François Bastien is an Associate Professor at the Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria, where he serves as Associate Dean, Indigenous, and Academic Director of the MBA in Advancing Reconciliation. A member of the Huron-Wendat First Nation, his research examines Indigenous knowledges, historical injustices, social memory, temporality, and reconciling forms of knowledge through epistemic disturbance. He has published in Journal of Management Studies, Human Relations and Organization Studies.

Manley A. Begay, Jr. is a tenured Professor in the Department of Applied Indigenous Studies and Department of Politics and International Affairs at the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff. Professor Begay is also an affiliate faculty member of the W. A. Franke College of Business at NAU, and director of the Tribal Leadership Initiative in the Office of Native American Initiative. He joined the NAU faculty in summer of 2014, where he has primary responsibility for teaching about Indigenous Nation-Building, Navajo History and Philosophy, and directing the Tribal Leadership Initiative.

In 2015, Dr. Begay was a recipient of the Arizona American Indian Excellence in Leadership Award and named Man of the Year by the Phoenix Indian Center of Phoenix, Arizona. Professor Begay is considered as the first Navajo to graduate from Harvard University with a doctorate.

Evanne (Evie) Bell is a JD/MBA candidate at the University of Toronto whose academic and professional interests lie at the intersection of Indigenous economic development, business, and law. Her work explores the role that Indigenous businesses and entrepreneurs can play in shaping Canada’s economy and the ways that business, finance, and law can support Indigenous economic self-determination.

At the University of Toronto, Evie serves as President of both the Indigenous Law Students’ Association and the Rotman Indigenous Business Association. Through these roles, she works to strengthen Indigenous representation within the legal and business communities and create opportunities for students to engage with Indigenous leaders, entrepreneurs, and organizations.

Evie has also conducted research and written business case studies on Indigenous-owned enterprises and economic development initiatives, examining governance structures, financing considerations, investment opportunities, and strategic decision-making. Her research includes Cedar Leaf Capital: Indigenous Participation in Canada’s Capital Markets, which she presented at the 2026 Administrative Sciences Association of Canada Conference. Alongside this work, her professional experience spans business consulting, entrepreneurship, and law.

Across her research, leadership, and professional work, Evie is focused on advancing Indigenous participation in business and ensuring Indigenous perspectives are meaningfully represented in conversations about innovation, investment, and Canada’s economic future.

Tasha is a member of the Cowichan Tribes First Nation, a DBA Graduate, and an Assistant Professor at Royal Roads University. She champions the development and implementation of Indigenous knowledge mobilization strategies, curricula, and collaborative research initiatives.

Dr. Ronald D. Camp II is the Founding Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics and a Professor of Organizational Behaviour at the University of Northern British Columbia. His teaching experience spans undergraduate and graduate courses in management and leadership, including International Management and Organizational Change, as well as executive education in Corporate Governance.

As Dean, Dr. Camp is committed to fostering innovative, inclusive, and community-engaged learning opportunities, including incorporating Indigenous activities, perspectives, and knowledge into faculty initiatives and academic programs. Through this work, he supports meaningful connections between business education, Indigenous communities, and the broader economic and social context of Northern British Columbia.

Dr. Yolande E. Chan joined McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management as Dean and James McGill Professor in August 2021.

Prior to joining Desautels, Dean Chan served as Associate Dean of Research, PhD and MSc Programs, and the E. Marie Shantz Chair of Digital Technology at Smith School of Business at Queen’s University. A gifted educator, Dean Chan received the Commerce Teaching Excellence Award and the Commerce Professor Student Life Award given to the professor who has contributed most to the student life of the graduating class. Dean Chan has also received the Queen’s University Distinguished Service Award, the Queen’s University Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision, and a Smith School Researcher Achievement Award. She has previously served as Queen’s University’s Associate Vice-Principal (Research). Before joining academia, she worked with Andersen Consulting (now Accenture).

Dean Chan holds a PhD in Business Administration from Ivey Business School at Western University, an MPhil in Management Studies from Oxford University (as a Rhodes Scholar), and SM and SB degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on innovation, knowledge strategy, digital strategy, and business-IT alignment.

