A community’s future cannot be handed to it from the outside. It must be imagined, debated, chosen, and built by the people who live there. Outside organizations like ICN can bring tools, experience, contacts, and encouragement, but they cannot replace local wisdom. When support becomes control, even good intentions can weaken the very ownership a… Read more: Community Self-Determination- Guidance Without Control

Every community has conversations about what should change. People talk about better services, stronger local businesses, safer streets, youth opportunities, housing, transportation, health, culture, and the future they want for their families. Too often, however, these conversations remain scattered. They happen at kitchen tables, in community halls, online, or after public meetings, but they do… Read more: From Conversation to Tangible Local Action

In every community, growth is often measured by new buildings, larger budgets, better services, or more people moving in. But those signs can hide a harder truth. A community may grow on paper while many of its people still feel invisible. Real growth begins when someone who has stopped attending meetings decides to come back.… Read more: Belonging is the foundation of community growth

Membertou, Shalene Johnson,a mother of 4, works full-time, does volunteer work in her community and also owns a small e-commerce business.  She came to ICN with idea of launching her brick and mortar gift shop while growing  her e-commerce business. Having gone through the discover process, Shaylene was accepted as an Entrepreneurial Intern in ICN Blueprints… Read more: Blueprints for Success – Growing an eCommerce Business

Most entrepreneurs know that regardless of the owner’s cultural heritage, for a business to succeed it must be built on solid business practices with an added dose of luck. Many people recognize that female-owned businesses make a key contribution to household incomes and economic growth. However, for most Indigenous women when launching a business their… Read more: Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs’ Mindset is Different

Ever had the feeling of banality when asked by a potential buyer — why should we choose your company to deliver the goods or services we need? Do you get the feeling every time you open your mouth to try to tell someone that your company is special and they should hire you because you… Read more: Why Should a Buyer Choose You?

How do you make a renewable, natural, oxygen-producing, CO2-storing material even more sustainable? Make it as close to zero-waste as possible. Wood waste left over after milling lumber already gets put to myriad valuable uses, from paper products to biomass fuel, and a new innovation will actually enable it to produce clean energy. Engineers at… Read more: Generating renewable energy from a wood floor

To start the Foresight method process we’ve asked in video interviews recognized  subject experts to share their perspectives on eight questions.  The interviewees were:  Dr. Shannon MacDonald, Deputy Chief  Medical Officer, First Nations Health Authority of BC; Cora-Lee McGuire-Cyrette, Executive Director, Ontario Native Women Association; and Erica Samms-Hurley, Nurse Educator, Western Regional School of Nursing, Grenfell Campus-Memorial University of Newfoundland, Corner Brook,… Read more: Foresight: Interviews AWHRC

The INS and OUTS of Using Social Media to Generate Revenue  Lisa McKenzie,  founder of McKenzie Moxie Media and Chief Bliss Instigator.talks with host Business Entrepreneur and Advisor Jacques Pilon and with ICN’s Entrepreneurial Interns Shaylene Johnson, Jennifer Harper and Esther Stewart about the INS and OUTS of using social media to launch  product or service and generate both awareness… Read more: Marketing Using Social Media

Launching a business often means working long hours to reach success. For many entrepreneurs, success has come after experiencing years of trial and error only then have they been able to figure out the secrets to success. In fact what they’ve done is learn on the job, persevere through highs and lows and acquired knowledge and have… Read more: Selling Your Way to Launching Your Business

Status of Women Canada is inviting: women’s organizations whose primary objective is to advance gender equality for women in Canada; and, Indigenous organizations who are legally constituted non-for-profit organizations and whose work has a significant focus on advancing gender equality for Indigenous women in Canada; to submit proposals for projects under the Capacity-building Fund call for proposals. Under this Call for… Read more: Request for Proposals

The PATH – Communication Strategies for the Reconciliation Era RECONCILIATION – a great plan or a dirty word? So many are confused, so many are offended. What IS reconciliation anyways?  Is it even possible? Sandi Boucher uses her personal, conversational, and comforting style to discuss this very hard subject.  Known for speaking “to hearts and… Read more: The PATH

Women’s Leadership – Men’s Role from Idea Connector.net on Vimeo. What men can do to help advance Aboriginal women’s entrepreneurship. Q&As from the 2012 Conference on Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Women’s Leadership Panel.

Owning her Own Life Coaching Business  In this interview we have explored with Jessica what guided her to take the path of a “Life Coach”.  She tells us about her experiences, tragedies influencing  her life and what keeps her awake at night,. However, Jessica also enables us to discover her beacon that guides her down… Read more: Coping as a Life Coach

NIWEE is a program supporting Indigenous women interested in launching their business. NIWEE is a National Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs Ecosystem. It provides the landscape where business ideas take root and grow with a goal of sustainability. Every element in the ecosystem contributes to the success.  Here is what Indigenous women entrepreneurs had to say Indigenous… Read more: Introducing NIWEE

NIWEE In the last year and a half. We have explored how Indigenous women interested in Entrepreneurship could be better supported in launching and growing their business. We’ve used mechanism such as a Concept Testing, One-On-One Consultations,  Survey, Scanning of Reports, to explore the related issues. Over time the research was brought down to one… Read more: Panel 1: National Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs Ecosystem



