We (Geena Jackson and Loa Fridfinnson) just returned from the National Aboriginal Business Conference (NABOC) in Osoyoos, B.C. held at the beautiful NK’MIP Resort. It began with an evening welcome reception where interesting people met and mingled from first nations and industry across Canada, to kick off a valuable conference experience. The next morning's opening breakfast offered a fantastic speach by Chief Clarence Louie, CEO of the Osoyoos First Nations, followed by wor

Exciting things are happening at Activ8 Education & Training with two of our instructors, Loa Fridfinnson of Activ8 and Geena Jackson of the Squamish Nation presenting on the growth of aboriginal small business in Canada and how marketing and business education is making a difference in the lives of Vancouver's local aboriginal entrepreneurs. Designed as an interactive, information sharing event between private sector professionals and business decision makers from Aboriginal

Aboriginal entrepreneurship was growing at a faster rate in British Columbia, as compared with the rest of Canada. In fact, British Columbia had the second highest rate of Aboriginal entrepreneurship in the country. 22% of Canada’s self-employed Aboriginal people residing in the province. On and off reserve numbers: 60% of B.C.’s Aboriginal people lived in urban areas, while 14% lived rural B.C., and just over a quarter lived on reserve. It was a different picture for Aborigi