Dean Chan is a Distinguished Cum Laude member, Fellow, and LEO Award winner of the Association for Information Systems. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, one of the country’s highest academic honours, and serves on the Board of Trustees of EFMD Global, the leading international network for management development and business education.

Bob lives in and works out of Calgary, Alberta. He retired from forty-eight years of public service in 2014 and is now engaged in his own “leadership through engagement” practice. He is well known across the country as a thought leader, author and a down to earth practitioner of new models for employee and citizen engagement, systems thinking and building leadership at all levels.

Bob’s long career in public service ranges from organizing over 52 school boards from scratch in isolated First Nations reserves to engaging Deputy Ministers and their management teams in building their first Team Charter. He worked a great deal with emerging leaders and youth through his executive leadership instruction at Royal Roads University. He helped build many communities of practice in all four levels of public service, including federal, provincial, local and a decade with a tribal Council in Saskatchewan. His work in organizational and community engagement was recognized with the Head of The Public Service Award in 2000.

He speaks, teaches, writes and facilitates from a practical tools-based approach. He never kept count but estimates he must have led over eight hundred engagement sessions over the forty-eight years. His books, Handcrafted Leadership and Bureaucratically Incorrect, have over two dozen tools to challenge us beyond checkmarks. He likes to inject the work with humor, tools and storytelling.

Lynnsey holds the role of Director of Indigenous Initiatives at Mila — Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, where she is dedicated to weaving Indigenous Knowledges, talent, voices, and perspectives into the very fabric of the AI landscape through collaborative initiatives.

Before joining Mila, Lynnsey played a key role in managing Indigenous programming and outreach at McGill University. With a robust six-year history in policy work within the innovation sector, she is deeply passionate about promoting equal opportunities across all sectors of the Canadian economic ecosystem. Lynnsey’s academic foundation is in Sociology.

On a personal level, Lynnsey, a mother of three young boys, was born and raised in Treaty 4 and proudly embraces her Red River Métis heritage through her father’s family.

Kristen Craig brings over 20 years of leadership experience in post-secondary education, grounded in a deep commitment to advancing Indigenous education and creating equitable pathways for learners. As Dean of two Faculties at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Kristen champions initiatives that remove systemic barriers and foster inclusive, culturally responsive learning environments. Her work reflects a belief that education is a powerful tool for reconciliation and community empowerment.

Kristen’s academic and professional background includes a Master of Administration in Leadership, a Bachelor of Arts in Adult Education, a Chartered Professional Accounting designation, and diplomas in Accountancy and Computer Information Systems. This diverse expertise enables her to bridge strategic leadership with practical solutions that support student success. A lifelong learner, Kristen continues to explore emerging trends, including artificial intelligence and innovative approaches to education, ensuring institutions remain adaptive and future-focused.

Through her role on Luminary’s National Indigenous Advisory Circle, Kristen is honoured to collaborate with leaders across Canada to advance Indigenous innovation and create transformative opportunities for learners and communities.

Mike David is a Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) entrepreneur from Kanehsatà:ke, Quebec, where he owns and operates multiple successful businesses across his community. His path into business began with a student line of credit and a conviction that has shaped every venture since — ‘build it so they can’t take it away’. Today, Mike is co-founder of Little Tree Capital, an Indigenous-owned, Indigenous-led investment infrastructure built to restore Indigenous participation in capital, ownership, and the long generational arc of wealth. He also co-owns Moccasin Joe Coffee, a second-generation Indigenous family business based in Kanehsatà:ke.

Dr. Marie Delorme is CEO of Imagination Group Inc. She serves on the boards of Premium Brands Holding Corporation, BG Gold, and the Donner Canadian Foundation. She is also a member of the National Indigenous Economic Development Board, an advisory body to the federal government. Dr. Delorme serves on the Order of Canada Advisory Council and the Advisory Board to the Canadian Police College.

A Member of the Order of Canada, she has received the Indspire Award in Business and Commerce, and was named as one of Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women. Other recognitions include the University of Calgary Dr. Douglas Cardinal Award; Alberta Chamber of Commerce Business Award of Distinction; Calgary Chamber of Commerce Salute to Excellence Award; Métis Nation Entrepreneurial Leadership Award; the Alberta Centennial Medal; the King Charles III Coronation Medal; and the Governor General Viceregal Commendation.