In the last year and a half. We have explored how Indigenous women interested in Entrepreneurship could be better supported in launching and growing their business. We’ve used mechanism such as a Concept Testing, One-On-One Consultations,  Survey, Scanning of Reports, to explore the related issues. Over time the research was brought down to one overarching… Read more: Foresight: Framework Report for Creating a National Indigenous Entrepreneurs Ecosystem





In this series ICN host Steven Price explores with ICN Guy Dancause the creation of business ideas. In this first episode they do look into the history of innovation and how it has come about and evolved over time. You’ll learn how guardian angels where at on time made responsible for human inventiveness but that… Read more: Building Business Ideas (RADIO) – Ep 01

In this series ICN host Steven Price explores with ICN Guy Dancause the creation of business ideas. In this first episode they do look into the history of innovation and how it has come about and evolved over time. You’ll learn how guardian angels where at on time made responsible for human inventiveness but that… Read more: Building Business Ideas – Ep 01

Sponsored by: AboriginalLink.ca The Metlakatla village is a progressive community, located 5km north of Prince Rupert, on an ancient site occupied for thousands of years by the Metlakatla people. They have recently built a “Green House”, a community initiatives supported financially by the Prince Rupert Port Authority. ICN host Bob Crane talks with Heather Dudoward,… Read more: Aboriginal Innovation – Fresh Produce

Sandi Boucher: Beyond Myths The Learning Curve is a series of videos hosted by Sandi Boucher and produced by Shaw Community TV. Sandi lives in Thunder Bay, ON, she is a motivational speaker, an author and an activist. In this first episode she explains what the Learning Curve is about. Her aim is to share… Read more: The Learning Curve – Being an Ally

 The Canadian Museum of History is now accepting applications for the RBC Aboriginal Training Program in Museum Practices. Please feel free to circulate the attached information among your contacts. Further information is available at www.historymuseum.ca/aboriginaltraining For Info, Contact Ms. Jameson C. Brant Coordinator, RBC Aboriginal Training Program in Museum Practices Canadian Museum of History and Canadian War Museum… Read more: Internship Posting

There is no guarantee that any business will succeed, with due diligence and quality information, these business opportunities have greater chance of success. There is no good or bad business opportunity. Business opportunities lie in fulfilling people’s needs. Hair Salons No matter how grim the economy looks, women will still scrape together the money they… Read more: Other Small Business Ideas for 2018

by: Claire Berkon and Janice MacDonald Last summer, as part of our study to ascertain how women entrepreneurs look at risk, we crossed Canada asking entrepreneurs about their approach to risk in their businesses. We wanted to test the oft quoted assumption that female entrepreneurs are risk averse.  As we spoke to predominately female entrepreneurs… Read more: A Force to Recon with: Women; Entrepreneurship and Risk

Success – by definition “the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors; the accomplishment of one’s goals.”  In reality, as anyone who has ever attained or attempted to attain success knows, the definition is very fluid indeed.  Success, in my mind, is defined by the goals it is tied to, so how then will… Read more: Realizing YOUR path to SUCCESS!

April 17 and April 24 a two part live online panel discussion aimed at acquiring a better understanding of challenges facing Indigenous women interested in launching their start-up or in growing their business. To learn more about these panels go to https://ideaconnector.net/webinar-entrepreneurial-ecosystem/

Increase Your Productivity Project management metrics enable project managers to assess status of ongoing project and deviation of schedule and cost. It also enables to foresee potential risks and potential problem and to rapidly pivot when needed. To view …/ 5 Key Metrics  

Canada’s economy was primarily resourced based for many decades, but times have changed because of globalization and technology acceleration Canada’s modern economy is now service industry based.

In order to set a good foundation for this discourse, it is essential to define what the word – Contrarian means.

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How to Measure your Business Progress?  The first of The Entrepreneur Series on the Art of the Start In this segment we are discussing of ways and means, in addition to traditional financial statements , to measure the progress of a startup. This production, The Entrepreneur, is the first of a series of six online… Read more: The Entrepreneur – Measuring Your Startup’s Progress

Generating sufficient revenues to earn a living wage from a home custom sewing business With the help of Ingrid Tiffe, a member of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinty, ON,  and an Eco-Fashion Designer, running her own company IsaTe’s Designs out of Seattle, WA;   and with Metis-Entrepreneur Jacques Pilon , we are exploring… Read more: The Money Side of a Custom Sewing Business

Sponsored by: Launch Lab  Entrepreneurship its Risks and Rewards In this first segment of “The Entrepreneur”, a new series focused on the early stages of entrepreneurship with  Metis born business man Jacques Pilon. Jacques, an entrepreneur for 25 years is President of Corporations and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Launch Lab Innovation Centre, located in Kingston, Ontario, Jacques… Read more: The Entrepreneur – What it means

Launching a Cosmetics Business (Funding) Getting funding is not an easy task, however if a person is truly determined and committed and he/she has a well thought out plan built on tested assumptions, a product with some sales, process to delivery , and measurable milestones, chances are with perseverance she will succeed in getting funding.… Read more: Blueprints for Success – Finding funding

Launching a Cosmetics Business  Sponsored by: Launch Lab Meet Jenn Harper, ICN’s Entrepreneurial Intern.  She is the founder of the newly launched beauty product e-commerce company, Cheekbone Beauty.  Jenn is also a mother of two, employed full time as a sales person for a major sea food wholesaler. In this interview she talks about her… Read more: Blueprints for Success – Entrepreneurial Intern: Jenn Harper