The Mentorship Collective

The Mentorship Collective is an Indigenous Mentorship Program matching Mentees with Mentors from Indigenous Tech Circle and TECHNATION Indigenous Community Partners. Mentees will gain industry knowledge that is tailored to Indigenous Peoples, by Indigenous Peoples. Mentors will benefit from fresh ideas and access to top talent.

Why Indigenous Mentorship?

TECHNATION, under guidance from our Indigenous Advisory Group, has spent 2025 traveling across turtle island to do one thing: listen. We have heard industry, academia, and – most importantly – community calls for Indigenized Mentorship models that center Indigenous-specific needs.

We have partnered with the Indigenous Tech Circle because both of our organizations believe in creating and supporting a network of Indigenous tech professionals and founders in Canada.

How does the Collective work?

The Mentorship Collective is an 8-week Indigenous Mentorship Program matching 10 Mentees with 10 Mentors from Indigenous Tech Circle and TECHNATION Indigenous Community Partners.

Virtual Activities

Goals will be set by Mentors and Mentees in weekly, hour-long 1:1 virtual meetings. They can be anything trackable, for example: a new LinkedIn profile with several connections; submitted applications and interviews; a milestone in your studies; hours spent on your business. You are the designer, so be as creative as you want.

A mid-program community virtual call will allow Mentees to stay connected to their peers.

In-Person Activities

There are two free in-person activities planned for this cohort. Mentors and Mentees will be invited to attend a 2-day conference, where Mentees will be introduced to a national ecosystem of Indigenous professionals. A wrap-up event will take place at the end of the mentorship period.

Timing

This cohort will begin in January 2026 and end in March 2026. Registration Ends on January 5, 2026.

Eligibility

The Mentorship Collective is free for any First Nation, Métis, or Inuit person living in Vancouver or surrounding area.

You must meet at least one of these criteria:

You are currently registered with a post-secondary education program
You recently graduated from a post-secondary program
Early-stage professionals who are serious about their career and professional development

and you must meet all these criteria:

Be willing to attend 2 in-person activities
Access to a computer and internet
Self-Identify as Indigenous (that is, First Nation, Métis, Inuit)

Program Schedule

Week 1	In-Person	January 19-21	Indigenous Tech Conference + Meet Your Mentor
Week 2	Virtual	January 29	Who are you?
Week 3	Virtual	February 4	What do you want to be and do? When?
Week 4	Virtual	February 11	Who else does that?
Week 5	No Meeting	February 18	Focus Period
Week 6	Virtual	February 25	Community Re/Group Call
Week 7	Virtual	March 4	How are you? Goal Assessment
Week 8	In-Person	March 18	Where are you now? Wrap-Up Event

Contact

Email Paige Peters or Tim Sidock to learn more about The Mentorship Collective.

Partners

Miigwetch to Chris Chipak for designing the graphics for The Mentorship Collective. Chris is a visual artist and illustrator. He is a member of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation and currently resides in Saskatoon, SK.