Dr. Delorme holds a Bachelor of Science degree, a Master of Business Administration from Queen’s University, and both a PhD and an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Calgary. She is a citizen of the Manitoba Métis Federation.

Jenn Fournier is a Teaching and Learning Consultant | Indigenous Pedagogies in the Centre for Teaching and Learning at Durham College. She is Métis from Georgian Bay with mixed French, English, and many more backgrounds. She calls herself a “mixed bag of beans.” She specializes in Indigenous Education that is trauma-informed, inclusive, and creating learning experiences that empower program participants from design to delivery.

Dr. Glanfield is a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta. In her role as Vice-Provost (Indigenous Programming and Research), Dr. Glanfield led the development, consultation, and approval of the Indigenous Strategic Plan in support of the objectives articulated in For the Public Good, build and nurture positive relationships with Indigenous communities, support the work of Faculties and Departments to Indigenize curricula across programs, and foster a supportive environment for Indigenous faculty, students, and staff.

Dr. Glanfield comes to the Vice-Provost position from her previous role as Professor and Chair of the Department of Secondary Education in the Faculty of Education, where her primary areas of scholarship include mathematics teacher education, Aboriginal curriculum perspectives, and relational research methodologies. She is an Affiliated Faculty member with the Centre for Research for Teacher Education and Development.

Lisa Grant is an Indigenous change maker, entrepreneur, and community leader focused on Indigenous well-being and innovation. The daughter of a residential school and day school survivor, Lisa grounds her work in intergenerational responsibility and matrilineal leadership.

Lisa has completed dual master’s degrees in business, co-created a graduate-level certificate in Indigenous Economic Development, runs an Indigenous-owned consulting firm, owns a refillery business in Terrace, British Columbia, and serves as a Councillor with the Haisla Nation Council.

Craig is an ally, who has been with Indigenous Works since 1999. He has 40 years’ experience in Indigenous relations, human resource, and socio-economic development. He supports new research and innovation collaboration initiatives.

Michael Anthony Hart is a citizen of Fisher River Cree Nation residing on Tsuut’ina Nation near land referred to as Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He continues to actively learn about and share his traditional Cree cultural practices that he started several decades ago. He is educated as a social worker and holds degrees in social work as well as psychology.

He is the Vice-Provost and Associate Vice President Research, Indigenous Engagement at the University of Calgary. The intent of his work is to address the colonial oppression of Indigenous peoples, advance Indigenous practice in the current contexts, and advocate for changes to institutions and societal structures so they be inclusive of Indigenous peoples, views, and practices.

Ella Henry is a Māori woman from Aotearoa New Zealand, affiliated to Ngātikahu ki Whangaroa, Te Rārawa and Ngāti Kuri tribes. Her PhD focussed on Māori entrepreneurship in the screen industry, and her MPhil on Māori women and leadership.

Ella is a Professor of Māori Indigenous Entrepreneurship in the Business School at Auckland University of Technology. In 2026 she was conferred an Emeritus Professor. She has worked in tribal development and as an advocate and practitioner in the screen industry for over thirty years.

In 2022 Ella was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her contributions to Māori education and media.

However, Ella’s proudest achievement is being mother of three strong, proud Māori women, and greatest joy is to be grandmother of three beautiful grandchildren.

A graduate of Syracuse University, with a Bachelor of Science in Communications and Rhetorical Studies, Maris Jacobs is a strong community organizer, an experienced project manager and a respected leader. She is experienced in various methods of community consultation as well as program and project evaluation, which she conducted among others for the Community Initiatives Fund of Kahnawà:ke.

She brings to the table a deep understanding of community issues and values, making her work in community engagement meaningful and tailored to Kahnawà:ke’s unique realities. Maris’s leadership skills have enabled her to take the helm on many successful projects over the past few years and step into her role as Executive Director of PlanIt Consulting & Communications.

Dr Mark Jones is a sovereign Karajarri Yawuru man whose Country abounds the Indian Ocean, in, around and to the south of Rubibi, Broome, remote far North, Western Australia.

