Bomber Drew Richmond ready to pop-up his shop

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This article was published 29/09/2023 (766 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg Blue Bomber aims to help locals “boss up” through a new pop-up market.

Hence the name ‘Where a Boss Meets a Boss Pop-Up Shop,’ or the shortened version, ‘Boss Link-Up Market.’

“It’s a gathering place,” said Drew Richmond, an offensive lineman.

He started a non-profit, MyPurpose Impact Enterprise, at least four years ago. The upcoming market is the organization’s first in Winnipeg.

Richmond hopes the five-hour event on Sunday will both connect and inspire Winnipeggers.

“We believe that everyone is truly talented and has a very special gift to leverage,” Richmond, 27, said. “It’s just about being around a support system, having that access to the resources and the things people need to be successful.”

A market is one way to connect entrepreneurs with each other and consumers, Richmond continued.

He’s anticipating 10 to 12 booths at the event. The small pop-up at the West End Cultural Centre can, possibly, provide a confidence boost to entrepreneurs, Richmond explained.

“Whether we have 500 people come out or 20 people come out, the fact is, you believe in yourself enough to set up your booth,” he stated.

A handful of Blue Bombers players will stop by, Richmond said. His teammate Rasheed Bailey, a wide receiver, will give a motivational speech on “bossing up” and taking your skills to the next level, he added.

There will be a booth distributing mental health information alongside the small business set-ups, which include local artists, a barber and an eyelash technician.

Richmond will release his book My Purpose Manifesto, detailing his life and his future plans, at the event.

“It’s a very vulnerable moment and story for me right now,” he said. “Hopefully others can find inspiration.”

The former University of Tennessee-Knoxville and University of Southern California player tore his knee during his first CFL game in 2021.

He spent a year recovering, watching football from the sidelines. The time allowed him to work on his self-proclaimed passion of helping community, he said.

Last year, Richmond hosted 30 Bombers fans and their families at a game, giving them tickets through his non-profit.

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The pop-up Sunday is just the beginning, Richmond said. He’s planning more events in the future and has a goal of opening a health-care facility in the city.

For now, he’s focused on the upcoming market. The West End Cultural Centre space can fit 460 people.

“We are happy to provide space and support community networking initiatives,” Jason Hooper, the centre’s executive director, wrote in an email.

The pop-up shop runs from 3 to 8 p.m. and is free to enter.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com

Gabrielle Piché
Reporter

Gabrielle Piché reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle.

Every piece of reporting Gabrielle produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.