As a student with the Asper School of Business’ Indigenous Business Education Partners (IBEP) and the president of the University of Manitoba Indigenous Commerce Students Association, he was admittedly a bit lost before discovering the program.

Perrie knew he wanted to be in business. After finishing high school, though, he avoided business school, joking that he thought it was “a scam.”

But as he started to come around to the idea, he discovered the IBEP program at the Asper School of Business, and let his guard down knowing he would have a supportive community of peers with him every step of the way.

“Without the IBEP program, I probably wouldn’t be here right now,” he said. “It isn’t just a program that provides students with a lounge and tuition assistance, it’s the reason a lot of us Indigenous students show up everyday because we know we’ll be supported and that we have a community cheering us on.”

The community really came together at VIBE. The 19th annual celebration was the biggest VIBE yet, with a fundraising record and 305 in attendance to celebrate Indigenous business owners and the next generation of students currently at the Asper School of Business.

Award Recipients

E. Oliver Owen and Cody Gonsalves [BComm(Hons.)/15] were presented with beautiful, elaborate and custom awards handmade by the Winnipeg-based Indigenous carver Fredrick Spence. Owen’s featured a plane with a spinning propellor, representing his business Amik Aviation; Gonsalves’ was a kettlebell with a handle of antlers for his personal training business, Purposeful Movements.

Owen’s speech tracked his journey from young dreamer to an accomplished pilot and business owner.

Originally from Paunigassi, he arrived at the St. Andrews airport in March 1978 to obtain a pilot’s license with $1300 to his name.

“I asked how much for a license, and the guy, the owner, said $1300. I went, ‘how do you know I have $1300?’” he said to a big laugh at the reception.

Despite money trouble when he was training for his license, and dealing with systemic racism as he attempted to start Amik Aviation, Oliver still has his humor and some impressive statistics to his name. He has logged 25,000 flying hours over 43 years, and Amik Aviation, which started with Owen and a single plane, now has nine planes and 42 employees.

Gonsalves, himself a former IBEP student at the Asper School, shared how he transformed himself through exercise, and found a calling in how he could guide people to do the same.

“There’s so much noise about the way you’re supposed to live your life and our whole focus is to help people understand how you can [live healthy] long term and sustainably.” He said.

Purposeful Movements has grown impressively since 2020, transforming from one-on-one personal training to a multifaceted business offering group classes, nutrition coaching and more.

Beyond physical exercise, Gonsalves also encourages his participants to be mindful and mentally strong. To cap off his speech, Gonsalves led the room in a breathing exercise, encouraging attendees to find peace between four second inhales and exhales.

Cody Gonsalves and E. Oliver Owen

Giving Back to the Community

100% of proceeds from the VIBE awards go to IBEP students through scholarships, bursaries, academic supports, and more.

Under the leadership of IBEP Director Riley Proulx [BComm(Hons)/19], there are currently 76 students enrolled with IBEP, the most there’s ever been at any one time.

“It’s clear that the Manitoba business community wants to see me succeed,” Gabe Perrie said about VIBE’s record-breaking attendance. “The VIBE awards give Indigenous students more opportunities and avenues to succeed as they complete their BComm degree.”

Perrie came away from VIBE feeling inspired and ready for what comes next: “I’m excited to make my impact and leave a legacy like they have.”
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For 31 years, Indigenous Business Education Partners at the Asper School of Business has offered a welcoming community to First Nations, Metis and Inuit students exploring leadership potential in the world of business. IBEP members can receive tutoring, mentoring, financial aid and more. Learn more.

Continuing its tradition, 100% of the evening’s proceeds will directly support IBEP students—future Indigenous business leaders—through scholarships, bursaries, academic assistance, and educational opportunities.

Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic students with Riley Proulx (Director of IBEP) at the 2024 VIBE Awards from far left: Connor Giesbrecht (3L) [BA/2022], Jordan Wagner (3L) [BComm(Hons)/2022], Riley Proulx [BComm(Hons)/2019], Ravi Balchan (3L) [BComm (Hon)/2021], Jeremy Tran (3L) [BSc/2022], Mathew O’Connor (3L)[BA(Hons)/2018], and Emily Palmer (3L) [BA)/2019] (Moira Kennedy (3L) [BA/2021] not pictured).

Award Recipients

The event honoured renowned creatives Emilie McKinney, founder of Anishinaabe Bimishimo, and Shaun Vincent, founder of Vincent Design Inc., for their entrepreneurial excellence and contributions to Indigenous business. To celebrate their achievements, each recipient was awarded a beautiful, customized sculpture that symbolizes their unique entrepreneurial impact.

