Venture Out is a podcast series launched in May 2021 that shares the brave stories of Indigenous northerners who are inspiring innovation and community wellbeing through business. It is an initiative of EntrepreNorth, a project on MakeWay's shared platform that offers programming to empower Indigenous entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses and livelihoods across northern Canada.

Hosted and produced by EntrepreNorth’s co-director, Xina Cowan, Venture Out takes listeners on an immersive journey into the lives and businesses of Indigenous entrepreneurs who are choosing a different path and uplifting others along the way. Each episode features in-depth conversations with Indigenous entrepreneurs and leaders in which they reflect on: how entrepreneurship can drive social change and strengthen northern ways of life; leadership in entrepreneurship, including matriarchal leadership; decolonizing business practices; and overcoming business-related challenges.

Venture Out offers listeners an opportunity to explore different ways of thinking about entrepreneurship and how it’s being creatively redefined in northern communities. It’s also a vehicle to celebrate Indigenous excellence beyond the world of business.

Seasons 1 + 2 of Venture Out are available on all major podcast platforms. 

Listen to Venture Out

Production Team

Xina Cowan | Producer and Host

Xina Cowan is the Producer and Host of Venture Out. She lives and works in Yellowknife, NWT on Chief Drygeese Territory and her ancestry is Irish, Scottish, and Mohawk. Xina recognizes the profound impact of good storytelling through podcasting and believes it has the potential to change our lives. As EntrepreNorth’s Community Manager, she has the privilege of collaborating with business owners who are not only doing important work but have captivating personal stories filled with courage, challenges, and humour. She created Venture Out as a platform to share their inspiring journeys with listeners across the North and beyond.

Travis Mercredi | Co-Producer and Sound Engineer

Travis Mercredi is a Metis sound designer and musician born and raised in the Northwest Territories.  Based out of Yellowknife he operates his business Outland Sound Design producing and recording audio for film, television, radio and theatre.  In the past year along with co-production and sound design for “I Count Myself Among Them” his credits include sound design for Akpik Theatre’s one woman play “Tumit” which was part of this years Talking Stick Theatre festival, a short film called “Amelia” which was selected by Telefilm to be shown at the Cannes International Film Festival as part of their new Canadian talent presentation and audio post-production for “Dene: A Journey” a reality show which bring young aboriginal people from the NWT back on the land to reconnect with their cultural heritage.

Jess Dunkin | Lead Researcher

Jess Dunkin is the lead researcher for Venture Out. Jess is a settler writer and historian based in Yellowknife. Through her business, Dunkin Creative, Jess provides research, writing, and communications support to communities and organizations in the NWT.

Our theme song is Fires Across the Tundra by Leela Gilday 

Our artwork is by Jen Edwards of Sprucetip Design