After eight years with the MakeWay Shared Platform, EntrepreNorth has become an independent charitable organization.
Founded in 2018, the organization offers programming, training and events to empower Indigenous entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses and livelihoods across the Yukon, NWT and Nunavut.
“Spring in the North is a time of renewal and of preparing for what comes next,” stated Xina Cowan, chief executive officer and co-founder of EntrepreNorth, in a Monday news release.
“This transition reflects that same energy and intention. It’s about stepping forward in a way that is grounded and aligned with the communities we serve.”
Cowan said independence allows EntrepreNorth to implement its own Indigenous-led governance structure and expand access to capital, knowledge and networks to help entrepreneurs start and sustain businesses in the long-term.
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“EntrepreNorth was always about more than entrepreneurship,” co-founder Benjamin Scott stated.
“It was about creating the conditions for Indigenous economic self-determination from within, where people can build in ways that reflect who they are and where they come from.”
Monday’s news release states that “While the North is often framed through the lens of resource development, Indigenous economies have long been its foundation.”
It said those economies are resurging through entrepreneurs who are “redefining value and success on their own terms,” but barriers remain including high operating costs, infrastructure gaps, limited access to financing and the impacts of colonization.
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EntrepreNorth said it is working to address those barriers through education, mentorship and capital to empower entrepreneurs to “build economies that prioritize sustainable growth and economic wellbeing.”
Sandy Kownak, an EntrepreNorth board member and program alum, said the organization “proves that when Indigenous entrepreneurs are trusted and empowered, entire communities benefit.”
“EntrepreNorth helped me see that my business is connected to my identity and my responsibility to the land,” stated Bobbi Rose Koe, a program alum and founder of Dinjii Zhuh Adventures.
“That changes how you think about success.”