2024 VIBE Award Recipients, left to right: Emilie McKinney, and Shaun Vincent.

At just 16 years old, Emilie McKinney of Swan Lake First Nation, founded Anishinaabe Bimishimo Corporation, specializing in producing traditional jingle cones. Over time, she expanded her business internationally and broadened her offerings to include clothing and sparkle ribbons, demonstrating her entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to preserving Indigenous traditions while fostering economic independence. During her remarks, Emilie expressed deep gratitude for her family and community, who supported her vision and emphasized the importance of creating opportunities for future generations.

Shaun Vincent, founder of Vincent Design Inc., an artist, graphic designer and entrepreneur who grew up in the Métis community of St. Laurent, began his journey in 2007 after earning an Advanced Diploma from Red River College Polytechnic. Shaun identified a need for representational design and created a branding and marketing firm focused on advancing Indigenous communities, organizations, and businesses through thoughtful storytelling rooted in tradition. Today, Vincent Design Inc. is a team of 19 renowned for its work, including the creation of the Survivors’ Flag, introduced during the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in 2021. Shaun’s Two-Eyed Seeing approach—bridging Indigenous understanding with Western design practices—defines his work and continues to inspire others. Additionally, Vincent Design awards up to two scholarships each semester to Indigenous Youth pursuing college or university studies in graphic design and related programs in Canada.

Celebrating 30 Years of Asper’s Indigenous Business Education Partners Program

The evening was also an opportunity to celebrate IBEP’s 30th anniversary. A commemorative video shared during the event featured testimonials from alums and students who spoke about the profound impact IBEP has had on their lives. Many shared personal stories of overcoming barriers, finding belonging, and gaining the confidence to succeed.

Image from commemorative video.

Ashley Richard [BComm(Hons)/2017], an IBEP alum and 2017 graduate of the BComm (Hons) program and current Director of Indigenous Entrepreneurship at United College – University of Waterloo, reflected on her experience, explaining that IBEP profoundly changed her life. She shared how the program provided her with a sense of belonging and the tools to give back to others. She emphasized the value of the scholarships, mentorship, and opportunities IBEP offers, describing them as invaluable.

Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic and Fostering Indigenous Entrepreneurship

The L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic marked a milestone of its own, celebrating 10 years of supporting entrepreneurs. In just a decade, the Clinic has provided over 10,000 pro bono hours of legal support, with a 37% BIPOC client base. Notably, the most recent monthly demographic data showed that nearly 25% of the Clinic’s client base for that month self-identified as Indigenous.

The Clinic’s work, combined with its students’ active engagement, highlights its ongoing mission to support Indigenous entrepreneurs and contribute to reconciliation through respect, recognition, and ongoing collaborations.

This commitment was exemplified at this year’s VIBE Awards, where third-year law students Emily Palmer (3L) [BA/2019] and Ravi Balchan (3L) [BComm (Hon)/2021] were chosen to represent the clinic in the Grand Entry, led by Elder Carl Stone [BA]. Emily, who has attended the VIBE Awards for three consecutive years while attending UM Law, reflected on the event’s unique impact: “It’s inspiring to see a room filled with a diverse network of supporters, funders, students, entrepreneurs, and businesses all promoting the Indigenous business community in Manitoba. Every year, I’m reminded of the power of connection and the results that come from uplifting commerce communities in our province.“

For Ravi, the experience was equally powerful: “Taking part in the Grand Entry, I could feel the optimism, dedication, and entrepreneurial spirit in the room. Hearing stories of Indigenous business excellence made me incredibly proud and inspired by my community.“

A Legacy of Support and Connection

The event concluded with a prayer from Elder Norman Meade, who emphasized the importance of community. His words resonated with the evening’s theme of collective action and support.

As the 18th Annual VIBE Awards came to a close, it was clear that the legacy of IBEP and the achievements of Indigenous entrepreneurs like Emilie McKinney and Shaun Vincent continue to inspire.

The L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic strives to carry forward this inspiration by supporting and assisting Indigenous entrepreneurs in their journey. Clinic students look forward to attending the VIBE Awards gala again next year to celebrate even more stories of Indigenous business excellence; and thank the Desautels Centre for Private Enterprise and Law for supporting the law students’ attendance this year during Entrepreneurship and Innovative Thinking Month at the University of Manitoba.

Marsii! Hiy Hiy! Miigwetch!

VIBE is hosted by Indigenous Business Education Partners (IBEP), a unit at the Asper School of Business dedicated to offering a welcoming community and academic services to Indigenous students as they explore their leadership potential in the world of business.

