YBI and member Futurpreneur are pleased to announce the launch of an all-new informative series dedicated to the financial empowerment of young Indigenous adults in Canada, supported by Accenture.

Working with Indigenous community leaders and entrepreneurs, The Ohpikiwin Series, Journey to financial empowerment run by Futurpreneur will foster economic inclusion and resilience across Canada, supported by Accenture as part of its investment in a more equitable future through its Skills to Succeed initiative. With a commitment to further invest in Indigenous entrepreneurship, YBI has pledged to share learnings with the wider YBI Network and youth entrepreneurship ecosystem to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion and improve outcomes for Indigenous entrepreneurs. 

Futurpreneur is a member of YBI’s global network and drives inclusive prosperity by helping diverse young entrepreneurs in Canada start and succeed through financing, one-to-one mentorship and business resources to support aspiring founders launching and growing main street businesses across the country. Over its 25-year span, Futurpreneur has supported more than 15,000 entrepreneurs in launching over 12,000 businesses across Canada; more than 40% of its clients are women-led businesses and it offers tailored programs for Black and Indigenous entrepreneurs. 

As part of the programme Indigenuity Consulting Group Inc., an Indigenous owned company, will act on behalf of Futurpreneur to complete community engagement round-tables, surveys, and interviews to help guide Futurpreneur’s collaboration and work alongside various Indigenous communities, community members, elders, knowledge keepers, entrepreneurs and Indigenous led organizations to co-create the Ohpikiwin Series, Journey to financial empowerment. The series will focus on Indigenous economic inclusion and resilience to assist aspiring entrepreneurs in developing their business financial capacity and entrepreneurship skills through an Indigenous worldview, to foster Indigenous economic empowerment and prosperity.  

Indigenous youth are one of the largest demographic youth segments in Canada and an integral part of the nation’s economic development and growth. Designed to guide entrepreneurs through the challenging startup process, Futurpreneur’s Indigenous Entrepreneur Startup Program provides qualifying participants with financing and access to resources and workshops, and matches them with an experienced mentor for up to two years. Since Futurpreneur’s IESP team establishment in 2019, and in collaboration with National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association (NACCA) and their member Aboriginal Financial Institutions (AFIs), they have helped more than 100 young Indigenous entrepreneurs pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and launch businesses.

Anita Tiessen, CEO of YBI:
“Inclusive entrepreneurship is at the forefront of YBI’s mission. We are extremely proud to launch our first program specifically targeted at supporting young Indigenous entrepreneurs. We’re looking forward to working closely with our member Futurpreneur and our long-standing partner Accenture on this important program and will share learnings to drive cross-cutting benefits to our wider network, promoting resources, learnings and methods.” 

Karen Greve Young, CEO of Futurpreneur:
“As part of Futurpreneur’s work helping diverse young entrepreneurs start and succeed, we are committed to creating inclusive resources that are empowering, informative, and community-focused. Ohpikiwin Series will be co-designed in collaboration with Indigenous community leaders and entrepreneurs and delivered in partnership with Youth Business International and Accenture as part of our Indigenous Entrepreneur Startup Program (IESP) to further drive economic inclusion and resilience of Indigenous communities.”

Jeffrey Russell, president of Accenture in Canada:
“Accenture is passionate about advancing inclusion for Indigenous communities. The Indigenous business economy in Canada is highly entrepreneurial, but faces disproportionate barriers to entry. The Ohpikiwin Series will help address these hurdles and create pathways to success for Indigenous youth, supporting a more equitable future.”  

Visit Futurpreneur’s website to learn more about the Ohpikiwin Series, their Indigenous Entrepreneur Startup Program, and to register for upcoming events.