"I'm Building Bougie Birch to Last 30+ Years" - On Reverse Engineering a Vision, Indigenous Economic Systems, and Why Starting Right Matters with Ashley Clark

“Being able to discover entrepreneurship was revolutionary for finding my path.” - Katonhetsheriio Ashley Clark

Ashley Clark is a Mohawk entrepreneur, founder of Bougie Birch, and an indigenous relations advisor whose work sits at the intersection of business, culture, and systems change. With an academic background in international relations, Ashley brings a systems-aware lens to entrepreneurship, leadership, and community development.

Through Bougie Birch, Ashley creates immersive cultural experiences and workshops grounded in indigenous knowledge and relational ways of being. Her work emphasizes clarity over urgency, long-term thinking, and the intentional creation of culturally safe third spaces where innovation, learning, and relationship building can thrive.

Ashley mentors early indigenous startup entrepreneurs through the Indigenous Prosperity Foundation, and is currently in a deliberate foundation-building season toward a brick-and-mortar third space for Bougie Birch in Ottawa, on unceded Algonquin territory. Her leadership reflects a commitment to regenerative systems and building futures where economic growth and community well-being exist in relationship, not in tension.

Connect with Ashley

• LinkedIn: Ashley Clark
• Website: www.bougiebirch.ca 
• Instagram: @BougieBirch
• Facebook: @BougieBirch

Connect with Naomi

• Website: www.naomihaile.com
• LinkedIn: Naomi Haile
• Instagram: @naomiahaile
• Twitter: @naomiathaile
• YouTube: Naomi Haile

This episode is brought to you in collaboration with ⁠⁠⁠Invest Ottawa⁠⁠⁠, Ottawa’s lead economic development agency for knowledge-based industries. We teamed up to produce this special podcast series to celebrate women leading in Ottawa during International Women’s Month.

In support of its Women Founders and Owners strategy, Invest Ottawa offers programs and services that enable and accelerate the growth and success of women entrepreneurs from every walk of life. Visit ⁠⁠⁠www.investottawa.ca/women⁠⁠⁠ to learn more!