Small Business Week 2026: Celebrating with Indigenous Entrepreneurs

Every business starts the same way: with an idea and someone brave enough to act on it.

This BDC Small Business Week, October 19 to 25, NACCA is celebrating Indigenous entrepreneurs who took that first step and kept going. In May, at the 2026 Indigenous Prosperity Forum in Gatineau, Quebec, four businesses were honoured at the Indigenous Business Awards. Each was nominated by an Indigenous Financial Institution (IFI). Each started somewhere small.

Their message to anyone sitting on a great idea? Get started.

Indigenous Youth Entrepreneur: Lagoon Prenatal

Andrea Sanders saw families who needed care that felt safe, so she built it. Lagoon Prenatal provides culturally safe, trauma-informed perinatal wellness care for families. Her clinic creates meaningful jobs and partners with other entrepreneurs to improve access to care. Proof that young founders don't need to wait their turn.

Watch Andrea's Story

Indigenous Women Entrepreneur: Atikuss

Josée Shushei Leblanc brought traditional craftsmanship into the modern market. Atikuss combines traditional know-how, modern manufacturing, and cultural tourism through an economuseum, a boutique hotel, and high-quality footwear sold across Canada. Along the way, it creates meaningful jobs, especially for women and artisans.

Watch Josée's Story

Indigenous Business of the Year: Confidence Fishing Company

Lead by Mark Peeler, Confidence Fishing Company is a First Nations owned marine enterprise that has grown into a major employer in its community. On the West Coast, its name is known for integrity, reliability, and industry-leading service.

Watch Mark's Story

Indigenous Community Business of the Year: Z'gamok Enterprises Inc.

Owned by Sagamok Anishnawbek, Z'gamok started with a 12-person janitorial contract. Today it is a multi-division construction, mining, and aggregates company employing more than 180 people. It creates long-term jobs for community members, invests in local infrastructure, and is guided by Anishinaabe values. Talk about starting small and thinking big.

Watch Z'gmok's Story

The Common Thread: Support

None of these businesses started fully formed. They started with an idea, a plan, and the right support behind them. That is where IFIs come in.

At NACCA's 30th Annual General Meeting in Kamloops this September, Board Chair Keith Matthew put the network's impact into perspective:

"Since our founding, the IFI network has disbursed nearly 55,000 loans and helped create over 180,000 jobs."

That support keeps growing. This past year, NACCA rolled out the Indigenous Youth Entrepreneurship Program through IFIs across the country, giving young entrepreneurs access to business planning, financing, mentorship, and peer support.

Your Idea, Your Move

This year's Small Business Week theme from BDC is "It's a two-speed world now: fast or finished." For Indigenous entrepreneurs, the most important move is the first one.

Have a business idea? Don't wait for the perfect moment. Reach out to your local IFI. They offer financing, business planning, and support rooted in community, from your very first conversation to your next big milestone.

Ready to get started?

Find an IFI near you