Mark is the Senior Programmes Lead at Dilin Duwa: Centre for Indigenous Business Leadership, Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Melbourne. He is the Program Director of the MURRA Indigenous Business Masterclass and Course Coordinator of the Masters in Indigenous Business Leadership.

As the Associate Dean Indigenous for the Faculty of Business and Economics and the Melbourne Business School, Mark leads the implementation of the Divisional Indigenous Development Plan. His multi-disciplinary research interests broadly aim to contribute to Liyan, wellbeing in the Yawuru language, influenced by a First Peoples worldview of economy.

Anna Kim is a William Dawson Scholar, Associate Professor in Management for Sustainability, and Director of Sustainability at the Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University. She holds a Ph.D. in management studies from the University of Cambridge.

Anna’s research explores organizing for sustainability through the lens of time-space, with commitment to understanding long-term processes and consequences rooted in places. Through ethnographic and qualitative methods, she has collaborated with organizations and communities in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nepal, Canada, the UK, the US, and South Korea, including Indigenous enterprises in Kahnawà:ke, Kanehsatà꞉ke, and Tiohtià:ke. Anna supports doctoral students and junior researchers as the founding director of the ROOTS Community (roots-community.org).

Katie Lafreniere is a member of Minegoziibe Anishinabe (formerly Pine Creek First Nation) in Manitoba and an Assistant Professor in marketing at the Alberta School of Business, University of Alberta. She has a Master of Science degree in management and PhD in business.

She researches language and communication, both among consumers (e.g., product reviews) and between firms and consumers (e.g., communication strategies for Indigenous artists and businesses; how managers should respond to online reviews). Her research has been featured in Harvard Business Review, CBC, and the Wall Street Journal. She teaches Digital Marketing.

George E. Lafond is a member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation (Treaty 6) in Saskatchewan. George is the father of four children, living in Victoria, British Columbia. George has been involved in community development and service in a variety of roles during his 40 year professional career.

Career highlights include: high school teacher in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Policy Advisor to three Federal Ministers (Indigenous Affairs, Ottawa); President of the Canada Council for Aboriginal Business; Director of Health, Saskatoon Tribal Council; elected Tribal and Vice-Tribal Chief for the Saskatoon Tribal Council; Special Advisor to the President of the University of Saskatchewan on Aboriginal Initiatives; and Saskatchewan Treaty Commissioner. He is currently a lead for the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology on innovation programming, and an advisor to the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, to PQA, and to DEEPcorp.

His recognitions include the Saskatchewan Jubilee Medal (2005), the Peter Lougheed Award for public service, and investiture into the Saskatchewan Order of Merit. In 2016, award-winning composer Paul Suchan was commissioned to write an original piece of classical music, premiered on June 6, in honour of his work as Treaty Commissioner. He currently serves on the boards of Sustainable Development Technology Canada, the National NewMedia Council, the Department of National Defence Advisory Board, the Trans Canada Trail, and Protein Industries Canada.

Daryl Leclaire is Kanien’kehá:ka from Kahnawà:ke. He is the Director of Business Services at Tewatohnhi’saktha, Kahnawà:ke’s Economic Development Commission. He started working in the organization in 2001, taking on different roles in the Business Services, championing entrepreneurship and innovation in business over two decades while working with people across different experience levels.

In his current role, Daryl oversees business support programming for Indigenous entrepreneurs including funding access, mentorship, and strategic development initiatives.

Kelly is a Métis-Cree Indigenous leader, the inaugural CEO of Indigenous Works since 1998, and the founder and CTO of Luminary. He leads the Luminary strategy, governance, and development of new partnership strategies to grow the Indigenous Innovation Ecosystem.

Sharlene Leroy-Dyer is a Saltwater woman, from the Aboriginal Nations of Darug, Garigal, and Awabakal Nations. She is a fulltime academic at the UQ Business School where she is an Associate Professor and the Director of the Indigenous Business Hub. Sharlene has extensive experience as an equity practitioner, having worked for over 40 years in industry and academia.

