your leadership spaces
- Demonstrate real action on Truth and Reconciliation
- Support Indigenous youth and communities through ongoing economic impact
Read the feature and bring Waaban into your space
You can read Steven’s profile in Indigenous SME Business Magazine here.
If you are a:
- Corporate or public sector buyer
- School board or post-secondary institution
- Organisation looking to align procurement with reconciliation
We invite you to:
Ready to bring Waaban into your space?
Contact us at info@esupplycanada.ca or visit the Waaban Chair page to learn more or request a quote.