Ikaarvik

What Ikaarvik does

Ikaarvik is a Canadian non-profit organization headquartered in Pond Inlet, Nunavut, founded circa 2012 by a group of Indigenous youth to create greater and more meaningful Indigenous involvement and leadership in Arctic research. The organization's mission is to create opportunities that allow Northern Indigenous youth to empower themselves for self-determination in Arctic research and decision-making. Ikaarvik's primary constituency is Northern Indigenous youth, who serve as mentors and bridges between southern-based researchers and Northern Indigenous communities; secondary constituencies include Arctic researchers, Inuit communities in Nunavut, and Yukon First Nations. The organization's core offerings are the ScIQ Program (a workshop-based methodology mapping the strengths of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and Western science as complementary ways of knowing), community-driven research projects in which youth identify and lead work on local priorities, and youth mentorship services for incoming researchers. The intellectual core is a documented ScIQ framework that produced over 40 recommendations for incorporating Indigenous Knowledge into Arctic research, subsequently published in the peer-reviewed journal Arctic Science.

Ikaarvik's go-to-market is community-led engagement: it runs the ScIQ Summit (2018 in Cambridge Bay), week-long workshops in partner communities, direct researcher-community facilitation, peer-reviewed publishing, and a YouTube presence. The organization currently operates in four Nunavut communities — Gjoa Haven, Kugluktuk, Pond Inlet, and Cambridge Bay — and expanded into the Yukon via a 2019 workshop with the Champagne & Aishihik and Kluane First Nations. In 2021, after nearly a decade of partnership-building, Ikaarvik became a fully independent, Northern Indigenous-led incorporated not-for-profit.

Ikaarvik does not sell products or services. Its revenue model consists of donations (suggested tiers of $10, $25, and $50 CAD, plus custom amounts) processed through ikaarvik.org; the organization is not a registered charity, so donations are not tax-deductible. There are no funding rounds, no equity investors, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no publicly disclosed revenue figures. Distribution is direct via email ([email protected]), a website contact form, and in-person community engagement.

Name

Ikaarvik

Legal name

Ikaarvik

Website

https://ikaarvik.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ikaarvik is an Indigenous-led Canadian non-profit, founded circa 2012 in Pond Inlet, Nunavut, that empowers Northern Indigenous youth to bridge Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and Western science through its ScIQ program, community-led research, and researcher mentorship across Arctic communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pond Inlet

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Ikaarvik operates as a Canadian incorporated non-profit organization that accepts donations to support northern Indigenous youth bridging across social, cultural and geographic boundaries. The organization is not a registered charity, so donations are not tax deductible.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ikaarvik creates opportunities for Northern Indigenous youth to lead Arctic research projects, combining Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) and Western science through its ScIQ workshop program, community-driven research initiatives, and youth mentorship services. The organization facilitates meaningful collaboration between Southern-based researchers and Northern Indigenous communities, with its work documented in over 40 peer-reviewed recommendations published in the Arctic Science journal.

Product overview

Ikaarvik is an Indigenous-led non-profit organization that offers a portfolio of youth empowerment and research collaboration programs focused on bridging Indigenous Knowledge and Western science in Arctic research. The core offerings include the ScIQ Program (workshops exploring Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and Western science), Community-Driven Research Programs (where youth lead their own research projects), and Youth Mentorship services (helping researchers collaborate meaningfully with Northern communities). The organization also produces published research through the ScIQ Paper in Arctic Science journal. These programs work together to enable Northern Indigenous youth to achieve self-determination in Arctic research and decision-making while creating lasting collaborations that benefit both Northern communities and Southern researchers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ScIQ: A program (combining Science and IQ) where Ikaarvik youth explore the strengths of both Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) and Western science as different but equally powerful ways of knowing. Through workshops and a summit, youth developed over 40 recommendations for incorporating IQ into Arctic research and building meaningful collaborations with Inuit communities.

Products and services

• ScIQ Program A workshop-based program where Ikaarvik youth explore the strengths of both Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) and Western science as different but equally powerful ways of knowing. Through workshops and a summit, youth developed over 40 recommendations for incorporating IQ into Arctic research and building meaningful collaborations with Inuit communities.
• Community-Driven Research Program A program in which Ikaarvik youth identify and address their communities' local research priorities, combining Indigenous Knowledge and Western science to lead their own research projects in Northern Inuit communities.
• Youth Mentorship and Training A mentorship program in which Ikaarvik youth serve as mentors to Southern-based Arctic researchers, helping them collaborate meaningfully with local communities and effectively combine Indigenous Knowledge with Western science.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40 actionable recommendations for incorporating IQ into Arctic research and building meaningful collaborations with Inuit communities

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Champagne & Aishihik First NationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth from the Champagne & Aishihik First Nations in the Yukon participated in a week-long 2019 Ikaarvik workshop to discuss shared environmental concerns and research priorities.
• Kluane First NationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth from the Kluane First Nations in the Yukon participated in a week-long 2019 Ikaarvik workshop alongside Champagne & Aishihik First Nations to discuss shared environmental concerns and research priorities.
• Gjoa Haven CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIkaarvik youth from Gjoa Haven participated in the 2018 ScIQ Summit in Cambridge Bay along with youth from Kugluktuk and Pond Inlet, contributing to the development of over 40 recommendations for incorporating Indigenous Knowledge into Arctic research.
• Kugluktuk CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIkaarvik youth from Kugluktuk participated in the 2018 ScIQ Summit in Cambridge Bay along with youth from Gjoa Haven and Pond Inlet, contributing to the development of over 40 recommendations for incorporating Indigenous Knowledge into Arctic research.
• Pond Inlet CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIkaarvik was originally envisioned over a decade ago by youth in Pond Inlet, Nunavut. Youth from Pond Inlet have been active participants in ScIQ workshops and the 2018 ScIQ Summit in Cambridge Bay.
• Cambridge Bay CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCambridge Bay hosted the 2018 ScIQ Summit where youth from Gjoa Haven, Kugluktuk, and Pond Inlet joined to develop recommendations for incorporating Indigenous Knowledge into Arctic research.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ikaarvik