The 2024 VIBE Awards are on November 14, 2024, celebrating this year’s recipients: Emilie McKinney, founder of Anishinaabe Bimishimo, and Shaun Vincent, founder of Vincent Design Inc.

This prestigious annual event combines celebration, networking, and philanthropy and will highlight the incredible contributions of VIBE Award recipients McKinney and Vincent, who have each led with ingenuity, passion and a vision that goes far beyond their respective industries. Says IBEP director Riley Proulx [BComm(Hons)/19],

“everyone can find inspiration from the stories of resilience, courage and dedication of our award recipients.”

2024 VIBE Award Winner – Anishinaabe Bimishimo

2024 VIBE Award recipient Emilie McKinney

Emilie McKinney’s entrepreneurial journey began when she learned that her go-to jingle cone supplier in Swan Lake First Nation no longer offered jingles, the ornamental metal cones sewn into traditional jingle dresses.

Alongside her mother, Natalie Foidart, McKinney founded Anishinaabe Bimishimo in 2017, which has since grown into North America’s largest jingle cone manufacturing company.

With over one hundred retailers across the continent, Anishinaabe Bimishimo has thrived thanks to the care that McKinney brings to her work—hand-rolling jingles in the brand’s early days, securing custom machinery to meet demand and working with steel and paint manufacturers to produce unique, high-quality jingles in Manitoba.

McKinney has written about how the jingle dress represents healing. “The jingle cones are meant to hit each other to awaken the creator so that prayers and healing can be heard,” she wrote in 2019. She has developed special coloured cones that promote awareness and community healing, creating red cones in honour of MMIWG2S and turquoise cones to recognize the impacts of intergenerational trauma in Indigenous communities.

McKinney is also a member of the Southern Chiefs’ Organization Youth Council, working to promote awareness about water treatment and water-related issues in Manitoba. In addition to the 2024 VIBE Award, McKinney is the recipient of the 2018 Youth Entrepreneur of the Year by Start Up Canada, 2022 Top 6 Bear’s Lair Business Pitch Competition on APTN and the 2024 NACCA Youth Entrepreneur Award of Excellence.

2024 VIBE Award Winner – Vincent Design Inc.

2024 VIBE Award recipient Shaun Vincent

Founder of Vincent Design Inc., Shaun Vincent is an artist, graphic designer and entrepreneur who grew up in the Métis community of St. Laurent.

Working in the design industry, Vincent saw the need for representational design and struck out on his own to build a branding and marketing firm focused on promoting Indigenous communities, organizations, and companies. Today, Vincent Design Inc. has grown to a team of close to 40, serving clients from Manitoba to California.

Vincent has designed hundreds of logos, specializing in those that require a deep understanding and sensitivity to the people and stories they represent, including the Survivors’ Flag, a design created for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation in honour of residential school Survivors. The Flag was introduced during the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation federal holiday in 2021 and raised at Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

He has worked with organizations across Canada, including the Southern Chiefs’ Organization on branding and marketing around their acquisition of the historical, flagship Hudson Bay Building, branding and web presence and for Indspire, and branding and layout for Canadian Geography on the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada.

As an entrepreneur and business leader, Vincent also invests in a future where more Indigenous artists and designers can pursue their dreams. The Vincent Design Scholarship Program awards up to two scholarships each semester to Indigenous youth pursuing college or university studies in graphic design and fine arts in Canada.

Investing in future Indigenous business leaders

IBEP Director Riley Proulx emphasizes the unmatched student experience of the VIBE Awards.

IBEP Director Riley Proulx

“Every year, we hear from our students how much they look forward to attending the next VIBE Awards. Our students notice the organizations and leaders who back up their commitments to Reconciliation by supporting Indigenous programs like IBEP, and these are often the first places our students look when considering career opportunities,” he says.

More than an opportunity to inspire future business leaders and connect Asper School of Business students with the business community, the VIBE Awards also directly benefit Indigenous students pursuing business at Asper. Each year, 100% of event proceeds go toward scholarships, bursaries, academic support, and more for IBEP members.

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IBEP offers tutoring, mentoring, financial aid, and more to Indigenous students pursuing a business degree at the Asper School of Business. The annual VIBE Awards Gala is IBEP’s largest fundraising event for these services Learn more about 2024 VIBE Awards sponsorship opportunities and IBEP’s services for Indigenous business students here.

The faculty of management had secured a year of funding for a project to support Indigenous students coming into the business school. Mackness and Gray wanted Wuttunee to lead it.

