A launch marked by the diversity of journeys and the strength of identities
From November 12 to 14, 2025, the 4th cohort of the Entrepreneurship Program began. The program aims to strengthen essential skills for creating and growing businesses.
Academic co-leads Haskan Sioui and Josée Lortie welcomed entrepreneurs from 9 Nations at HEC Montréal for the first module, focused on leadership, team management, and relational intelligence — key pillars for developing a business vision while remaining grounded in one’s values.
After a warm welcome, a presentation of the program, and a networking reception, the cohort dove into a series of workshops to learn how to mobilize their teams, communicate more effectively, make informed decisions, and begin shaping their individual project, which will guide the development of their business throughout the program.
Participants in this cohort come from highly diverse backgrounds. Among them are, among others, a physical chemistry scientist who completed a PhD at Université Laval and Université Paris XI, a musical artist active in the hip-hop scene, and an acrobat who has collaborated with Cirque du Soleil. These unique paths reflect the richness of experiences brought together within this cohort, united by a shared objective: using their skills to serve their communities through entrepreneurship.
The voices of the cohort: their entrepreneurial ambitions
Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk Nation)
Ikey Beauvais – Kahnawake
“I’m interested in addressing the history of poverty and discussing further ways to improve our communities, so that we uplift families together. With sharing my knowledge in this program, this can also help other people grow.”
Eeyou Istchee (CREE Nation)
Cheryl Bobbish – Whapmagoostui
“I joined the program because I am deeply committed to building a better future for my family and my community. I saw this program as a way to sharpen my skills, expand my vision, and turn ideas into sustainable actions. It starts with respectful relationships, engaging with Elders and knowledge keepers, embedding land-based and holistic practices, and designing with nature in mind. Centering community voices, celebrating language, and honouring storytelling are essential to my approach.”
Eeyou Istchee (CREE Nation)
Julie Ann Cooper – Waswanipi
“I want to keep learning and updating my knowledge to ensure that the Cree way of life remains at the heart of my business and every decision I make.”
Wendat Nation
François Châteauneuf – Wendake
“I want to meet other Indigenous entrepreneurs, refine my business approach, and ensure that integrity and respect for the environment guide every action we take.”
Inuit
Kelly-Ann Desrosiers – Quaqtaq
“I want to learn as much as possible, grow my business, and represent Inuit presence and identity, especially in urban environments.”
Wendat Nation
Marie-Michelle Faber – Wendake
“I joined the program to gain concrete tools to structure and grow my creative projects and to strengthen my management and leadership skills within an inspiring network of Indigenous leaders. It is also a way to honour my Wendat identity and grow my business in alignment with my values of respect, circularity, and transmission, while encouraging future generations to develop their own contemporary Indigenous creativity.”
Anishinaabe Nation
Amanda Fox — Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory
“I am at a turning point: should I grow and hire or stay where I’m comfortable? I want my business to evolve while respecting the cultural knowledge that I share.”
Innu Nation
Antoine Grégoire – Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam
“I want to improve myself, gain visibility for my business, and learn from others while creating meaningful connections along the way.”
Innu Nation
Héléna Lalo – Unamen-shipu
“Since 2026, I have been giving talks about autism and I now want to build an entrepreneurial project around this work. It is important to me to carry forward the knowledge of Elders and to place culture and healing at the heart of my business. I hope to leave a project that my children will remember, a generational legacy that goes beyond material inheritance.”
Naskapi Nation
Nathan Uniam – Kawawachikamach
“I want to support community members who wish to start their own small businesses, bringing Indigenous values to entrepreneurship and addressing our community’s needs.”
Atikamekw Nation
Yoan Awashish Soucy – Opitciwan
“I want to build a meaningful project for First Nations while nurturing my natural curiosity for entrepreneurship. I believe in putting people’s well-being at the heart of every project before profits. My goal is to place values, ecological and traditional knowledge, and community realities at the core of everything I build.”
Wolastoqiyik Nation
Marianne Chevalier – Wahsipekuk
“I felt I had reached the limits of my entrepreneurial knowledge and wanted to learn more. I also wanted to meet other entrepreneurs from different Nations. I am a chocolatier and I work with aromatics and Indigenous ingredients from our territory.”
This Is Only the Beginning
Over the course of three days, this first module allowed participants to explore concrete tools in leadership and management, reflect on their role as entrepreneurs, begin working on their individual business project, and share their entrepreneurial realities within their respective communities.
The module concluded with an inspiring conference:
“We Manage as We Are” by Jean-Marc Lavoie, which reinforced the importance of a human-centred leadership style rooted in culture.
As projects become clearer and ideas take shape, the Entrepreneurship Program will continue in pilot mode, with participants split into two groups for the next two modules to put their learning into practice. The cohort will be divided into an Emergence group and an Expansion group for the hands-on workshops.
We look forward to seeing how this dynamic cohort evolves over the coming months, and how these Indigenous businesses will help shape the economic future of their communities in concrete ways.
