Press Release

RBC announces $250,000 donation to Luminary to champion Indigenous innovation and economic development

RBC’s donation to support programming aimed at fostering the growth of Indigenous talent, knowledge networks and multi-disciplinary research

SASKATOON, Tuesday Feb. 24, 2026 — As part of its commitment to promoting Indigenous entrepreneurship, innovation and economic resilience, RBC is contributing $250,000 to Luminary, an Indigenous-led innovation and economic collaboration hub. Developed by Indigenous Works, Luminary strives to bridge the gap between academic and Indigenous business communities, research institutions and NGOs to help advance the Indigenous innovation ecosystem.

RBC’s contribution is helping expand the impact of Luminary’s five-year initiative, which aims to build stronger pathways for Indigenous research, innovation and economic growth.

“Luminary is addressing the significant gap between the post-secondary and Indigenous business communities to expand Indigenous-led multi-disciplinary research, Indigenize business school curriculums, and grow Indigenous talent,” says Kelly Lendsay, Chief Transformation Officer, Luminary. “By mobilizing new knowledge and research, we can bring the Indigenous economy into academic institutions, develop new products and services, and support value creation that can transform Indigenous economies, employment, and well-being for all Canadians.”

Luminary, led by Terri Lynn Morrison, Executive Director, is harnessing RBC’s funding support in four key initiatives including the IGNITE Academic Leadership Forum on February 25, the Luminary/ASAC Indigenous Colloquium on May 1, and the 2^nd Annual Indigenous Innovation Summit in Montreal on September 22-24. RBC is also supporting Luminary’s research culminating in its inaugural National Business School Indigenous Engagement Survey and Report – the first research of its kind to benchmark business school engagement strategies, practices, systems and challenges.

“Supporting economic reconciliation is critical to enacting meaningful change for Inuit, First Nations, and Métis communities,” says Brittanee Laverdure, Director, Truth and Reconciliation Office, RBC Origins. “With Luminary’s mission to nurture inclusive opportunities for economic growth and well-being, we’re proud to support the advancement of Canada’s Indigenous research and innovation agenda, empowering the next generation of Indigenous innovators to drive Canada’s economy.”

Luminary’s first-of-its-kind national business school Indigenous engagement survey highlighted some key priorities and gaps, including:

• Less than half of the business schools surveyed have an Indigenous engagement strategy
• There were minimal Indigenous businesses reported as partners in research projects
• There is a need for more Indigenous business and economic case studies
• Over 75 per cent of the business schools identified strategy and curriculum development as priorities

To align with the measurable commitments in the Community and Leadership pathways of RBC’s Reconciliation Action Plan, this contribution helps to break down the systemic barriers faced by Indigenous communities to enable long-term economic self-sufficiency. With Indigenous youth projected to represent 45 per cent of the Indigenous population by 2030, the need for transformational change fostered by this new Indigenous innovation and research agenda to unlock opportunities for Indigenous economic participation is paramount.

RBC’s commitment will also help support new knowledge and strategy networks, the development of new case studies and curriculum models, and deepening connections with the Indigenous business community to target new multi-disciplinary research collaborations.

About RBC

Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 100,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada’s biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our more than 19 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com.

We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/peopleandplanet.

About Luminary

Luminary is an Indigenous-led innovation initiative connecting academic institutions and research organizations with Indigenous communities, businesses, and economic development corporations. Luminary’s five-year initiative is supported by Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Strategic Science Fund, building stronger pathways for Indigenous research, innovation, and economic growth.

Luminary is fostering partnerships to drive Indigenous-informed multi-disciplinary research collaborations that have the potential to transform economies and Indigenous wellbeing outcomes by stimulating partnerships in research and innovation for key sectors such as agriculture, health, energy, and AI. Learn more at luminary.works.

For more information, please contact: Terri Lynn Morrison, Executive Director, 819-210-7670, tlmorrison@iworks.org