Wuttunee, who had been working in the emerging field of Indigenous economic development, was a faculty member in the department of Native studies at UM (today, called the department of Indigenous studies), and immediately saw the value and the boldness of the idea.

Doing what hadn’t been done

“A business education is lovely to have no matter what your career is. It was really cool that I could have this opportunity to support students in considering business, which can bring so many career opportunities and directions,” says Wuttunee.

“But the fact that Dr. Mackness and Dr. Grey had that vision back then was amazing to me, because it just wasn’t something that was being done.”

Wuttunee refers here not just to the concept of holistic support for Indigenous students pursuing business, but also to Indigenous economic development broadly. While she cites a small, passionate community of scholars and leaders pursuing this work, the idea that would become Indigenous Business Education Partners (IBEP) was ahead of the curve in the 1990s.

The program, first named Aboriginal Business Education Program (ABEP), launched with Wuttunee at the helm and program coordinator Roxane Shuttleworth managing day-to-day student services.

Moving between various corners of the Drake Centre—open study areas and small offices to the dedicated IBEP student lounge today—a program that predates the naming of the School itself had started in earnest: feting four graduates at its first dedicated graduation ceremony, building connections with faculty members and garnering the support of Manitoba’s business community.

Opening the door wider

While Wuttunee emphasizes that the very fact that the faculty had a program like this was remarkable, she also shares her pride in how they ran and structured the program.

“A personal milestone for me, when I think back on my time as program director, is that there wasn’t a double standard. We opened the door wider, but once students were in, they put in the work and completed their bachelor of commerce with honours,” she says.

“They earned it,” she says, referencing IBEP alumni over the years. “Blood, sweat, and tears like everybody else.”

Wuttunee believed in the value of IBEP and the BComm degree itself, insistent that a support program shouldn’t change the value of the degree but should instead make that value more accessible to those who face barriers.

This approach opened the door wider for students and the School, as the program then took on the name Aboriginal Business Education Partners, emphasizing the connections it was creating between students, academics, and faculties at UM.

The program partnered with the Engineering Access Program (ENGAP) to support students with the pre-management math requirements, a connection that is going strong today.

“When we went from Aboriginal Business Education Program to Partners, it really captured a wonderful dynamic for students and for me as director. More faculty members stepped up and asked how they could get involved,” she says.

Pounding the pavement

In 2004, ten years into the program’s run, funding started to dry up, barely covering staff salaries at the time. Wuttunee knew that to keep the program going, they would need to tap into the support of the business community.

Thus came the Excellence in Aboriginal Business Leadership Awards (EABLA), an event that would honour incredible business entrepreneurs while raising funds to support programming, which had by that point expanded to include dedicated scholarships.

Two decades later, the Visionary Indigenous Business Excellence (VIBE) Awards ceremony is still IBEP’s most important annual fundraising event. Funds from the event come from corporate sponsors, who first got on board thanks to Wuttunee’s conviction that organizations would benefit from supporting the program.

“The corporate sponsorships came from me going out and pounding the pavement, selling our program—people got it. These organizations could see the market and its potential, and I could explain how investing in the success of Indigenous students—graduates who might come work for them one day—made a lot of sense.

“They were investing not in future employees—accountants, marketers, auditors—but in the possibility of Indigenous students seeing business as a career,” she says.

Investing in possibility

For Wuttunee–whose career is marked with more firsts and milestones than many, including being named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women in 2011 by Women’s Executive Network–being part of a program that has encouraged nearly 200 Indigenous students to see business as a potential career path stands out among her many achievements.

“When I look at lists of our graduates and where they have ended up, it is so awesome. There are alumni in careers that have impacted the corporate world and their own communities. There are role models, incredible journeys and great stories,” she says.

“That is amazing to me because many of these alumni started as students who didn’t see business as an opportunity, but here they are today, contributing something wonderful.”

Today IBEP alumni and students lead in sectors across the province.

MBA alum Kathleen BlueSky currently serves as CEO of Treaty One Development Corporation; BComm alum Fabian Sanderson is CEO of First Peoples Economic Growth Fund; BComm alum Ashley Richard was recently appointed as director of Indigenous Entrepreneurship at United College (University of Waterloo); and BComm student Matthew Carriere balances studies with his role on the board of directors of the Indigenous Chamber of Commerce.

Doing what hasn’t been done yet

Wuttunee served as director of IBEP for 20 years, stepping back from the role in 2014 before beginning a well-earned retirement from UM in 2021.  

“It was not an easy walk, but with my faith to see me through, it was a most gratifying part of my career,” she says.

