Canadians should never have been locked out in the first place.

Monetize The North started from frustration — and from the realization that this issue had been overlooked for far too long.

As Canadians trying to build, create, sell, and compete in the digital economy, we saw what was happening in other markets — and it was impossible to ignore. Businesses are scaling through TikTok Shop. Affiliates are earning commissions. Creators are monetizing their work. Everyday people are building new income streams.

Meanwhile, Canadians remain locked out — unable to access one of the fastest-growing social commerce engines reshaping how people sell, earn, and grow.

For entrepreneurs and small businesses in Canada, the barriers are stacked against us. Large operating costs, limited access to capital, shipping challenges, currency disadvantages, import costs, and high taxes all make it harder to grow. Being excluded from TikTok Shop and the TikTok Shop Affiliate Program adds another barrier to an already difficult landscape.

This exclusion matters even more as Canadians face a rising cost of living, unstable employment conditions, business pressure, and a rapidly changing economy.

We started MTN because this issue should no longer be swept under the rug and our frustration can no longer remain silent. If we're seeing it, feeling it, and questioning why Canada is being left behind, we knew other Canadians are too.

Canadians deserve more than watching opportunity happen from the sidelines. Someone has to raise the issue. Someone has to be the voice for the people. Someone has to stand up and say: Canada deserves access.

That someone is us.

That is why Monetize The North exists.