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TELUS Friendly Future Foundation Invests in Indigenous Youth with New BizKids Initiative

Build a Biz Kids is honoured to share that we have received funding from the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation to launch a powerful new initiative focused on inclusivity, representation, and Indigenous youth empowerment.

This grant will support the evolution of our KidPreneur Accelerator Program, transforming it into a fully self-directed learning experience designed through an Indigenous lens. We will be working in collaboration with Indigenous organizations and communities, including our incredible partner Geena Jackson, CEO of Bears’ Lair Dream Camps who specialize in providing Indigenous youth across Canada with entrepreneurship and leadership bootcamps. Together we will integrate First Peoples culture, language, and values throughout the program—from the business challenges to the featured youth in our video lessons.

This isn’t just about representation—it’s about creating space for Indigenous youth to see themselves reflected in stories of innovation, leadership, and success. With the guidance of our Indigenous partners, we are building a program that embraces cultural identity, celebrates diverse worldviews, and offers youth real-world, hands-on entrepreneurial experiences they can connect with on a personal level.

The TELUS Friendly Future Foundation is also funding direct access for 80 Indigenous youth in remote communities across Canada, ensuring that barriers like geography, connectivity, or cost won’t stand in the way of these transformational experiences. These students will receive full access to our digital platform, resources, and support to help them launch their own businesses and build the soft skills needed to thrive—confidence, resilience, leadership, critical thinking, and emotional regulation.

BizKids programs are designed to spark self-worth and a sense of possibility in youth. They allow kids to explore their identity, exercise agency, and gain real-world skills in a way that traditional classroom settings often can’t. With this new Indigenous-focused edition of our KidPreneur Accelerator, we’re not only preparing young people for the future—we’re ensuring that future reflects who they truly are.

We are deeply grateful to the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation for their trust, partnership, and commitment to building a more equitable and empowered future for youth across Canada.

Together, we are creating space for Indigenous youth to lead, dream, and build with pride.

Stay tuned for updates as this program comes to life—and to the 80 youth who will soon be part of this journey, we can’t wait to see what you build.