Entrepreneur Growth Program
Applications Are Officially Open
This year's cohort theme is The Next Chapter, open to entrepreneurs across all sectors who have already started building and are ready to take things further. Participants travel to all three territories, connect with elders, local business leaders, and potential funders, and gain access to mentorship, coaching, a wellness fund, bursaries, and more.
Deadline is July 3, 2026.
About the Entrepreneur Growth Program
The Entrepreneur Growth Program is a seven-month business education and mentorship journey designed for Northern Indigenous entrepreneurs who are ready to strengthen their business, grow their confidence, and invest in themselves as leaders.
"Northerners caring for northerners." That is how Cora Kavyaktok, EntrepreNorth's Program Manager, describes the heart of the Entrepreneur Growth Program and it is hard to say it better than that.
Whether you are a seamstress, a chef, a photographer, or someone with a community project taking shape, this program meets you where you are. As Cora puts it: "What do you have to lose? If you've already been putting the time and effort into your business, why not really dive in and commit to yourself."
Across the North, Indigenous entrepreneurs are building businesses rooted in culture, innovation, and community. Soap makers using wild botanicals. Fur artisans creating clothing and jewelry from ethically trapped local fur. Birch syrup producers harvesting from the land. Innovators building tech solutions with AI. Drone operators mapping Arctic terrain. Coffee roasters celebrating Indigenous art. Bannock makers feeding their communities.
These businesses didn't start with a business plan. They started with a passion, a talent, or a desire to solve a problem. And before long, that passion became something people wanted. Something people needed.
If that sounds like you, if you've moved beyond the idea stage and have customers, sales, or growing demand to show for it — this program was designed for exactly where you are right now.
Running a business is one thing. Leading one is another.
As their business grows, entrepreneurs often find themselves responsible for everything: bookkeeping, marketing, operations, customer service, and strategic planning, all at once. What worked in the beginning starts to feel stretched. The passion that built the business is still there, but the business now needs something more: stronger systems, clearer finances, team capacity, a vision for what comes next.
That's the stage the Entrepreneur Growth Program is designed for. Not to change who you are but to give you the confidence and tools to embrace the next leg of the journey.
In the program, you will…
Get your finances working for your vision, not against it
Tighten how your business runs, from strategy to daily operations
Grow your brand and step into new markets with confidence
Develop as a leader — not just in business, but in your community
Learn from mentors who know what it actually takes
Find your people — across all three territories
And everything is covered.
For Jacey Firth-Hagen, EntrepreNorth's Program Coordinator, the Entrepreneur Growth Program is about more than business education, it is about belonging. "You'll always be in our network," she says. "Travel across the north with your cohort that becomes family." And for anyone who is not sure they are ready to apply? Jacey's answer is simple: "Just by saying that, you're ready. We will help you. We will work with you. We will guide you."
Entrepreneurship can feel lonely.
Growth doesn't have to.
"Looking back, what I wish I had was a network of people who understood the journey, people who could share their knowledge, open doors to opportunities, and remind me that I belonged in those spaces. That's why I believe so strongly in the EntrepreNorth Growth Program." - Cora Kavyaktok, EntrepreNorth’s Program Manager & Owner of Little Inuk Photography
Applications Are Open
If you've been building something and you're ready for what comes next, we want to hear from you. Share your vision with us. Let us learn about your business and support your next steps.
Applications are open now to Indigenous entrepreneurs residing in NU, NT, YT.
The deadline to apply is July 3, 2026.
Media Inquiries
Jamie Wetrade-Stevenson
Marketing and Communications Lead