Commitment to community engagement and co-creation
Community Leadership
To ensure we can meet the needs of the innovators, entrepreneurs and communities we aim to support, our initiative is deeply rooted in Indigenous values and wisdom and is built on a foundation of Indigenous ways of knowing and being. To do this right, we draw on the guidance of our Indigenous Innovation Council, which is made up of remarkable First Nation, Inuit and Metis leaders, Elders and Knowledge Keepers with a strong commitment to community engagement and co-creation and with expertise in innovation, impact investing and entrepreneurship.
Carol Ann Budd
Carol Ann is the owner and principal advisor at Woodland Wealth. Her firm provides clients with financial education, planning and investment advice. She believes it’s a privilege and a responsibility to be trusted with individuals’ and communities’ financial and investment goals and visions. She is a Certified Financial Planner, Chartered Investment Manager, Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute and has earned the Trauma of Money® professional certification. A proud Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation member, she finds fulfilment in being a Nokomis/Grandmother, an Anishinaabemowin language learner and spending time at her camp in Biscotasing, Ontario.
Marie St-Gelais, an Innu civil engineer from Chicoutimi, QC, has owned and managed Ashini Consultants, an Indigenous consulting firm, since 2016. The firm has grown from four to fifteen employees, with offices in Saguenay, Pessamit, and Mashteuiatsh. Half of their clientele comes from Indigenous communities, including Innu, Cree, and Atikamekw, and the other half from industrial and mining sectors. With 13 years of experience in the mining, construction, and building fields, as well as in Aboriginal communities, she specializes in designing bridges, building structures, civil engineering structures, and environmental aspects. Her company's mission is to support First Nations communities in their development, and she also develops scholarship programs for Indigenous youth. Marie is completing an Indigenous Leadership EMBA at Simon Fraser University.
Michael Doxtater, PhD
Diane Roussin, Anishinaabe community leader from Skownan First Nation in Agowidiiwinan Treaty 2 Territory, is deeply committed to advancing mino bimaadiziwin (the good life) for all families and children. Currently serving as the Project Director of The Winnipeg Boldness Project, she spearheads social innovation initiatives in the Point Douglas neighbourhood, focusing on systemic change. With a rich background in Indigenous issues and solutions, Diane has led various projects and organizations, including the Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre and the Community Education Development Association. She excels in fostering collaboration among cross-sector partners and stakeholders and holds positions on multiple boards, including Animikii Indigenous Technology and the Winnipeg Foundation. Recognized for her leadership, she was awarded the Governor General’s Meritorious Service Medal for Outstanding Indigenous Leadership and the Manitoba Women Trailblazers Award. Diane, who holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Social Work Degrees, is renowned for her TEDx Winnipeg talk on Indigenous social innovation.
Ashley Cummings (she/her) is the Northern Program Community Specialist at MakeWay. She is Inuk from Pangnirtung, Nunavut and currently lives in Whitehorse, Yukon. Ashley has spent time working on the Prime Minister’s Youth Council, in various non-profit and grassroots roles, and is a speaker on Northern Indigenous issues such a climate justice and mental wellbeing. She currently serves as chair of Kids Help Phone’s Indigenous Advisory Council as mental healthcare for Indigenous and rural communities is a key focus in her advocacy. Ashley looks forward to bringing her grassroots knowledge into her role with MakeWay.
Dianne Roussin
Indigenous Innovation Council
Marie St-Gelais
Nadine St-Louis, a social and cultural entrepreneur of Mi'kmaq, Acadian, and Scottish descent, boasts over 25 years of expertise in management, community development, and governance. Recognized for her contributions in cultural, social, and political spheres, she stands as a prominent figure in advancing an Indigenous economy through arts and culture in Quebec, Canada, and beyond. In 2012, she established Sacred Fire Productions, a non-profit organization aimed at promoting Indigenous art, artists, and cultures through projects fostering public awareness, breaking stereotypes, and nurturing intercultural dialogue. The organization addresses socio-economic challenges faced by Indigenous artists and youth, fostering inclusive participation in cultural revitalization and reconciliation. Furthering her impact, in 2015, St-Louis launched Ashukan Cultural Space, the inaugural cultural and economic incubator in Old Montreal, offering exhibition, sales, and professional development opportunities to over a hundred artists.
Jordan Wapaas
Elder Wendy Phillips is a proud member of the Bald Eagle Clan, Potawatomi, Ojibwa, and Wasauksing First Nation. She serves as the carrier of the 8th Fire Prophecies and the Ancient Thunderbird Calendar. Her roles include being an Indigenous Elder, Indigenous Wisdom Keeper, Ceremonial Leader, Spiritual Educator, Cultural Innovator, Seer, and Traditional Indigenous Healer. Wendy has conducted numerous ceremonies and cultural camps, holding various ceremonial responsibilities such as Adoption, Celebration of Life, Clan, Cleansing, Condolence, Doctoring, Healing, and many more. She is passionate about helping people find their vision, dreams, goals, jobs, or business ventures. With extensive experience in Indigenous non-profit and for-profit organizations, she possesses deep knowledge in Creative Visioning, Strategic Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Social Innovation, Corporate and Financial Management, Human Resource Management, and Project & Policy Development & Management. Wendy values her family, nation, cultural and spiritual beliefs, and ceremonies passed down from her ancestors. She emphasizes the importance of cultural revitalization and environmental stewardship, continually striving to balance traditional and contemporary ways of living. Wendy also cherishes her life, family, and dogs.
Ashley Cummings
Nadine St-Louis
Jordan is the Principal Consultant for Cree8ive Advisory, a 100% Indigenous-owned consulting firm that specializes in strategic planning, capacity building, and human-centered design, working with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations in Canada's private and public sectors. A member of the Thunderchild First Nation in Saskatchewan and of Cree heritage, Jordan holds a Master's degree and an Executive MBA from Simon Fraser University (SFU). He was recognized as one of SFU's Top 50 most inspiring graduate students in the past 50 years. With over thirteen years of experience in the non-profit sector, including roles with the Province of BC and the Conference Board of Canada, Jordan has served in senior leadership positions with First Nations governments in Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Quebec. He recently earned his Certified Aboriginal Financial Manager (CAFM) designation through AFOA Canada.
Elder Wendy Phillips
Dr. Michael Doxtater, a member of the Six Nations of the Grand River territory and senior communications specialist, has a prominent national profile in both public and private communications sectors. He has internationally published works and has produced, directed, and written award-winning documentaries and dramas for Canadian and US audiences. As Head of Studio One at the National Film Board of Canada, he contributed to the Gemini Award-winning film "Where the Spirit Lives," which raised awareness about Indian Residential Schools in Canada and led to the creation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). His roles in public communications include work with the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, TRC, Health Canada, Indian Affairs, and the PMO. He has taught at Cornell University, McGill University, and Ontario’s Indigenous Institutes, specializing in organizational learning, leadership, and IT learning environments. Dr. Doxtater has extensive experience in mediation and conflict resolution, including work at Oka, Tutelo Heights, Red Hill Valley, and Eagles Nest. His research focuses on Action Research, organizational learning, and multiliteracies.