Sharlene’s research specialises in Indigenous scholarship, labour law, and organisational theory. Her work integrates Indigenous methodologies, frameworks and intersectional analysis to examine how policy and employment systems can support Indigenous economic sovereignty.

She is currently engaged in collaborative research projects that explore Indigenous participation in governance, culturally safe employment, and decolonial policy reform. She has contributed to critical legal studies, policy-oriented writing, and empirical research focused on Indigenous leadership and organisational transformation. Sharlene’s scholarship bridges theory and practice, with a focus on real-world impact.

Professor Maletz was a senior fellow at the Harvard Business School for 25 years and an internationally recognized thought leader in the areas of strategy, leadership development and organizational transformation. He was also Faculty Chair for the HR-Executive Suite Connection program at HBS, the school’s flagship executive education program for senior HR leaders. His research activities focus on helping companies to rethink their business strategies, improve their leadership capabilities, and reshape their cultures with an orientation towards innovation, values and performance. He has been responsible for more than 60 large-scale leadership development and organizational change initiatives in companies across a variety of industries, both in the Americas and in Europe.

Previously, Maletz was a partner at McKinsey & Company and a leader of the firm’s organization practice. At McKinsey, he led dozens of change-related, M&A, and financial services engagements, as well as leading a major research initiative on innovation and “Managing in the Whitespace”. He was also a professor at Babson College where he pioneered experiential approaches to leadership development and the shaping of organizational culture, including work in the area of corporate entrepreneurship.

His doctoral work in Cognitive and Computer Science was done at the University of Michigan and the Industrial Technology Institute. He is a founder of the Center for Research on Corporate Performance. He is also lead independent director of the board of BTG Pactual, chairman of Axenya, and a board member of Engelhart Commodities Trading Partners. He is chairman emeritus of the EastWest Institute, a former founding board member of the Institute for Research on Learning, a founding member of the New Science Ventures LP Advisory Committee, and a founding board member for Inteli, a new technology and leadership university in Brazil.

Albert D. Marshall, Elder, O.C., LLD, is a member of the Moose Clan and a fluent Mi’kmaw speaker from Eskasoni First Nation in Unama’ki (Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia), the territory of the Mi’kma’ki.

Albert D. Marshall is the spokesperson for the Mi’kmaw Nation on matters related to natural resources and environmental issues and serves as a member of various committees and boards. He tirelessly promotes cultural revitalization, the Mi’kmaw language and the need to live sustainably. He is a passionate advocate of cross-cultural understandings of healing and of our human responsibilities to care for all creatures and our Earth Mother.

Marshall coined the term Two-Eyed Seeing, or Etuaptmumk, the gift of multiple perspectives in the Mi’kmaw language as a guiding principle for collaborative work and co-learning, braiding the strengths of Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives together for the benefit of all, including our eco-kin. The residential school experience led Marshall on a lifelong quest to connect with and understand both the culture he was removed from, and the culture he was forced into, and to help these cultures find ways to live in mutual respect of each other’s strengths and ways.

He is the recipient of numerous awards including Honorary Doctorates from Cape Breton University and Acadia University, the Marshall Award for Aboriginal Leadership as part of the Eco-Hero Awards from the NS Environmental Network, and the Thomas Dignan Indigenous Health Award, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. In 2023, Marshall co-authored a children’s picture book, ‘Walking Together’, was awarded the Indspire Lifetime Achievement award, and named an Officer of the Order of Canada for his contributions to our understanding of Etuaptmumk/Two-Eyed Seeing, and for his dedication to promoting Mi’kmaw culture, language and environmental ethics.

Jason was born in Whakatāne and raised in Rotorua, Aotearoa New Zealand and is a member of the Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Whakatōhea, and Ngāti Kahungunu tribes. At He Manga Tauhokohoko, University of Auckland Business School, Jason is a kaupapa Māori business researcher whose research, writing, teaching, and practice centres on Māori and Indigenous business philosophy in multiple sites, sectors, and scales.

Jason has a PhD in business from Massey University, a Master of Public Policy from Victoria University of Wellington, and a Bachelor of Management Studies from the University of Waikato. Jason was a Fulbright-Ngā Pae o Te Māramatanga senior scholar at Stanford University’s Woods Institute for the Environment and the University of Arizona’s Native Nations Institute.

