On Monday November 16, 2020, our high school was transformed into a production set, as we welcomed many of Alberta’s Indigenous business and cultural leaders to our facility in a question and answer format with special guests. The event was organized by YPO and it was titled “Straight Talk: Indigenous Inclusion and Engagement.”
About the Host Organisation
YPO is a global leadership community of 29,000 chief executives in over 140 countries. The group is driven by the shared belief that the world needs better leaders. In regions all over the world, they come together to become better leaders and better people. Through YPO, these business leaders are inspired and supported to make a difference in the lives, businesses and the world they impact.
About The Event
There were 23 guests who attended in-person and hundreds more who connected via teleconference. The event was MCed by Corey Smith, President & Chief Executive Officer at RAM Elevators & Lifts, Inc. Corey facilitated a discussion with four members of the Indigenous community in a ‘chat’ format.
The speakers included:
Chief Jim Boucher, founder and President at Saa Dene Group of Companies. As an elected Chief, he represented the Fort McKay First Nation (FMFN) during the period of 1986-1994, and 1996-2019.
Gerald Auger, a Canadian actor, producer, writer, entrepreneur and motivational speaker of Woodland Cree descent. Mr. Augher graduated from Grande Prairie Regional College in 1995 with a Marketing Management diploma and a Small Business Management certificate. In 1996 and 1997 Auger was awarded the National Native Role Model by the Governor General of Canada and spent two years visiting more than 30 communities across Canada.
Alicia Dubois, Chief Executive Officer at Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation. Ms. Dubois joined the AIOC from CIBC, where she developed and implemented CIBC’s Indigenous Markets strategy and framework. In this role, she established and proudly led an expert national Indigenous Markets team. At the AIOC, she continues her commitment to bolstering Indigenous economic prosperity and wellness by driving regional economic growth through meaningful business partnerships.
Steven Vaivada, P. Eng., President, Scout Engineering & Consulting Ltd., an Indigenous-owned-and-operated firm established to support First Nations and those seeking to operate in a holistic manner with those communities. Steven is also a director on the C2C2C Unity Corridor, using a corridor network to foster infrastructure development, not only for local economies but for the national economy as well.
Special Welcome By Grand Chief Wilton Littlechild
The event began with a welcome from Grand Chief Wilton Littlechild, who connected via Zoom and offered a prayer to participants. Grand Chief Littlechild is, among his many achievements, also International Chief of Treaty 6, 7 and 8. He welcomed guests and audience members.
Former Inner City student Garrett Brighteyes spoke of his experiences with Inner City and how they helped shape his life. Inner City was represented by COO Joe Cloutier and a small staff.
We were very proud to be involved in this innovative event that spurred communication and looked to solve problems through honest dialogue.