On January 20, Vancouver, Canada, hosted the Indigenous Tech Conference bringing together more than 250 founders, investors, and ecosystem members to scale Indigenous-owned tech organizations.
Indigenous Tech Circle showcases data sovereignty, AI, and other key initiatives
The conference – presented by Indigenous Tech Circle (ITC) – included panels on data sovereignty and AI, founder showcases, and an announcement of finalists for the Indigenous-led initiative, the Indigenous Venture Challenge, that will award a $50,000 investment prize.
“Indigenous leadership in the technology sector can often feel like a solitary journey. The Indigenous Tech Conference is our intentional act of reclaiming space and place, transforming that isolation into a profound sense of belonging and collective responsibility,” said Candice Loring, ITC Board Chair and Director of Indigenous Relations and Initiatives, Genome BC. “We are not just building successful businesses; we are forging a strong, visible pathway for the next generation, ensuring they enter a vibrant ecosystem grounded in our values and ready for their leadership.”
The conference featured industry speakers, including Betsy Fore from Velveteen Ventures, Bill Hale from FetchGoat, and Michael Running Wolf from Mila.
Catching up with Ryan St. Germaine, CEO, ITC
Ahead of the conference, Channel Insider spoke with Ryan St. Germaine, CEO and Founder of the ITC.
St. Germaine discussed opportunities within the Indigenous tech ecosystem, as well as the need for increased investment and support for Indigenous ventures.
“There’s very little money going into Indigenous-led companies, and we felt we needed to change that,” said St. Germaine. “And that’s where the Venture Challenge started because there’s a very big difference between creating your own table and inviting folks in as opposed to asking for permission to join others and to walking down an investment path that doesn’t necessarily make sense for Indigenous founders at all stages.”
St. Germaine notes that ITC chose the challenge deliberately, elevating the work being done and showcasing what’s possible in this ecosystem.
The conference will also help address and acknowledge the common barriers that Indigenous founders face when engaging with mainstream investors.
Very few organizations ever reach a stage that enables them to be venture-ready and to help more Indigenous businesses become investable.
The conference aims to help organizations get more early-stage capital and investment.
“That’s what we’re looking to solve. To get more early-stage capital, which I think is a challenge in general in Canada, where we’re very conservative,” St. Germaine mentioned. “And so there’s not enough early stage investment happening broadly and that’s more acutely felt within Indigenous communities and in underrepresented groups.”
Why the IT ecosystem should strive for equity
Over the next few years, for the conference, St. Germaine would like to see it help drive more equity within the IT ecosystem.
“We need more Indigenous voices within technology now more than ever,” said St. Germaine. “Rooted in Indigenous value, but also Indigenous ways of knowing. Indigenous folks have been stewards of the lands for a very long time and I think we need to build capacity.”
Compute often traverses Indigenous lands, so amplifying Indigenous voices in the space is significant. This is also emphasized by a shift in AI perception within the Indigenous communities, St. Germaine says.
“That’s really important because we’re not solving this by opting out at an individual level and we don’t want to see Indigenous folks get behind because they’re not utilizing it,” notes St. Germaine. “We’re not going to get out of this by opting out. It’s going to be governance and innovation that will solve some of these challenges and hopefully point it towards the right solutions or the right problems.”
The analogy St. Germaine likes to use is that opting out of the AI rush is like standing at the shore with a piece of cardboard for protection against a tsunami.
How equity initiatives drive channel growth
The channel would also do well to pay attention to Indigenous innovation as a core growth driver rather than a niche initiative. It’s an opportunity for the channel, and a significant number of Indigenous people are building real solutions.
“If you look at compute, that unfortunately, historically, doesn’t go through downtown cores – it comes through and on Indigenous lands,” said St. Germaine. “Now more than ever, Indigenous folks have more equal power in terms of what happens on those lands. So with compute needs and infrastructure, there’s going to have to be a relationship and reciprocal opportunities that create real value and balance the impact because Indigenous folks feel the brunt of any environmental change that happens in their region.”
Additionally, St. Germaine says that he would like CISOs, investors, and channel leaders to see the ITC conference as a way to break down barriers and build relationships.
“What I want to see in general is for the breaking down of silos because when we know each other and build relationships, we create new opportunities,” he said. “There is a huge opportunity here to partner with Indigenous communities and individuals to create a sustainable future, to build meaningful opportunities, and to generate wealth.”