Jason is co-chair of the Academy of Management’s Indigenous Caucus and co-convenor of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management’s Indigenous Special Interest Group. Prior to joining He Manga Tauhokohoko in November 2024, Jason was a Professor of Māori Business and Associate Dean Māori at Waikato Management School, where he retains a role as an Adjunct Professor. Jason’s priority is advancing research on economy of mana and growing the next generation of Māori and Indigenous business scholars.

Terri Lynn, who is Mi’gmaq from Listuguj, Quebec, is currently completing her MBA through Cape Breton University. She leads the Luminary Strategic Science project initiative designing and implementing program and service strategies to support the academic and Indigenous business community to advance the innovation agenda.

David Newhouse is Onondaga from the Six Nations of the Grand River community near Brantford, Ontario. He is Professor Emeritus of Indigenous Studies at Trent University, where he served as Chair of the Department of Indigenous Studies (now the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies) from 1995 to 2023. He is cross-appointed to the School of Business Administration.

His research interests focus on the emergence of modern Indigenous society. He has supervised 33 PhD students whose work centres on interpreting Indigenous Knowledge in contemporary Indigenous societies. He is the founding editor of two peer-reviewed journals: the CANDO Journal of Aboriginal Economic Development and Aboriginal Policy Studies, which focuses on urban Indigenous issues.

Professor Newhouse received the Eminent Service Award at Trent for his work bringing Indigenous Knowledge into the academy. In 2024, he received the Lee Lorch Award for excellence in research, teaching, and service from the Canadian Association of University Teachers. He also received the Jackie Muldoon Award for Faculty Service in 2023, the 3M National Teaching Fellowship in 2022, and the Trent University Teaching Award for Educational Leadership and Innovation in 2016.

His leadership led to the adoption of an anti-doctrine of discovery statement in the Trent University Vision and Mission Statement: “We foster an environment where Indigenous Knowledges are respected and recognized as an important means by which we understand the world.”

Evelyn Spracklin O’Driscoll is a data storyteller and applications analyst from the East Coast, rooted in the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation and now based in Vancouver. She pursued higher education at Dalhousie University, Carleton University, and Algonquin College, studying psychology, public health, statistics, and computer engineering. Over a decade in analytics, she has transformed complex datasets into meaningful narratives that support public sector decision-making and community capacity building. She began her career in federal government analytics before moving into systems analysis and software development for public safety organizations.

Today, Evelyn serves as the Data and Insights Analyst at the First Nations Financial Management Board, where she leads the continuous feedback collection cycle, an initiative designed to hear directly from Nations and strengthen FMB’s services through responsive, community-informed insights. She also leads FMB’s AI policy development, advocating for approaches grounded in Indigenous data sovereignty, ethical governance, and long-term stewardship. Across every role, Evelyn brings a commitment to culturally respectful data practice, accessible reporting, and empowering confident and sustainable data use.

Appointed in 2022 as McGill’s first Associate Provost (Indigenous Initiatives), Professor Celeste Pedri-Spade oversees McGill’s ongoing response to the 52 Calls to Action articulated by the Provost’s Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education. She likewise works closely with academic leaders across McGill to further define the direction of McGill’s commitment to Indigenous scholars and scholarship, and to greater representation and inclusion of Indigenous peoples within the University community. She plays a critical role in furthering efforts to ensure the success of Indigenous students at McGill, and in building meaningful and active partnerships with Indigenous communities in Quebec and across Canada.

An Ojibwe scholar and artist, Pedri-Spade is from the Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation in northwestern Ontario. She completed her PhD in visual anthropology at the University of Victoria and her MA in Culture and Communication at Royal Roads University.

Celeste Pedri-Spade is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology in the Faculty of Arts. Her research interests include Indigenous art and decolonization; settler colonialism and Indigeneity; Indigenous visual/material culture; Anishinabemowin regeneration; and creative Indigenous research methodologies.

