Build Native 2.0 — A Return Home

When something belongs to community, it finds its way back. Build Native 2.0 marks the next chapter of an initiative born inside Shopify — a space that redefined how Indigenous entrepreneurs build, scale, and connect through digital commerce.

What started as an idea among a small team became a movement, connecting thousands of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis entrepreneurs who found possibility through entrepreneurship and technology.

Created by Indigenous Builders Inside Big Tech

Before Build Native existed, Shopify had an Indigenous-focused charitable initiative under its Social Impact team. It was well-intentioned, but charity was never the right frame for Indigenous innovation and entrepreneurship.

Tracy Ridler, David Pereira, and Kyle Brennan Shàwinipinesì made a bold case to Shopify’s leadership: Indigenous entrepreneurship doesn’t belong under social impact DEI programming — it belongs in Commercial Revenue. Shopify listened.

The trio then built Build Native from the ground up — not as charity, but as a business program designed to support Indigenous entrepreneurs to thrive in a global market. A team was formed, a strategy set, and a movement began.

A growing network of entrepreneurs, mentors, and partners — across Turtle Island and the Pacific.

Failing Forward

In 2022, Tracy departed Shopify, leaving Kyle to continue the program’s vision. When Shopify ended the initiative in early 2025, it was more than a corporate decision — it was a turning point. When something is truly community-owned, it doesn’t disappear; it evolves.

At the Centre for Native Nation Builders, we believe failure isn’t the opposite of success — it’s how we learn what works and what doesn’t. Big tech was never meant to lead reconciliation or DEI. Shopify is a tool — valuable, but one of many — and tools should serve community leadership and timing.

Build Native 2.0 — The Right Tool, The Right Time

Build Native 2.0 is being reimagined and rebuilt by the Centre for Native Nation Builders, launching in early 2026 with an expanded vision and the same purpose: to create spaces where First Nations entrepreneurs can lead, innovate, and thrive globally — without compromising who we are.

We’re reuniting with past partners across the Pacific — Canada, the United States, Hawai‘i, and Aotearoa New Zealand — and welcoming new ones to expand training, markets, mentorship, and capital access. Shopify remains our core commerce platform, supported by new technologies chosen by community for community.