At a local hackathon hosted by the Young Indigenous Entrepreneurs Program (YIEP) on a First Nations reserve, teams of University of Calgary business students have been paired with young Indigenous artisans aiming to grow their businesses. Aisha and Emma’s team has been assigned to advise Paige, a high school student and owner of Paige Beads. Paige has no formal training in accounting or operational processes to guide her in managing her day-to-day activities. She needs help with her pricing and marketing strategy, as well as with return policies. The two business students have been tasked with determining how Paige’s business could be improved in a competitive market for Indigenous arts while strengthening its unique value proposition. The team has only a few hours to develop a recommendation for Paige Beads.

• Help students understand the impact of broader business decisions on accounting methods and outcomes.
• Increase students’ awareness of issues related to Indigenous communities.
• Show students how their skills can be used to assist marginalized populations.