WELLINGTON – Feb. 25, 2026 – A female carpentry shop, a café-bakery/bike shop, a specialty chocolate shop, and a crocheted handbag workshop: one of these four recently established businesses will soon win a $25,000 investment through RDÉE Prince Edward Island’s 2026 Francophone Ignition Contest.
“We would be honored to invest this amount, which comes from Innovation PEI’s Ignition Startup Fund, in any of these entrepreneurial projects, as we believe they are all equally worthy,” said contest coordinator Natalia Saldarriaga. “However, we will leave the decision to three judges from the business world during the contest finals, which will take place on the afternoon of Saturday, March 7. Please note that we have decided not to open the finals to the public this year to avoid the additional pressure of the public eye that our previous finalists felt in the past.”
As usual, the finals will be similar in style to the TV shows Shark Tank, Dragons’ Den, and Dans l’œil du dragon. Entrepreneurs will present their pitch for an entrepreneurial development project to a panel of three other judges; they will have 10 minutes to sell their idea. The judges will then ask them questions to better understand their project. After seeing the four presentations, the judges will select the entrepreneurial project that they believe is most ready and likely to succeed with the injection of contest funds. The jury will obviously consider the financial projections and personal investment of the competitors.
The winning business—which will be either Pink Hat Woodworks by Samantha Connelly, Knead A Brake by Raphaël Amiot-Savard, Choco Gourmet by Julie Monfette, or Le Bijou by Wijdane Bijou—will also receive a series of other prizes to support it in its entrepreneurial journey. The Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce will give them a free three-year membership, the Greater Charlottetown and Area Chamber of Commerce will contribute a free one-year membership, and the College de l’Île will offer them a free college course of their choice. The Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI will give them a pair of free tickets to the 2026 Acadian Entrepreneurs’ Gala (March 21) and will also give the four finalists a free membership for the 2026-2027 year.
The 2026 Francophone Ignition Competition initially attracted 11 competitors. Nine of them completed the training sessions and then participated in the preliminary round on Saturday, Feb. 21. On that day, a first panel of judges, made up of entrepreneur Mathieu Gallant, multi-entrepreneur Janine Arsenault, and Innovation PEI representative Mathieu Foran, selected the four finalists.
The Francophone Ignition Conest is made possible thanks to contributions from Innovation PEI and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FINALISTS’ ENTREPRENEURIAL PROJECTS
PINK HAT WOODWORKS
Samantha Connelly established Pink Hat Woodworks, a woman-owned artisanal carpentry business, in Harrington. She offers custom cabinetmaking services, including the design and manufacture of furniture, cabinets, outdoor structures, and educational creations for children. Each project is handmade, combining traditional craftsmanship with modern design. The company stands out for its personalized approach, the quality of its finishes, and its commitment to sustainable and local practices. The company also offers general carpentry and light renovation services tailored to the needs of residential and commercial clients. If Pink Hat wins the $25,000 investment, Connelly will complete the renovation of her workshop and purchase specialized equipment and tools for the production of custom furniture and educational structures for children. A portion of the funds would also be used to design a website and promote the business.
KNEAD A BRAKE
Raphaël Amiot-Savard opened Knead A Brake in Travellers Rest. This café-bakery was born out of a passion for cycling, artisanal baking, and community. It is an artisanal bakery, a specialty bike shop, and a gathering place for foodies and sports enthusiasts. The bakery specializes in croissants, gluten-free products, and sourdough breads. Its café uses local products and a local roaster; its teas are organic. The company also offers all services for maintaining bicycles and electric bikes of all levels. Its bikes all come from a quality distributor that keeps an eye on their sustainable impact. The company also offers coaching along and running and cycling outings for everyone. If Knead A Brake wins the Ignition contest, it will seek to develop and open a beautiful modular café in either Kensington or Summerside.
CHOCO GOURMET
Julie Monfette is the proud owner of Choco Gourmet, an artisanal chocolate shop in Charlottetown that specializes in using local products. It is the only chocolate shop on the Island that offers exceptional, luxury products for everyone, including people who cannot eat nuts, peanuts, or dairy products. Her products are well known to those who frequent the Charlottetown Farmers’ Market, where Monfette and her children have a busy and popular booth. They sell their products individually or in gift boxes of various sizes. Last fall, Monfette participated in a sales mission to Quebec and hopes to develop her market in that province. If she wins the $25,000 investment from the contest, she will purchase professional equipment and advertise and promote her products throughout the province and elsewhere in Canada.
LE BIJOU
Wijdane Bijou of Charlottetown has developed Le Bijou, a crochet brand specializing in the creation of handmade bags and accessories. Le Bijou uses recycled, upcycled, and repurposed textile yarns, most of which come from the textile manufacturing industry. Each piece is carefully crafted to be unique, elegant, and designed for everyday use, while offering a modern take on crochet. The style of the products is updated to offer a modern and contemporary look, while ensuring that the products are sustainable, eco-friendly, and of high quality. If Le Bijou wins the Ignition Contest, Bijou would like to move towards a 100% cotton raw materials to further increase the quality and sustainability of her products. She would also like to strengthen the promotion of the brand and participate in more local and Canadian markets and place her creations in local boutiques.
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PHOTO 1: The finalists of the 2026 Francophone Ignition Contest are (top row) Samantha Connelly of Pink Hat Woodworks and Raphaël Amiot-Savard of Knead A Brake, and (bottom row) Julie Monfette of Choco Gourmet and Wijdane Bijou of Le Bijou.
PHOTO 2: The pre-selection panel of judges, which chose the four finalists, consisted of, from left, Mathieu Gallant of Fromagerie PEI, Janine Arsenault of Magasin Acadien and Arsenault Family Lumber, and Mathieu Foran of Innovation PEI.
For more information:
Natalia Saldarriaga
Coordinator
2026 Francophone Ignition Contest
RDÉE Prince Edward Island
(250) 253-5794
natalia@rdeeipe.org