About Us
EntrepreNorth is more than a project – it’s a growing network of Indigenous entrepreneurs and changemakers from across the North who are building businesses that reflect their values and visions for the future. We exist to support Indigenous innovation that’s rooted in identity, community values, and deep care for the land. Our work combines business tools and education with Indigenous knowledge systems to support entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey.
Our Origin Story
EntrepreNorth began with a bold question: What would it take to support Northern Indigenous entrepreneurs to grow sustainable businesses that reflect their values and create lasting impact in their communities?
In 2017, a group of Northern changemakers, Indigenous leaders, policymakers, funders, and grassroots entrepreneurs came together in Yellowknife, NT for two multi-sector design workshops hosted by Tides Canada (now MakeWay) and led by Benjamin Scott. What emerged was a shared understanding: Indigenous entrepreneurs in the North face unique barriers—but they also hold the potential to drive transformative social and economic change.
From those two gatherings, the idea for EntrepreNorth took flight.
EntrepreNorth was launched in early 2018 as Project of MakeWay with a clear purpose: to activate the entrepreneurial potential that already exists in the North and support community members to build sustainable businesses and livelihoods that reflect who they are and where they come from.
EntrepreNorth’s first offering was a cohort-based program that brought together early-stage Indigenous and community-based entrepreneurs from across the North to participate in immersive business education. This inaugural program laid the foundation for EntrepreNorth’s long-term vision: to support entrepreneurs not just with tools and training, but with holistic, community-centered support systems that recognize the realities of Northern life.
Since then, EntrepreNorth has expanded its suite of offerings to include ideation workshops, facilitator training, digital tools like the eNorth App, and the creation of a Northern Impact Fund to help address the barrier of access to capital. We’ve also invested in storytelling platforms like our Venture Out podcast and impact video series to amplify the voices and experiences of Indigenous entrepreneurs driving change in their communities.
EntrepreNorth’s beginnings were shaped by the vision and efforts of those who laid the groundwork. The idea and start-up funding for EntrepreNorth was first seeded by Steve Ellis and Sandra Inutiq, who co-authored the paper Discovering a True Northern Economy: Incubating, activating, and proving sustainable business enterprises in the Yukon, NWT, and Nunavut. From there, Benjamin Scott was brought on to lead the program’s design and become the Project Director. EntrepreNorth’s early foundation was also shaped by many voices and insights shared during the initial design thinking workshops in Yellowknife, and we continue to be guided by the wisdom and experience of Northern Indigenous entrepreneurs and community leaders.
Timeline
How We Work Differently
Mapping Business Through a Circular Lens
At the heart of EntrepreNorth’s work is the Multi-Directional Business Compass—an Indigenous-centred model created by Benjamin Scott that offers a multi-dimensional perspective on value creation, business development and systems thinking. This model serves as the foundation for our program design and offers a powerful tool for thinking about business, community, and economic impact in a more circular and holistic way.
Our Guiding Values
