Creating New Possibilities through Indigenous Engagement

Our commitment to the indigenous communities of Canada is deeply ingrained in our organization’s core values.

Enabling Digital Prosperity

As one of the country’s most established IT companies, we aim to leverage technology to enable digital prosperity for all.

Through partnerships with some of the most respected names in the industry, along with a strong sense of community and citizenship woven into the Compugen fabric, we have launched several key initiatives benefiting Indigenous communities and businesses across Canada.

As a young and fast-growing population, Indigenous groups are an important focus area for Compugen – they represent the future of Canada’s workforce.

634 First Nations in Canada

50% of the Indigenous Population is Under the Age of 25

FASTEST Growing Population Segment

Indigenous Procurement: Kickstarting a Cycle of Empowerment

The Government of Canada has committed to increasing the participation of Indigenous enterprises in the wider national economy, with a target of 5% of all federal contracts to be awarded to Indigenous-owned and managed businesses. Compugen’s partnership with FoxWise Technologies Inc. puts our technological might behind a well-reputed Indigenous firm to continue securing large public sector contracts in keeping with the conditions of this mandate.

Uplifting Indigenous communities by implementing proactive IT solutions is a collective focus for our two organizations. By bolstering technology adoption in administration, community services, health, and safety, we strive to empower these communities with modern tools and capabilities, bridging the digital divide and fostering growth and development.

Compugen + FoxWise

Supporting FoxWise allows their team to create employment opportunities, develop Indigenous talent, and train them in transferable technical skills. Plus, it helps FoxWise put technology in the hands of members of the community – thereby getting us closer to our vision of digital prosperity. By simplifying and encouraging Indigenous procurement, we collectively work towards kickstarting and sustaining a cycle of empowerment.

FoxWise is broadening its market focus and extending its expertise in two key areas: Technology in support of services in Indigenous Communities and engaging with Indigenous-owned businesses.

Empower

Compugen CEO Harry Zarek and FoxWise Technologies Inc. founder Sam Damm made a connection through a mutual friend.

The two business leaders quickly realized a shared vision – empowering community through Indigenous innovation. This would mark the beginning of the Compugen-FoxWise partnership.

In 2019, Compugen announced a strategic minority investment in FoxWise.

Through the partnership, FoxWise extends its capability by tapping into Compugen’s skill, scale, and agility, allowing them to take on more complex technology projects. By putting our expertise behind FoxWise, we do our part in strengthening the community – developing IT skills, creating jobs and careers, and bridging the technological gap.

Founded in 2000 and headquartered in the nation’s Capital, FoxWise Technologies Inc. is an Indigenous-owned firm specializing in IT solutions and services.

Led by Sam Damm, FoxWise was established to provide technology services to federal government departments and support the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. Recognized as one of Canada’s early innovators of Indigenous IT, FoxWise prides itself on initiatives that elevate communities and further Indigenous prosperity.

Literacy + Education

We believe nurturing our Indigenous youth today paves the way for a stronger, more agile leadership of the future. By partnering with educational institutions across all levels, Compugen not only encourages academic pursuits in Indigenous groups but also builds a pipeline of future IT professionals working towards the prosperity of their communities.

Connected North

Connected North provides interactive virtual learning experiences and access to educational resources for students and teachers in remote communities, supporting them where they live. Through the program, Indigenous students from kindergarten to grade 12 are offered unique opportunities to discover the world around them, including virtual guest speakers, field trips, and collaborations between Canadian schools. The initiative serves 140 schools, which in 2022 received over 300,000 minutes of digital learning through 5,800 sessions.

Compugen has played an active technology partner role in Connected North by funding and deploying Cisco videoconferencing solutions in participating schools, as well as providing programming to educators through live telepresence, as well as recorded sessions available on demand.

Rupertsland Institute

rupertsland

Through an initiative led by Rupertsland Institute, Compugen acquired and distributed 2,000 HP Chromebook computers to hundreds of students from the Métis Nation of Alberta who had limited or no access to other devices during the COVID-19 lockdown, enabling them to continue their education online. Compugen has donated funding as well as IT Assets to Frontier College and Rupertsland to support the education of your in indigenous communities across Canada.

Frontier College

Frontier College is a national organization that mobilizes more than 3,000 volunteers yearly to promote literacy among disadvantaged populations, particularly Indigenous youth. Compugen has donated more than $1 million over the last 20 years to Frontier College, with much of our support used to help Indigenous communities across the country participate in its summer literacy camps. Microsoft has also supported us in connecting Frontier’s tutors with students in remote locations in Canada.

University of Regina

REgina

Since 2020, Compugen has partnered with the University of Regina to provide scholarships to young Indigenous women enrolling in their Computer Science program. This grant encourages qualified students to receive exceptional training with the University that will help them jumpstart a fruitful career in IT.

Employment + Opportunity

A jumpstart in a young person’s career can have a profound and positive impact on their professional outlook. Compugen works to empower Indigenous graduates with meaningful employment opportunities through a direct work placement stream and equitable hiring policies.

Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT)

We collaborate with the SIIT to utilize its graduates as a first line of potential candidates to support the SaskPower EUC contract by hiring qualified Indigenous resources to support the services under contract.

Digital Prosperity

Compugen additionally provides ad hoc community outreach to organizations to further digital prosperity across the country:

Apple iPads were donated to the File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council All Nations’ Healing Hospital to help patients stay in communication with their families
Compugen created an IT assessment offering for First Nation Communities to enable the community and Chief’s mandates

"Our initiatives demonstrate Compugen’s commitment to the Indigenous businesses and communities of Canada with clear and tangible impacts. Being in the business of technology, we leverage the tools at our disposal to empower people with technology and Internet access and work towards digital prosperity.

We are constantly exploring new ways to engage with Indigenous communities, with the support of our partners and through our with relationship with FoxWise, whether it is skills development, community building, employment, or supporting Indigenous business.”

Harry Zarek
President & CEO, Compugen Inc.