Building Inclusive Futures Through Entrepreneurship

Across Canada, Tribe Network is creating pathways for underrepresented entrepreneurs to launch and grow their ideas. Through the Accelerating Inclusive Entrepreneurship & Innovation program, Tribe is delivering practical, culturally grounded business education that helps participants build the skills, confidence, and connections to succeed in innovation and enterprise, with support from the Rideau Hall Foundation.

About the Program

Tribe’s national program offers year-round entrepreneurship and innovation training to people who have been historically excluded from the business ecosystem. Delivered through a hybrid model, it combines virtual and in-person sessions to reach participants in both urban and rural communities. Each year, 12 workshops bring together industry professionals, entrepreneurs, and mentors to share insights on business planning, financial literacy, AI literacy, and intellectual property development.

Beyond training, Tribe provides critical support to help entrepreneurs turn their ideas into action. Through partnerships with national organizations like Mitacs, Futurpreneur, BDC, and ElevateIP, participants can access wage incentives, grant funding, and investment opportunities. These supports open the door to both financial sustainability and long-term growth, helping emerging founders build lasting impact in their communities.

This funding has allowed us to expand our youth engagement efforts across Canada to support underserved youth in exploring career pathways and entrepreneurship, while leveraging AI and technology.” – Alfred Burgesson, Founder & CEO at Tribe Network 

Strengthening Canada’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

Tribe’s work extends beyond programming to community building. The annual Tribe Leaders Summit brings together students, professionals, and entrepreneurs from across the country to celebrate innovation and create opportunities for collaboration. Attendance has more than doubled in just one year, growing from 250 participants in 2023 to 680 in 2024, demonstrating the growing demand for inclusive spaces in Canada’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Empowering Innovation with Support from the Rideau Hall Foundation

With support from the Rideau Hall Foundation’s Catapult Canada Initiative, Tribe is expanding its ability to deliver accessible entrepreneurship training and build connections across Canada’s innovation landscape. Catapult funding helps strengthen Tribe’s national reach, ensuring underrepresented entrepreneurs have access to the resources, mentorship, and investment they need to succeed.

Through this collaboration, the Rideau Hall Foundation and Tribe Network are helping shape a more inclusive economy, one where every young innovator can contribute their ideas, lead change, and build a future defined by equity and possibility.