“After 20 years, it was not a hard decision to lay down those responsibilities because the program was solid, my staff had a strong vision, and I knew that I was not irreplaceable.”

Peter Pomart [MBA/18] took over as the next director, starting a curious, but not entirely surprising, tradition of Asper School of Business and IBEP alumni returning to the program that served them, with Zach Unrau [BComm(Hons)17] and Riley Proulx [BComm(Hons)/19] each serving as director since.

Reflecting on IBEP’s 30^th anniversary, Wuttunee returns to what made that first meeting, that original funding proposal, so remarkable.

“The anniversary is a chance to celebrate that original vision and approach of simply trying something and seeing what might happen. It’s a celebration of the trailblazing that the Asper School of Business did with this. It’s an opportunity to understand the incredible role that the School played—because IBEP could have faded away; it could have died, and we wouldn’t be celebrating.

“It needed everyone to come together, key players along the way who saw that value and were bold in their support. I hope that part of IBEP’s legacy going forward can continue to be thinking beyond the status quo.”

IBEP began with people who dared to think beyond the status quo. It was sustained by the dedication of passionate individuals who saw the value, and knew how to show the value, of investing in the success of Indigenous students. It has created connections, community and impact that extend far beyond classrooms and degrees.

Wanda Wuttunee may not have been irreplaceable as director, but the story of IBEP would not be what it is without her.

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For 30 years, Indigenous Business Education Partners at the Asper School of Business has offered a welcoming community to First Nations, Metis and Inuit students exploring leadership potential in the world of business. IBEP members can receive tutoring, mentoring, financial aid and more. Learn more.

Instructor and newly appointed director of Indigenous business relations, Katherine Davis [MBA/20] has spent the last 10 years working in cross-cultural settings building relationships with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities. She is the first Métis faculty member at the Asper School of Business as well as an alum of the Asper MBA and President’s Student Leadership Program.

Davis was appointed director of Indigenous business relations at the Asper School of Business effective July 1, 2024.

Her journey into teaching and leadership began with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Calls to Action.

What drew you to this instructor role at the Asper School of Business?

“When the TRC Calls to Action were published in 2015, I really felt that drive to act and pursue a career where I could advance Reconciliation—work that would go far beyond my lifetime.

“I began to think about the skills I would need to work with organizations and make change, which is what led to me pursuing the Asper MBA. I came out of that seeing that there were faculty members and students who cared deeply about the same things I did and finding community through IBEP and other leaders in the MBA program.

“I have worked with IBEP at the Asper School of Business, in change management and in consulting to advance Truth & Reconciliation. During one of my consulting contracts, I completed a scan of educational programming across Canada and saw that there was a lack of depth in education about Indigenous matters, especially in business.

“I realized that I needed to teach in order to create the next level of awareness. I felt I could really make an impact through teaching.”

In 2023, as part of the new BComm curriculum, Davis designed and launched a core course on Indigenous peoples and Canadian business that will continue into the next academic year. She hopes that by providing more engaged education on Indigenous business relations, Asper students can graduate ready to ask more in-depth questions about pressing issues no matter where they work.

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How did you approach this course? How do you see your role as an educator?

“It has been amazing to create something so interdisciplinary in nature. Designing the course allowed me to be creative while also listening to many people in community.

“As an educator, I really believe that my role is to get people to start understanding who they are in relationship to the thing that they’re learning about. I love seeing that moment when the light bulb turns on and they start to ask more complex questions. There are many questions that still aren’t being asked, and until they are, we won’t get better answers.”

Davis is excited to see how the course will evolve as more faculty members and students get involved, planning new and challenging ways to situate students’ learning in their experience—from guest discussions and living libraries, to consensus building exercises and a celebratory feast.

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What do you hope to achieve as Asper’s first director of Indigenous business relations?

“Like IDM 2010, there are guidelines as well as space to make the role my own. I am excited to work collaboratively to create a vision for Indigenous business relations here at Asper and start to initiate a Reconciliation action plan for the School.

“Immediately, when this role was offered, I wanted to say yes. I see so much openness and receptiveness within the School to move forward with these initiatives; there’s a will to do our part to move this forward.”

Davis’ journey to this role began with a similar will, a willingness, to listen and take meaningful action toward Truth & Reconciliation. Her response involved seeking opportunities to learn, embracing change and always staying true to herself to align her actions with her values.

In the classroom, she is not interested in teaching students exactly how they should do their part. Instead, she invests time and effort into creating a space where they can voice, develop and find their own responses, uncovering their own journey to action.

As she puts it,

“My goal is to get students to see themselves as a subject in their journey towards Truth & Reconciliation in business.”

