The world needs more Indigenous entrepreneurs
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We create supports focused on helping Native & Indigenous creators break down barriers and grow self determining businesses.
Join us to learn from and meet entrepreneurs in your collective community.
Current Events
Watch the 2024 Pow Wow Pitch Grande Finale highlighting 30 of the most exciting Indigenous entrepreneurs
Pow Wow Pitch is a pitch competition for Indigenous entrepreneurs across Turtle Island to shine the spotlight on pow wow vendors, artists, business builders and innovators from all backgrounds and industries.
The 2024 Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards presented by Pow Wow Pitch and Shopify celebrate excellence
Pow Wow Pitch is a pitch competition for Indigenous entrepreneurs across Turtle Island to shine the spotlight on pow wow vendors, artists, business builders and innovators from all backgrounds and industries
ONLINE STORE & Sell in Person
Shopify makes the transition online easy
Selling online with your own ecommerce website has never been easier, faster, or more scalable.
Impress your customers with a beautiful store. Sell at your next market or Pop-up with Shopify's Point of Sale. Sell through Facebook and Instagram, or add buying functionality to your current website with Shopify's Buy Buttons.
build with fellow creatives, get exclusive offers, and Build together
Join our Digital Indigenous Entrepreneur Community
Are you an Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, Métis), Native (American Indian, Native Alaskan, Native Hawaiian) creative or entrepreneur currently using Shopify?
Join the Shopify Indigenous Community to connect, learn from and build with fellow creatives, get exclusive offers, and Build together!
Merchant Spotlights
The creator behind Kokom Scrunchies, Mya Beaudry is a talented 11 year old Algonquin from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation. Since starting Kokom Scrunchies in the fall of 2019, Mya has always ensured that all Kokom Scrunchies are handmade with love in Canada.
Mya names each of the original Kokom Scrunchies after Indigenous role models in her life. She hopes to also inspire others in her journey. What started off as an idea, has taken Mya on path of bringing Kokom Scrunchies to everyone, young and old.
https://kokomscrunchies.ca/
Maimoa Creative is a design studio run by Aroha Korowai, based in Tauranga that is passionate about promoting the Māori language and culture through unique designs, products and resources. Our aim is to help normalise the use of te reo Māori in everyday life.
https://maimoa.nz/
Modeste (Monday) Zankpe learned to embrace a new way of being because of the pandemic and the sudden onset of an autoimmune disorder. In 2021, she founded her jewelry line Monday May Jewelry as a hobby to stay on top of her mental health. Her striking earring designs quickly became a hit. Monday’s Afro-Indigenous jewelry brand creates heirloom pieces for collectors excited to incorporate rich culture with sustainable slow fashion. She is forever inspired by both of her Indigenous cultures - the Ewe and Secwépemc People.
Monday's journey into entrepreneurship started in 2013. She has a passion for studying and teaching low-overhead, low-barrier entrepreneurship, as it directly contributes to the sovereignty and liberation of marginalized communities.
https://mondaymayjewelry.com/
Justin Louis is the Creative Director and Founder of SECTION 35. He is a member of the Samson Cree Nation and was born and raised in Nipisihkopahk (Samson) on Treaty 6 Territory.
Justin is a fashion designer, graphic designer and photographer. His work blends the past with the present and finds inspiration in the juxtaposition between these elements. He launched SECTION 35 in 2016 with the intention to use art and fashion to tell his peoples' stories.
https://www.sectionthirtyfive.com/
The name – Uasau – comes from the English word “wash,” as pronounced by Baffin Island Inuit who met whalers hundreds of years ago. Fire and water – tools of cleaning and healing that balance each other.
Uasau Soap is a family owned business run by a husband and wife Bernice Clarke in Iqaluit, Nunavut.
https://uasausoap.com/
The name Vaoala Vanilla signifies the name of the village that is home to the farm and the meaning of the Samoan word 'Vaoala' (Vow-ah-lah) which embodies the philosophy behind the product. 'Vao' in the Samoan language means 'wooded or forest/tree area' and 'ala' means to 'awaken' or 'enlighten'. And we interpret this as Vaoala Vanilla has awoken founder Shelley Burich's passion and awareness of working in harmony with nature.
https://vaoalavanilla.com/
INDIGENOUS ENTREPRENEURSHIP ORGANIZATIONAL PARTNERS
ONLINE WEBSTORE | POINT OF SALE | BUY BUTTON | SALES CHANNEL
Sell - Everywhere
The Shopify platform helps people achieve independence by making it easier to start, run, and grow a business. Creators use Shopify to design, set up, and manage their shop across multiple sales channels, including mobile, web, social media, marketplaces, brick-and-mortar locations, and pop-up shops. The platform also provides merchants with a powerful back-office and a single view of their business, from payments to shipping. Shopify was engineered for reliability and scale, making enterprise-level technology available to everyone.
Founded in Ottawa, Canada, Shopify currently powers over millions of businesses around the world and is trusted by Indigenous Entrepreneurs such as Aaniin Shop, Cheekbone Beauty, Indigenous Box, SECTION35, Sisters Sage, and many many more.
Stories We Share
Bigger Is Not Always Better: Why This Indigenous-Led Business Isn’t Interested in World Domination
Bangin’ Bannock founders, reminisce about their bustling childhood family get-togethers: busy events full of people, connection, and food.
How These Indigenous and Black Merchants Are Empowering Their Communities with Shopify
For many modern business owners, community impact and identity are crucial pillars in their ethos.
These Designers Are Showcasing Indigenous Communities to Change Fashion
Everyone’s motivation for starting a business is different, but there’s one factor that comes up more often than most when talking with Indigenous founders: community...
Vanguard: The Lengths This Indigenous Jeweler Went to for Her Craft
Tania Larsson is a Gwich’in maker of fine jewelry. Listen to Tania Larsson tell her story on our Podcast Vanguard...
The Tłı̨chǫ Nation: Tłı̨chǫ Online Store Video
The Tłı̨chǫ online store is a creative outlet for the artwork of the Tłı̨chǫ people. In this film John B. Zoe explains the way in which the land informs the creations of the Tłı̨chǫ people and how those creations act as a means of maintaining and reclaiming cultural identity.
Vanguard: How A Tribe Called Red Brought Activism to the Dance Floor
Bear Witness is a co-founder of A Tribe Called Red, a Canadian DJ collective that blends hip-hop and EDM with traditional powwow drums and vocals. Bear tells his story on the Vanguard Podcast...
Overdraft: How the founder of Cheekbone Beauty Is Changing Lives—Including Her Own—Through a $500 Start-up
This is the story of how Ojibwe entrepreneur Jenn Harper’s beauty business—an idea that once came to her in a dream—saved her life.
Manitobah Mukluks shares success with Indigenous communities
Founded with a vision to build a vibrant global brand, Manitobah Mukluks helps keep Indigenous traditions alive through artist programs
Lynn-Marie Angus, CEO | Sisters Sage
"I didn't understand the value of selling my products online until the pandemic hit. Shopify Indigenous was there to help guide me and create a beautiful website I am proud of."
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