Julianna Peter-Paul is a Mi’kmaq scholar, Registered Social Worker, and advocate from Metepenagiag Mi’kmaq Nation, New Brunswick, currently completing a Master of Public Health with a focus on Indigenous health, Wabanaki relational epistemology, and Indigenous data sovereignty. She co-founded Msit No’kmaq Collective with Daisy Peter-Paul and works with the Wabanaki Two-Spirit Alliance (W2SA).

An Innu from the North Shore community of Pessamit, Ghislain Picard was Chief of the AFNQL from 1992 to 2025. The AFNQL is composed of representatives from 43 First Nations communities representing a total of 10 Nations spread over an immense territory.

Prior to his political career with the AFNQL, Ghislain Picard held a number of positions with groups representing Indigenous communities, including the Conseil des Atikamekw et des Montagnais. In the 1980s, he is one of the founding members of the Société de communication Atikamekw – Montagnais (SOCAM), dedicated to broadcasting programs in the native language.

Since 2021, he has chaired the McCord Stewart Museum Board of Directors and the First Nations Executive Education (FNEE) Advisory Committee. He is also co-author of De Kebec à Québec – Cinq siècles d’échanges entre nous, with Denis Bouchard and Éric Cardinal.

Partial list of Mr. Picard’s distinctions: Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Québec (2003); Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur de France (2005); Honorary citizen of the City of Montréal (2017); Doctorat honoris causa UQAM (2021); Doctorat honoris causa Université du Québec (2025).

Mark is the Executive Director of the Pacific Seaweed Industry Association and leads the Canadian Seaweed Industry Network initiative. He is a past Board Member and Chair of the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance (VIEA) and still serves as the Chair of the Trade and Invest Vancouver Island (TIVI) initiative. He also served on the British Columbia (BC) Minister of Agriculture’s Advisory on Regenerative Agriculture and Agritech.

Thomas Snow is a Nakoda (Stoney) leader, entrepreneur, speaker, and Indigenous innovation practitioner dedicated to advancing Indigenous self-determination through technology, governance, education, and artificial intelligence.

He is the Founder and CEO of Blue Mountain AI, an Indigenous-owned technology and AI implementation company focused on building AI literacy, leadership capacity, and innovation readiness within First Nations, Indigenous organizations, educational institutions, governments, and industry partners.

Thomas holds an Executive MBA in Indigenous Business Leadership from Simon Fraser University and a Bachelor of Arts in Social and Cultural Anthropology from the University of Calgary. His career spans executive leadership, Indigenous governance, strategic operations, economic development, organizational transformation, and community engagement. His current work focuses on Indigenous AI literacy, AI leadership development, digital capacity building, and creating pathways for Indigenous participation in Canada’s rapidly evolving innovation ecosystem.

Shaun is a member of Red Pheasant Cree Nation, a signatory of Treaty 6 located south of Battleford, Sask. As Vice-President, Indigenous Relations at FCC, his focus is on activities that will enable reconciliation and economic development for Indigenous communities, including increasing participation in and access to capital for primary production through the agri-food and agribusiness value chains. Shaun also builds intersections for growth, understanding, partnerships, research and knowledge dissemination between government, industry, non-profits, academia and Indigenous stakeholders through FCC’s national network of partners and industry stakeholders.

Shaun joined FCC in 2019, eager to be part of the agriculture industry and work with Indigenous individuals, communities and economic development corporations as they build and revitalize their agriculture projects. He has over 30 years of experience in social and economic development work and held senior positions with the Saskatchewan Indigenous Economic Development Network, Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority, the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, Saskatchewan Advocate for Children and Youth, the University of Saskatchewan and the Department of Justice. Shaun is proud to sit on the TELUS Indigenous Advisory Council and on the boards of Indigenous Works, the National Circle for Indigenous Agriculture and Food, and Cooperatives First.

Dale Sturgess is a seasoned and results-driven management professional with nearly 30 years of experience in business development and marketing. Dale’s career started in journalism. After spending several years in media working for CBC and BellGlobeMedia, he moved into the corporate sector, joining RBC in 2005.

The foundational skills he honed in media and storytelling — crafting narratives, understanding audience engagement, and amplifying voices — naturally evolved into a career in marketing. Over time, this expertise intersected with a growing commitment to advancing Indigenous stories, particularly in the context of reconciliation and equity. By developing marketing approaches rooted in storytelling, Dale focuses on amplifying Indigenous voices, supporting Indigenous-led initiatives, and fostering partnerships that prioritize equity and cultural respect.

