  For April 2021, we are delighted to present Salma Nadaf as our spotlight alumni entrepreneur. Salma has a sustainable apparel brand suitable for active lifestyles and whose mission is to promote love for nature while being active. About Salma I am a nature lover and an outdoorsy person who loves hiking. I love an active lifestyle and strongly believe ‘Health is Wealth’. Health can be best achieved only if our surrounding environment is clean and green. I have almost a decade’s worth of international experience in the retail apparel industry. I feel it is time to give back to the community. MOOSE MOONRace provides me with this opportunity. MOOSE MOONRace is the sustainable apparel brand for active lifestyles, and it reflects my vision of establishing a long-term, peaceful human relationship with flora and fauna. |
Academic Background
I graduated from George Brown College in International Fashion Management program in 2020. I also hold an MBA degree from Pune University, India. My secondary school ‘Haribhai Devakaran Prashala’ located in Solapur city, India, contributed significantly to my professional success so far, as it strengthened me right from my childhood for all the upcoming challenges of the future.
What made you want to become an entrepreneur?
I have been an explorer all my life. I love visiting beautiful and wild natural spots. I am a research-oriented person who loves innovation and believes in turning imagination into reality. I feel a 9 to 5 job would certainly put limitations on my exploration and would not provide me with a platform for bold innovations. Entrepreneurship provides me with this platform where I can be a decision-maker, turn dreams into reality and the sky is the limit for my growth.
Why did you create your business?
Last summer while visiting Oxtongue lake near Algonquin Highlands, I was really inspired by the beauty of its wilderness. I felt deeply humans should be respecting this wonderful environment by leaving a minimal carbon footprint behind. This led me to come up with a sustainable active apparel brand ‘MOOSE MOONRace whose mission would be to promote love towards nature while being active outdoors. Launching this business makes me an entrepreneur at the age of 32.
MOOSE MOONRace is an outcome of the integration of multiple factors – my international experience in the apparel business, sustainable fashion knowledge from GBC, my active lifestyle, and my love of nature.
What successes have you enjoyed so far with building your company?
My main success is turning my dream into reality by launching this brand. I like networking with the right people and learning new things. The most I enjoyed in this entrepreneurship journey is upskilling myself with a new set of tools required to become a founder. I must say, networking opportunities provided by startGBC, Access Entrepreneurship Connections, and Access CCF has made this journey easy and interesting. I enjoyed making new connections with peers, mentors, advisors, and experts from different fields. They all have had a significant contribution to shaping my business model.
What is one piece of advice you would give to aspiring entrepreneurs?
“Surround yourself with the right people. Time is valuable so make sure you do not waste it with negative mindsets. Be unique, realistic, and optimistic!” – Salma Nadaf
Website & Socials
Website: https://moosemoonrace.com/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/moosemoonrace/
Facebook: MOOSE MOONRace