881 Amanda Bernard: Breaking Barriers

How to Build Loyal Community Around a Double-Sided Market

Entrepreneurship is a powerful force for social good, a process of education and empowerment, and a means of addressing endemic inequalities by creating and redistributing wealth to underprivileged communities.

The Shawish Market is doing exactly that for indigenous communities with an innovative e-commerce platform with a no-fee structure to eliminate barriers for indigenous artists and businesses. Shawish allows Indigenous artists to create their own online shops and showcase their products free of charge. To ensure trust and authenticity, all vendors on Shawish undergo a rigorous verification process, providing buyers with the confidence that they are directly supporting Indigenous artisans.

Indigenous entrepreneur Amanda Bernard, a proud member of the Madawaska Maliseet First Nation, shares her inspiration for Shawish, the challenges building it, and her inspiring vision for a global exchange of indigenous wisdom and goods. Amanda was honored on the Peak’s 2024 Emerging Leaders List. She is also a 2023 MIT Solver Fellow.

Amanda shares her vision for building a global marketplace for the exchange of indigenous goods and wisdom, how best to tackle cultural appropriation, provide verification of authentic Indigenous art, and uplift communities that have faced historical barriers.

More about Amanda Bernard at www.shawishmarket.com

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More about Amanda at Shawish Market

Amanda Bernard is a proud member of the Madawaska Maliseet First Nation and the founder of Shawish Market, a virtual Indigenous marketplace where Indigenous artists and entrepreneurs can create and manage their own online shop. Unlike other marketplaces, Shawish does not charge vendors a monthly or transaction fee making it affordable for Indigenous communities. Amanda was honored on the Peak’s 2024 Emerging Leaders List. She is also a 2023 MIT Solver Fellow.

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