A reunion of sorts—though many of Perrin’s former IBEP classmates are still her closest friends—the IBEP 30^th is an opportunity for Perrin to make new connections, celebrate an incredible legacy and return to a space of community, warmth and welcome.

IBEP provides services to all First Nations, Métis and Inuit students who want to pursue a business degree at Asper, offering tutoring, access to bursaries and scholarships, and networking opportunities. IBEP also provides a welcoming community for students as they explore their leadership potential in the world of business.

Perrin, a BComm alum and current MBA student at the Asper School of Business, reflects on her first IBEP connections and an earlier invitation.

Perrin connected with IBEP when she was admitted to the BComm and was put in touch with then-program-director Peter Pomart [MBA/18].

“He was so enthusiastic and supportive. He said, ‘we just want you to come out to one of our events and get a feel for the community yourself.’ I’m glad I had that push because I don’t think I would have sought it out on my own,” says Perrin.

Perrin, who is a Métis Citizen, explains that she needed that push because she was still navigating what it meant to be part of a community like IBEP.

“I was only beginning to understand what indigeneity meant to me and what it meant to be Métis. I found that IBEP and UMICS [University of Manitoba Indigenous Commerce Students] were safe spaces to explore that while interacting with other Indigenous students at Asper and UM,” she says.

“I went to an event, and I was surprised by how welcoming and inclusive the space was. From there, I kept getting out there and getting involved.”

Perrin served on the executive council for the student group UMICS and led the planning of the 2020 Future of Indigenous Business Banquet, an annual student-run event—all while completing co-op work terms at Coca-Cola, Conviron and RBC and an international exchange study term at the Zagreb School of Economics and Management in Croatia.

Today, Perrin is a general manager of Métis economic and community development at the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF), in a role where she leads a team of eight Métis economic community development officers advancing economic interests across the Red River Métis Homeland.

“We also work to support and promote Red River Métis business owners and entrepreneurs, which is amazing and incredibly fulfilling work,” she says.

Perrin cares deeply about the impact of this role, noting how economic development efforts must work in harmony with community development, the protection of Indigenous rights holders in Canada, and environmental stewardship. In pursuing her MBA at the Stu Clark Graduate School, she applies leadership education to this work every day.

“The skills that I’m learning through the MBA program are directly benefiting my career, making me a more competent people manager and a more confident leader,” she says.

She notes that the MBA wasn’t always part of her plan, recalling Asper and IBEP community members hinting that she would be a good fit—that she’d find herself back at Asper somehow.

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Perrin RSVPs to the IBEP 30^th excited to see old friends of course, but as she thinks about the invitations and encouragement she had on her own journey, she discovers another reason to attend.

“During my BComm, it was clear how so many professionals saw the value that IBEP brings to the Manitoba business community, and they would donate their time, stay connected and offer mentorship. I hope when I finish my MBA and as I become more established in my career that I can be that person for somebody,” she says.

“Because I know that’s been done for me so many times, and those moments were pivotal in me taking the next step—joining the MBA program, believing in myself enough to leave my first post-graduation role for something new—it’s been so important for me.”

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The 30th anniversary celebration is not IBEP’s only major event this year. IBEP also hosts the Visionary Indigenous Business Excellence (VIBE) Awards each year, its largest fundraising event, generating support to serve Indigenous business students at the Asper School of Business. Sponsorship opportunities are now open for the 2024 VIBE Awards. Learn more about the annual event and how your organization can support this initiative here.

Investing in student success

Asper alum Nicole MacIntosh [BComm(Hons)/23] recounts the people, centres and services that gave her the tools she needed to succeed. Her story reveals how investing in student success involves resources, workshops, tutoring, funding opportunities and the like. But often the first step is creating communities where students know that there are other people who see their potential and their struggles and truly care about their success.

Read more here about MacIntosh’s journey to graduation, how she navigated an ADHD diagnosis and the supports at Asper and beyond that empowered her to succeed.

MBA alum leads with bravery, vulnerability and truth

Named CEO of Treaty One Development Corporation this May, Kathleen BlueSky [MBA/15] has always been driven by a desire to uplift Indigenous people and create more sustainable, just systems in her community.

She shares how business and entrepreneurship have been impactful in both her career and identity journey. “As a First Nations woman, working with my community has always been my drive. It has been my goal, focus and vision to empower self-determination at every level. Business is the best place to do that, to reinforce a solid foundation of independence, self-worth, and spirit.

“Entrepreneurship is about believing in yourself, believing in your value, 100%,” she said.