Dale currently serves as RBC’s National Director for Indigenous Community Relations, overseeing a broad portfolio of community engagement and social benefit initiatives that support commitments outlined in RBC’s Reconciliation Action Plan. A dedicated volunteer and community-focused mentor, he has supported LGBTQ+ refugees through organizations like Rainbow Railroad while also participating in RBC-led youth mentorship programs. He currently sits on RBC’s Elder’s Council as a special advisor.

Naomi Tabata is the Director of the Centre for Applied Research, Technology and Innovation at North Island College. For the past 13 years, Naomi has led applied research projects in collaboration with local businesses and community organizations and has driven consistent growth by prioritizing meaningful relationships, employee engagement, partner impact, research excellence, and strong project management.

With deep knowledge of BC’s applied research landscape and a strong commitment to collaboration and impact, Naomi serves on several local and national professional committees and is a passionate advocate for community development, education and healthy communities. She holds an undergraduate degree in biology from UBC and a Master of Arts in Leadership from Royal Roads University.

Kahentawaks Tiewishaw is a multidisciplinary artist with a particular focus on video games. She is Kanien’kehá:ka and grew up in Kanehsatà:ke where she was immersed in learning the Mohawk language, culture, and traditions. These experiences inform much of her artistic practice today, which includes 3D modeling, illustration, game making, and sculpture.

In 2020 she founded Revital Software, a company specializing in Indigenous language learning video games which allows her to blend her passion for technology and language revitalization.

Dr. Lisa Watson (she/her) is currently Dean of the Schwartz School of Business and Professor of Marketing at St. Francis Xavier University on Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq.

She spent the previous 20 years living and working in Treaty 4, 6, 7, and 8 territories where she held positions as Associate Dean across two faculties at University of Regina, and as Dean, Faculty of Business at Athabasca University. She holds a Ph.D. from Bond University on the traditional land of the Kombumerri people in Queensland, Australia, and M.M.S. and B.Com. degrees from Carleton University on unceded Algonquin territory.

Lisa seeks to provide high impact experiential learning opportunities to students, create inclusive and accessible educational opportunities to diverse learners, and foster a supportive and inclusive work environment. She has been formally recognized for her achievements in all three academic pillars of teaching, research, and service.

Dr. Keith Willoughby was born and raised in Melfort, Saskatchewan, a small city in east-central Saskatchewan. He is currently the Dean of the Edwards School of Business (University of Saskatchewan) and a Professor in the Department of Finance and Management Science.

He spent three years of his career as a senior operations research specialist with the Saskatchewan Health Quality Council. In this role, he developed and applied operational excellence tools to assist with reducing wait times for pediatric speech language pathology and improving patient flow in emergency departments.

He flunked the Jeopardy try-out test in California, struck out playing T-ball, and benched his 6 year-old son while coaching his soccer team in Calgary. On the positive side, he is one of the few golfers with a +25 handicap to record a hole in one.

He hopes to live long enough to see the Toronto Maple Leafs win a Stanley Cup.

Dr. Wanda Wuttunee, professor emerita at the University of Manitoba, is an internationally recognized scholar in Canadian Indigenous community economic development and entrepreneurship. For more than four decades, her research has explored the interaction between Indigenous values and capitalist systems, with particular attention to gender, culture, tradition, and the role of social enterprise and co-operatives in economic development.

Her exploration of the concept of “community capitalism” underscores the importance of economic activity being aligned with the priorities, values, and well-being of Indigenous communities. Through her work, Dr. Wuttunee has illuminated the diverse and often underrecognized ways Indigenous peoples contribute to the Canadian economy.

Dr. Wuttunee has authored numerous academic and popular articles and delivered extensive conference and invited presentations nationally and internationally. Her recent publications include two edited volumes: Engraved on Our Nations: Indigenous Economic Tenacity (2024) and Still Ruffling Feathers: Let Us Put Our Minds Together and See What Life We Can Make for Our Children (2025).