As it continues to nurture early-stage companies in its incubator, the Joint Economic Development Initiative is working on new and enhanced programs to support First Nations entrepreneurs, even pondering a native-focused angel network.

Based in North Fredericton, the Joint Economic Development Initiative, or JEDI, fosters economic growth for First Nations communities. It offers a range of programs, including its incubator which helps novice entrepreneurs in various sectors to develop their business ideas into fledgling businesses. In the past it has also offered an accelerator program for more developed businesses, and it is planning to resurrect this program in the autumn once a few more companies have graduated from the incubator.

Penny Polchies, JEDI’s Manager of Economic Development, said in an interview that the organization wants to nurture entrepreneurship and to do so within the framework of the indigenous experience. It has had success in nurturing technology companies such as Appdigenous Development, yet it wants to focus on a broader range of businesses.

“We’ve changed our mandate a bit,” said Polchies. “We want to focus on First Nations entrepreneurs who are doing business [in a greater range of sectors] like retail, manufacturing and tourism.”

Companies within these sectors have been moving through the incubator program, and its seven graduates include three tourism enterprises as well as a campground operator and general construction company.

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JEDI used to also offer an accelerator program for more seasoned enterprises, but it put the program on hold last year as it re-assessed its mandate. Polchies said it plans to offer the program again in the autumn. The programs so far have been offered at the group’s North Fredericton headquarters and within the next few years Polchies hopes they can be staged in communities throughout New Brunswick.

One graduate of the accelerator who is progressing well is Melissa Lunney, the founder of Appdigenous, which has developed a cell phone app that helps disabled people to open doors. Many doors to public spaces open when someone pushes a button; but the location of the button and the design of the doors often force someone in a wheelchair to reverse or maneuver to get through the doors. Appdigenous’s app, which is called Doorable, automatically opens the door when someone approaches it with their cellphone. It has been installed in 10 locations in Fredericton, and Appdigenous is part of Fredericton’s bid in the national Smart Cities competition.

Jedi is also working with the National Angel Capital Organization in looking into an angel network for indigenous entrepreneurs. Polchies actually began discussing the initiative with NACO Chief Executive Yuri Navarro while the two were ice fishing in Yukon recently. NACO is already collaborating with a young angel group in the territory and the two met at an event in Whitehorse. Navarro said in a recent interview that his group hopes to use the Yukon project as a model for other First Nations groups such as JEDI.

“We’re in talks with NACO about what this could be and about maybe holding an event together,” said Polchies. “I think the first step is to decide what it will look like.”