About Indigenext
Indigenous Business Acceleration is not new to the lands we call Canada. It has been here since time immemorial. It has been along the west coast and up river as Ooligan runs, and the grease trails and trade routes they engineered, shared fishing villages, fish weirs, forestry practices, wildfire containment. We are still here, innovating.
Indigenext researched and published a paper on the state of Global Indigenous Accelerators back in 2015. At that time there were less than a dozen on the global map and only one other on the east coast focussed on aerospace (an early collaborator of ours). While this consultation was undertaken, we were connecting with nations, elders, hereditary chiefs, matriarchs and a vast array of community members in understanding where existing (colonial) business infrastructures was coming up short and how we could re-frame and build a better type of acceleration network.
Our work is designed to provide Indigenous entrepreneurs with the necessary support and resources to establish and grow successful businesses. The program includes mentorship, business training, resources to build digital capabilities, seed funding, networking opportunities, and sometimes fire and song, whatever is needed.
We have engaged over the last 8 years in developing and supporting Indigenous entrepreneurs inside and outside their communities. Indigenous entrepreneurs are a grossly underrepresented group in terms of market share and we need to accelerate and support their pathways to success though all means.
A unique aspect of many of the enterprises and businesses we support is that unlike the traditional acceleration/shareholder value model, most of our companies have no desire for what we would call “an exit” in western incubation/acceleration terms. No one exits the community and land they belong to. They are tied to it since time immemorial and for generations to come. There is often no exiting for these businesses, and that is true sustainability.
At INDIGENEXT, we’re on a mission to fast-track the potential of Indigenous businesses that aim to lead, not follow or play catch-up. Our focus is on “leapfrog” companies, that stand out by:
Leveraging Indigenous Ways of Being: We firmly believe that the relationship between Indigenous businesses, the land, and their communities is a source of unparalleled strength. We empower businesses to utilize this unique foundation to create a competitive edge.
Seizing Global Market Opportunities: We’re passionate about helping Indigenous businesses tap into national and global market opportunities. Through the fusion of traditional wisdom and cutting-edge technology, we position these businesses on the world stage.
Balancing Economic Development: Indigenext is dedicated to achieving the balance between economic development, Indigenous entrepreneurship and community interests entwined with that entrepreneur. We understand that true prosperity must weave these needs together.
We help connect the vision of growth and community balance, with opportunities, partners, mentors, and investors. Our team is a blend of financiers, project managers, coders, master storytellers and tech-savvy strategists, individuals deeply immersed in both the business world and the realm of social impact. We appreciate the transformative power of visibility and advocacy, understanding that every story has the potential to change lives and communities. We are proud of the fact that we are members of the communities we have served and become lifetime partners.
Join us in our journey to accelerate Indigenous business across all territories and Nations. Together, we’re creating a world where tradition and innovation walk hand in hand, where Indigenous communities flourish, and where every success story is a beacon of hope for others.
We are Passionate About Business, Community, Culture, and the Future
We go deep with our partners exploring what matters to them and what building a “sustainable enterprise” looks like. This often has nothing to do with “exits” or 10x or 100x’s in market valuation. It is about what kind of legacy does this leave the community and the generations that come after. We think long term and ask ourselves what the ancestors would think of the work we are doing right now, and how it serves the children yet to come.
All of our entrepreneurs support their communities, which are oftentimes underrepresented. Indigenous entrepreneurs statistically have a harder time scaling from a small solopreneur-type business to two + employees which benefit their immediate communities. BC currently houses 21% of the national total of aboriginal small businesses and that number has grown 20% measured between 2011 and 2016. Many of these businesses struggle to scale-up with many being relegated to to the bottom end of the small business scale. The pronounced gap taking on employees between indigenous and non-indigenous small businesses is something we address.
Indigenext has also been successful in working within remote communities, such as Kingcome Inlet, Alert Bay, and Gilford Island, and developing businesses that have employed many people and contributed significantly to the local community. Seawolf Adventures based in Kingcome Inlet BC went from one boat to having several and dozens of employees with visitors from all around the world taking in the beauty of their traditional territory and showcasing “Supernatural British Columbia” through the lens of it’s original people.
Nawalakw, a Cultural and Language Revitalization Social Enterprise we incubated has recaptured its traditional territory and become the largest non-governmental seasonal employer of Indigenous youth in the province.
Ki’kw: the Kwakwaka’wakw Sovereignty Pole and the world’s largest totem pole, will become the largest tourist and cultural attraction in North Vancouver Island, demonstrating the cultural heritage of the Kwakwaka’wakw people to the world and highlighting reconciliation and abundant economic benefits to all of Vancouver Island.
Indigenext’s office began work in 2015 on the unceded territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and Səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) working alongside our cousins and neighbors the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), qʼʷa:n̓ƛʼən̓ (Kwantlen), q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie) sɛmiˈɑːmu (Semiahmoo), and sc̓əwaθən məsteyəx (Tsawwassen) First Nations. We continue work in those territories as well as holding space and expanding with team members in Kwakwaka’wakw, Lënapehòkink (Lenape) and Tsilhqotʼin (Chilcotin) Territories with the deepest gratitude towards the land, and all it’s beings and people, past, present and future.