Read more here about how BlueSky creates the groundwork for change, facilitates the creation of more just systems and effective leaders, challenges beliefs carried across generations and makes space for a new narrative of worthiness, reclamation and collective energy.

Building Métis community through inclusion and identity

For Asper student Matthew Carriere, inclusivity recognizes that every individual—every generation—has wisdom to offer.

Whether he is heeding advice from his grandparents (encouraging him to go with his gut and pursue business) or engaging with the next generation of Indigenous business and Métis leaders, Carriere works to create spaces that value experience at every level—what he refers to as a “ladder of wisdom.”

“Everyone has their own story,” he explains. “Everyone is a visionary. Share your life experience and what you’ve seen of the world and seek that out in others. That exchange, that’s your leverage.”

Read more here about how Carriere is working to support Métis youth communities and what’s next in his Asper journey.

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This National Indigenous Peoples Day, IBEP and the Asper School of Business are proud to share these stories. With nearly 200 alumni and approaching 30 years of serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis students at the Asper School of Business, IBEP has far more stories than can be captured in this short compilation. 

Learn more about how you can support student success—through mentoring, lunch-and-learns and career exploration—at the Asper School of Business by connecting with IBEP here.

He describes his final term as an Asper student as fairly typical, relative to his first three and a half years, but with more intensity since he joined the case competition circuit. While he still took on five courses, two to three days of work and student-group involvement this term, he gave up a weekend job. “That opened up my weekends to participate in case competitions, so I could do those 24-hour and 12-hour practices and travel for the competition weekends.”

Roslinsky arrived in Rotterdam to compete alongside fellow Asper students in the RSM STAR Case Competition, which selects 16 teams from top business schools worldwide to present their solutions to real-life business cases. It was Roslinsky’s first overseas competition, and he learned a lot about the depth of analysis students can bring at a competition at this level.

He reflects on where he is now, compared to his first day at Asper, and sees how much has changed, and what is oddly the same four years later.

“Those four years, with all those unique experiences in and outside of the classroom, have really transformed and shaped the person I am today. I think the biggest change is that I’m much more outgoing and willing to try more things, like case this year,” he says.

When he thinks about how he got to this point—a prestigious international competition in the Netherlands and a subtle conclusion his BComm—he reflects on the small steps that led to more opportunities to get involved outside of the classroom and connect to the Asper community.

“I first got involved through Indigenous Business Education Partners (IBEP), and from there, I joined UM Indigenous Commerce Students (UMICS) and started attending more events and seeing more opportunities to get involved. When I joined case competitions in my final year, it felt like a progression of that early involvement.”

IBEP Director Riley Proulx [BComm(Hons)/19] describes how Roslinsky could often be found in the IBEP lounge, a space for First Nations, Métis and Inuit students pursuing their BComm or professional graduate degree at Asper to relax, study and build connections.

“For all the supports that IBEP offers, its greatest strength has always been its sense of community. As an active IBEP member, Tyler has spent a lot of time in our lounge, working on class projects, preparing for presentations and supporting fellow students by exchanging advice on classes, careers and life.”

Says Roslinsky, “I love the IBEP lounge, and it has been this amazing space for connecting with and meeting new people in a smaller, more intimate setting within the largeness of the university.”

The importance of a dedicated space to connect in person might resonate with many students in Roslinsky’s graduating class, as like many others, he began his university studies completely online.

“I started my degree during COVID (beginning in the fall of 2020), so I was learning remotely. When I submitted my final assignment here in the Netherlands, I realized that I started and ended my degree while not physically at Asper.”

Despite the challenges of remote learning early on, Roslinsky made the most of his Asper experience and feels that the degree has prepared him for the next chapter of his career. When he returns from Europe, he will put his finance major to good use, beginning a position at TD in commercial banking with a focus on agriculture.

As he anticipates bringing his sharpened skills and insights into the workforce, he reflects on what he’ll miss, and what he hopes to learn, as an alum.

“I’ll miss the people here at Asper and IBEP, and I’ll miss knowing that I can see them on a daily basis on campus in spaces like the IBEP lounge or the Drake Centre.

“However, it’s just one of those things that you have to work harder at and be intentional about making time and plans to see people and nurture those connections outside of school.”

As he considers what graduating means to him—the strange combination of a four-year effort and a recently-closed laptop—he sees the parts of Asper he will carry with him: the skillset, the learning, the network, the qualifications, but also something to miss, a community, a reason to reach out, stay connected and move into his next exciting role as one of Asper’s 22,000 and IBEP’s 200 alumni.

