Reconciliation with Indigenous peoples is widely considered to be one of Canada’s most pressing social justice issues. A major piece in the reconciliation agenda is the pursuit of “economic reconciliation.” This means giving Indigenous peoples – who traditionally had highly developed commercial practices and networks – the opportunity to take control over their own economic development and destiny. Education, specifically in business and entrepreneurship, will be a key prerequisite in the quest for economic reconciliation.
The Indigenous Entrepreneurship diploma features courses taught by Indigenous instructors and supports students with an incubator and a community of mentors with deeply held expertise in entrepreneurship, social innovation and community service learning. The curriculum is based on case studies drawn from Indigenous businesses and includes technical content unique to Indigenous entrepreneurs, such as joint ventures, procurement policies, Indigenous economic development corporations, and tax and governance issues.
Diploma in Indigenous Entrepreneurship (IndEnt)
The six-course Diploma in Indigenous Entrepreneurship (IndEnt) is open to students registered in any University of Waterloo degree program. Students may register for the IndEnt Diploma in their second year of study or at any time thereafter. The Diploma is also available to non-degree students with a demonstrated record of success in post-secondary study. Thanks to a generous grant from the NCR Foundation, we will begin in September of 2023 to offer the Diploma through distance-education technology in collaboration with institutional partners across the country.
To meet the requirements for the Diploma, students must complete six designated academic courses with a minimum cumulative average of 65% in accordance with the curriculum below.
Please contact us for more information.