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A SPECIAL INTEREST SECTION BY MEDIAPLANET
Empowering Indigenous Voices ONLINE EXCLUSIVE
Q&A with Sarain Fox
A passionate advocate for Indigenous rights and a gifted storyteller, Sarain Fox tells us about her transformative journey. Empowering marginalized voices and promoting mutual understanding, she's sparking a movement to reclaim ancestral wisdom. To read the interview with Sarain, visit innovatingcanada.ca
Futurpreneur Is Leading the Way in Supporting Indigenous Entrepreneurs Melissa Gladue Business Development Manager, Indigenous Entrepreneur Startup Program, Futurpreneur
Paula Oness Founder, Mind Over Everything
Futurpreneur is dedicated to supporting young Indigenous entrepreneurs between 18 to 39 through financing, expert mentorship, and access to business resources.
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Tania Amardeil
uturpreneur has been fueling the entrepreneurial passions of Canada’s young enterprise for over two decades. “We’re the only national non-profit organization that provides early-stage financing, mentorship, and business resources to aspiring entrepreneurs aged 18 to 39 so that they can launch successful businesses,” says Melissa Gladue, Business Development Manager, Indigenous Entrepeneur Startup Program at Futurpreneur. Founded in 1996 as a way of giving Canadian youth the opportunity to realize their amazing business ideas and become their own bosses, since its inception the organization has supported over 17,700 diverse young entrepreneurs, helped launch over 13,900 businesses covering every province and territory, and provided over $200 million in capital alongside one-on-one mentorship.
Supporting Indigenous entrepreneurs Re c o g n i z i n g t he barriers faced b y I nd i genou s businesses, Futurpreneur launched its Indigenous Entrepreneur Sta r tup Pro gram in 2019 to support Indigenous entrepreneurs specifically. “Due to significant financial hurdles in accessing banking services
and capital, many Indigenous people turn to predatory lending institutions” says Gladue. “There is a lack of educational services in the ecosystem that address Indigenous financial resiliency. Futurpreneur is addressing this barrier with The Ohpikiwin Series, our Indigenous business and credit knowledge workshops. Other issues include discrimination and bias within institutions such as banks and education” The team at Futurpreneur is committed to providing the necessary supports to address and overcome these barriers. “We have a dedicated team of eight Indigenous staff members who all have lived experience and a passion for helping Indigenous youth to thrive in the business world,” says Gladue.
We have a dedicated team of eight Indigenous staff members who all have lived experience and a passion for helping Indigenous youth to thrive in the business world.
Providing peace of mind The financing provided by Futurpreneur is up to $60,000 and collateral-free. The organization also provides resources and programs focused on financial empowerment and literacy, including templates for business plans and cash flow analysis. Futurpreneur’s internationally recognized mentoring program hand matches young entrepreneurs with a business expert from a network of more than 2,600 volunteer mentors, ensuring they’re on the right path to success. One of the young entrepreneurs Futurpreneur helped support is Paula Oness, a Métis woman and founder of Mind Over Everything (mindovereverything.ca), a clinical hypnotherapy practice that helps its clients to form new habits, find purpose, and attract success. “It’s great to have peace of mind knowing that I can fund my business goals thanks to
Futurpreneur,” says Oness. “What I wasn’t expecting was how incredible and valuable the mentorship would be. Now that I have the right people in my corner and the finances to back me, it feels like I no longer have barriers. Futurpreneur can change your life!”
If you’re a young Indigenous entrepreneur with a big idea, Futurpreneur can help. Get connected with a dedicated team member at futurpreneur.ca/ en/ipm. This article was sponsored by Futurpreneur.
Indigenous Procurement: A Fair Deal for All Canadians CCAB's Supply Change™ initiative connects corporate Canada, governments, and Indigenous businesses to enhance Indigenous representation in supply chains.
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ndigenous procurement is an important driver of economic reconciliation and development for Indigenous communities. For centuries, Indigenous peoples have provided goods and resources to help Canada grow, and that tradition continues today with more than 60,000 Indigenous businesses thriving and ready to compete in the global marketplace. We have made significant and meaningful progress and have seen the benefit to both Indigenous business and corporate Canada. However, Indigenous businesses remain underrepresented in the supply chains of most Canadian corporations and Governments. As the recognized voice of Indigen-
ous business in Canada, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) introduced Supply Change™ in 2018, an Indigenous procurement strategy that looks for ways to strengthen connections between corporate Canada, governments and Indigenous businesses across the nation. A large component of Supply Change™ is the Aboriginal Procurement Marketplace, whose members consist of corporate companies committed to enhancing Indigenous representation in their supply chains and currently over 1200 Certified Aboriginal Businesses. Supply Change™ has developed digital structures, resources and supports to create the conditions for success
where possible, while decreasing the socio-economic gaps that exist within many Indigenous communities. The Government of Canada has also made important steps to increase federal procurement opportunities for Indigenous business across the country. In 2021, the Minister of Public Service and Procurement announced a mandatory requirement for all federal departments and agencies to direct a minimum of five per cent of the total value of contracts to Indigenous businesses. Indigenous Services Canada further pledged $35.2 million over five years to modernize the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business. At approximately $22 billion annually, the Government of Canada
is the largest purchaser of goods and services in the country. As such, even a modest change in the Government of Canada’s procurement practices will have enormous material benefits for Indigenous businesses and communities by supporting economic reconciliation. Including Indigenous businesses in supply chains is one of the most important ways governments and industry can support Indigenous business. CCAB is committed to ensuring procurement and trade opportunities exist to foster a strong Indigenous economy—and greater prosperity for all Canadians.
Visit CCAB.com for more information.
Publisher: Olivia Delbello Senior Strategic Account Manager: Anna Sibiga Strategic Account Director: Jessica Golyatov Country Manager: Nina Theodorlis Production Lead: Michael Taylor Creative Lead: Kylie Armishaw Web Editor: Christina Morgan Digital Media Coordinator: Kristen Neals Digital Traffic Strategist: Karm Rathod Content Strategist: Nicole Kansakar All images are from Getty Images unless otherwise credited. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve The National Post or its editorial departments. Send all inquiries to ca.editorial@mediaplanet.com.