The former Shopify employee who co-founded its Build Native entrepreneurship program is relaunching the initiative after the e-commerce giant quietly shuttered it earlier this year.
“Shopify closed the program earlier this year. I chose not to let that be the end of our story.”
Tracy Ridler, Centre for Native Nation Builders
Tracy Ridler, CEO of the Centre for Native Nation Builders and founder of the Build Native program within Shopify, announced on LinkedIn that her organization is launching “Build Native 2.0,” a renewal of the program that sought to uplift Indigenous entrepreneurs. Ridler did not say who the program’s partners would be, but added that more details, including board appointees and “big tech partners,” will come in December. BetaKit has reached out to Shopify for comment.
“Shopify closed the program earlier this year. I chose not to let that be the end of our story. I brought Build Native home – back to community, back to purpose, back to commerce on our terms,” Ridler wrote.
According to the Centre’s website, Build Native 2.0 will launch in early 2026 with an expanded vision: “to create spaces where First Nations entrepreneurs can lead, innovate, and thrive globally — without compromising who we are.” The website says the initiative will connect both new and previous partners in Canada, the United States, Hawai‘i, and Aotearoa (New Zealand). Shopify will remain the “core commerce platform” with support from new technologies.
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Ridler wrote on LinkedIn that the new program will feature a retail lab, workshop space, and support for participants.
Build Native initially launched in June 2020 to provide Indigenous entrepreneurs with access to educational resources about e-commerce through an online platform. Ridler led the initiative alongside David Pereira and Kyle Brennan Shàwinipinesì, who later left the company. The program provided resources and financial incentives for Indigenous-led companies to grow their e-commerce presence, including to Canadian partners such as Raven Indigenous Capital Partners and EntrepreNorth.
In January, Shopify quietly shuttered the program as it dismantled its Equitable Commerce team and cut off participant access to its Build Black entrepreneurship program. The removal of the program from Shopify’s website, alongside the Empowered by Shopify and Social Impact webpages, coincided with the company departures of Shàwinipinesì and head of Equitable Commerce Brandon Davenport.
Disclosure: BetaKit majority owner Good Future is the family office of two former Shopify leaders, Arati Sharma and Satish Kanwar.
Feature image courtesy Shopify.