The Build Native program was quietly cut back in January along with layoffs from Shopify's peer-to-peer commerce team.
A former Shopify employee who co-founded the Build Native entrepreneurship program is relaunching the initiative after the e-commerce giant quietly closed the shutters this is at the beginning of this year.
“Shopify shut down the program earlier this year. I was determined not to let this be the end of our story.”
Tracy Ridler, Indigenous Builders Center
Tracy Ridler, CEO of the Native Builders Center and founder of the Build Native program at Shopify, announced: LinkedIn that her organization is launching “Build Native 2.0,” a revived program aimed at supporting Indigenous entrepreneurs. Ridler did not specify who the program's partners would be, but said more details, including board appointees and “major technology partners,” would be forthcoming in December. BetaKit has reached out to Shopify for comment.
“Shopify shut down the program earlier this year. I decided not to let that be the end of our story. I brought Build Native home – back to the community, back to purpose, back to commerce on our terms,” Ridler wrote.
According to center websiteBuild Native 2.0 will launch in early 2026 with an expanded vision to “create spaces where Indigenous entrepreneurs can lead, innovate and thrive globally—without compromising who we are.” The website says the initiative will bring together new and previous partners in Canada, the US, Hawaii and Aotearoa (New Zealand). Shopify will remain the “core commerce platform” with support for new technologies.
CONNECTED: Shopify Is Quietly Killing Build Native's Indigenous Entrepreneurship Program
Ridler wrote on LinkedIn that the new program will include a retail lab, workshop space and participant support.
Build Native originally launched in June 2020 to provide Indigenous entrepreneurs with access to e-commerce educational resources through an online platform. Ridler led the initiative along with David Pereira and Kyle Brennan Shawinipinesi, who later left the company. The program provided resources and financial incentives to Indigenous-led companies to expand their e-commerce presence, including Canadian partners such as Raven Indigenous Capital Partners and EntrepreNorth.
In January, Shopify quietly shut down the program, disbanding its peer-to-peer commerce team and deny access to participants into the Build Black entrepreneurship program. The removal of the program from the Shopify website, as well as the Empowered by Shopify and Social Impact web pages, coincided with the departure of Shawinipinese and Equitable Commerce head Brandon Davenport from the company.
Disclosure: BetaKit's majority owner Good Future is the family office of two former Shopify leaders, Arati Sharma and Satish Kanwar.
Image provided Indigenous Builders Center.
