Story shared by Najah Al-Atassi 

What are we doing today, for a better tomorrow?  

Being part of #GenB means acting for change. Supporting businesses owned by Indigenous Peoples, communities and organizations is a great way to build a strong local economy that promotes innovation and fights poverty in our communities. At Rise, we are proud to be Procurement Champions within the CCIB Supply Change Program. In addition to having a spending goal with Indigenous businesses, we use our platform to promote Indigenous-owned businesses and celebrate their contributions to the national and international economy. We also dedicate resources and spend time learning about and participating in conversations about the latest and greatest in supply chain and procurement practices. For example, Rise team member Najah Al-Atassi had the opportunity to attend the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB) Indigenous Procurement Event in Toronto in March and brought back wise practices to our team. 

Wise Practices in Procurement with Indigenous-owned Businesses from Industry and Indigenous Entrepreneurs 

During the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB) Indigenous Procurement Event in March 2025, many Indigenous businesses came together to proudly showcase the wide range of goods and services they provide. When corporate Canada supports Indigenous businesses through collaboratively building capacities and extending as many opportunities as possible, we are building a more resilient and competitive Canadian supply chain for a better tomorrow. For example, Ann-Marie Anderson at BMO shared about the BMO Elevate program (see page 8). The BMO Elevate program is a door-opening program that connects Indigenous suppliers with the right people at BMO. Given the upcoming procurement opportunities that BMO has at present, we encourage all Indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses to check out this program. Watch or read Tina Madden’s story, The Power of Inclusive Procurement.  Alison Fernandes with OPG shared how they work with Tier 1 suppliers, like Aecon Group, to push forward their commitment to Reconciliation. Brad Boakes at Aecon Group shared that for every project, they have an Indigenous component. This might be via Tier 1 or Tier 2 suppliers, but Aecon Group is dedicated to finding the right fit and ensuring Indigenous suppliers are included in every project. 

Similarly, Lindsay Swanson with EY shared that there is an enormous opportunity to support small and medium-sized Indigenous suppliers through mentorship and networking. Swanson emphasized the importance of keeping connected and in relationship with Indigenous suppliers. Both Indigenous and non-Indigenous mentors play a pivotal role in expanding their mentees’ networks by introducing them to industry professionals, potential employers, or collaborators. Being in reciprocal relationship is important because you never know when a business unit might have opportunities come up. With enough time, businesses will reach out to Indigenous suppliers when the right opportunity comes. 

At Rise, we are raising our procurement standards. We are a proud Certified B Corporation, meaning that we meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. At Rise, we set a spending target of 6% with Indigenous businesses in 2024, which we achieved. 7% is our goal for 2025, and we are aiming for 8% in 2026. We understand that even if the spending is small, it has a big impact in supporting suppliers to build capacity and expand their exposure to more clients. We know that business statistics reveal that the Indigenous businesses are growing at nine times the rate of the non-Indigenous businesses from coast-to-coast-to-coast (CCIB). This trend points to developing new markets and therefore, growing the number of Indigenous Suppliers. Any progress is great progress. We invite everyone to not discount any purchases with Indigenous suppliers. Collectively, it will have a huge impact on moving forward with economic Reconciliation.