NIWee Empowers Indigenous Women to
Soar as Entrepreneurs
Avg.reading time: 6 min
NIWee (National Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs Ecosystem) is a federally chartered Indigenous not-for-profit company launched in September 2022. Our mandate is to provide experiential training, mentoring and coaching for up to three years, to Indigenous women who aspire to become successful entrepreneurs. You do not need to have special qualifications or educational attainment to join NIWee and its FREE. We are now recruiting for our next cohort staring September 2024. You must apply no later than Saturday August 10, 2024
Your NIWee Team
Our program has already produced a diverse array of success stories. These include women involved in: the Arts, with commissioned work in many countries of the world; Manufacturing of Authentic Canadian Indigenous products for tourists; office and home Maintenance; an online Service for living a healthy life;
Baking, retailing, and wholesaling of goods; advanced Dressmaking, patternmaking, tailoring, and more. We aim to support the launch and scaling of 100 Indigenous businesses in the next five years.
Anna House
Learn how NIWee has helped Anna, a commercially successful International artist, enhance her success.
Gail Chamberlain
An entrepreneur tired of seeing Indigenous products made in foreign lands sold to tourists visiting Canada, Gail set up a manufacturing unit to produce and sell authentic Indigenous products to tourists.
Dominique Lalonde
The Pastry Chef who built a pastry cafe, a production kitchen and a distribution network. Her top line results achieved in the last twelve months are most impressive.
As an Indigenous woman with aspirations to establish your own business, it's crucial to remain steadfast in the face of negativity or doubt. Your journey of entrepreneurship can be challenging, particularly when naysayers attempt to undermine your vision. It's essential to remember that your dreams hold value and significance, regardless of others' opinions. Embrace your cultural heritage, draw strength from your community, and let your passion drive you forward. By persevering with determination and resilience, you can transform your ambitions into reality, proving that your entrepreneurial pursuits are not only valid but also incredibly valuable. If selected, NIWee is available to you at no cost. It will provide you with basic business knowledge, coaching and mentorship in the next three years, if you ever need guidance on your business journey, feel free to ask!
You apply, simply fill the form on niwee.ca/apply before August 10, 2024. As well as become a NIWee member, it's also free, niwee.ca/en/join/adhesion/
Once your application is received we will be in touch to set up a Zoom interview. There will be seven questions to answer and we will provide you the questions ahead of schedule. There are no right or wrong answers to the questions. We are primarily interested in understanding your commitment to achieving your entrepreneurship goal. We provide a Grandmother Moon Fellowship to each selected prospective entrepreneurs, making the program delivered to entrepreneurs at no cost.
We are looking to invest in Indigenous women who think outside the box and who are able and willing to commit to achieving their goal of launching a business of their choice or to strengthen their early-stage business.
We will ask you to provide NIWee with a letter of reference from an Elder, a Council Member, a teacher or an Employer.
The NIWee selection committee will review all video interviews, make a selection of 25 candidates, women 17 or older. We will be in touch by phone one last time to answer any questions you may have and finalize our selection of candidates.
The program content was developed by the university of Ottawa, an Indigenous Advisory and Indigenous consultants. You can learn more about the program content by going to: niwee.ca/en/courses.
The Business Basic Course is 13 weeks course, starting Sep 11, 2024. it is served on line each Wednesday from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
It is followed by a second module on Business Architecture
Two facilitators are there to help you with the practical course material. At the end of the first two modules you should have your business running and have started to generate your revenue.
Should you wish to speak with someone
Book a Zoom call with Guy at a time of your choice