Community Platform & BrandingUlkatcho First Nation
A full community website and branding kit, with a member portal, directory, job board, resource hub, and a content studio Nation staff run themselves.
See the workAbout
Mentee is a Canadian research and education studio. We work alongside communities, organizations, and institutions to design learning, research, platforms, and media that people actually use, and that stay with them after the project ends.
MISSIONLocal priorities, turned into tools people can use
Mentee's mission is to work alongside communities and organizations to turn local priorities into practical strategies, learning resources, digital platforms, and stories that can be used, shared, and sustained. Every project begins with listening, relationship-building, and a clear understanding that the people we serve are the leaders of their own knowledge, goals, and future direction.
We bring education, research, design, and media together under one roof: curriculum and learning design, research and evaluation, community platforms and branding, video production, and interactive maps. That means a learning module, a resource hub, or a research project does not have to be split across several vendors, and the people who design the work are the people who deliver it.
Live work: ulkatcho.ca, kwh.ca, Portraits of Care, and PBS North's Minnesota First Nations Learning
HOW WE WORKThe same way on every project
These commitments are written into every proposal we send, and they are what our clients tell us made the difference.
A senior team, end to end
Mentee's co-founders lead every engagement and stay your point of contact from the first conversation to final delivery. There are no hand-offs to junior staff, and the people named in the proposal are the people who do the work.
Built with the community, not just for it
Engagement, permissions, and review steps come before anything is filmed or published. Community members are compensated for their time and knowledge, and the organizations we work with are involved throughout, not consulted at the end.
Capacity that stays
Every platform and resource is handed over with training, documentation, and a content studio your own team runs. Your data and content stay yours, in line with Indigenous data sovereignty and OCAP principles.
A clear plan and clear reporting
Fixed scope, a deliverable schedule you can hold us to, weekly check-ins, and milestone reporting. We deliver remotely by default so budgets go to the work rather than travel, and meet in person when the project calls for it.
WHAT WE HAVE DELIVEREDLive, and run by the people it was built for
Platforms, films, research tools, and learning resources built with First Nations, universities, health agencies, and public media. Alongside these, we are currently developing a foundational Indigenous learning module for a municipal government and learning modules for a national sport organization.
Photo: Enoch Leung, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
VISIONA future shaped by connection, voice, and community vision
We envision a future where communities have the platforms, resources, and support they need to lead their own learning, tell their own stories, and shape the systems that affect their lives. In that future, community knowledge is not an afterthought. It is the foundation for decisions, design, engagement, and innovation.
Through respectful collaboration and grounded practice, Mentee works toward a world where lived experience, local priorities, and community voice are centred in every solution. Technology, storytelling, and research can strengthen connection when they are guided by relationships, accountability, and the vision of the people they are meant to serve.
THE PEOPLEThe people behind the work
Educators, researchers, designers, filmmakers, and developers, led by two co-founders who hold PhDs in Indigenous Studies and stay hands-on in every project.
Let's Create Something Meaningful Together
Whether you're envisioning a digital tool, shaping a community-led engagement project, or bringing stories and knowledge to life, we'd love to collaborate.