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At the Asper School of Business, Indigenous Business Education Partners (IBEP) offers a welcoming community as First Nations, Métis and Inuit students in pursuit of their Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) or Professional Graduate degree, including tutoring, access to bursaries & scholarships and networking opportunities. This May, 11 Asper graduates became IBEP alumni at the annual graduation ceremony. Check out photos of the 2024 IBEP Graduation Ceremony here. 

IBEP will celebrate 30 years of supporting students on Thursday, September 19, 2024.

“But that was where we wanted to be. We wanted to be together.”

The Indigenous Business Education Partners (IBEP) lounge, which has since moved to a larger, more suitable space, was a meeting place for Richard, and the ecosystem that IBEP created for Indigenous business students has grown beyond a cramped, if not cozy, office.

“IBEP created a space for friendships that last even today,” she says.

Richard, who is now Lead of Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH), Indigenous, can recall many connections that began at Asper through IBEP, made with people that she still actively works or keeps in touch with.

As an Asper student, she developed a keen understanding of the value of sustaining community and of creating space for more Indigenous leaders and innovators.

“That was the vision I had from day one: I wanted that closeness to continue. For instance, I knew it was important to keep [UM Indigenous Commerce Students] alive when I graduated, and I wanted to find people earlier in their BComm who had that same passion.”

Richard’s vision for WEKH is not unlike this approach—her focus is never solely on her own success, but on creating that space and those opportunities for other Indigenous women entrepreneurs.

“WEKH is centered around building relationships and an inclusive innovation ecosystem for women entrepreneurs across the country. I work to share information, build connections and establish understanding between the various organizations that support Indigenous women entrepreneurs,” she says.

“These ecosystems need to offer support while ensuring Indigenous women have full control over what they are creating. It’s not just about providing pockets of funding specifically for Indigenous communities; it’s about creating that space for passion, innovation, connection and allyship.”

Asper is home to the Manitoba Hub and the National Indigenous Hub of WEKH, a Canadian network and platform for sharing research, resources and leading strategies for women entrepreneurs. Richard leads the National Indigenous Hub, while Director of the Burns Leadership Institute Suzanne Gagnon and Director of the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship Debra Jonasson-Young lead the provincial chapter.

For Richard, the aim of WEKH is not just to support individual entrepreneurs, but to create spaces for more Indigenous women to succeed in entrepreneurship by providing community and opportunities for connection.

“We have put a lot into building these relationships within the network, where now amazing things can happen without me or WEKH itself planning events. We’ve been able to focus more on supporting the events and resources that members of our network plan rather than running everything directly from WEKH.”

WEKH has built this ecosystem across a vast national network, with opportunities to connect in-person, but with an intentional focus on sustaining relationships across the country.

Where connection lives

Richard understands that her role is not just to create connections, but to create a space where connections can grow and flourish in unexpected ways, to create a reliable touchpoint for establishing and revitalizing professional relationships, to be attuned to the echoes of past or intergenerational connections.

She values reconnecting just as much, reaching out to her old teachers who saw her as more than a problem student, telling them how much their connection—however brief—impacted her story. She recalls a young woman and public speaker doing the same to her. While she values knowing about this impact and informing her own mentors about their influence, she is careful not to make that acknowledgement the reason for her work.

“Be a positive part of other people’s lives as best you can, but don’t do it for the promise of credit down the line. Do it because you want to and accept that you may never find out whose life you affected. There will be signs along the way that you’re on the right path.”

At WEKH, the signs are a robust network of women entrepreneurs empowered to create and connect, guided by Asper leaders and innovators.

At IBEP, the signs include a community of 182 alumni (whose time in the program created lifelong friendships), a lasting potential for new connections and a 30-year legacy of supporting Indigenous business students in their pursuit of leadership, innovation and impact.

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In the upcoming year, WEKH Indigenous is looking forward to partnering with both Indigenomics and the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association on two events that will create opportunities for Indigenous women entrepreneurs to thrive. Learn more here.

“You’re coming here to be yourself—to be a visionary—that’s what Asper is for.”

Matthew Carriere is a BComm student at the Asper School of Business and member of Indigenous Business Education Partners (IBEP) who knows what it means to find himself through community.

He pursues and creates spaces of belonging, whether he is heading to Montpellier, France, through Asper’s International Exchange program, planning networking events with UM Indigenous Commerce Students (UMICS), or relaxing in the IBEP lounge.

IBEP offers a broad range of services to Indigenous students pursuing a degree at Asper, including tutoring, access to bursaries and scholarships and networking opportunities. Carriere is also grateful for the community IBEP has built for students. “IBEP is a place to feel safe. It’s our own little tight-knit community. I can sit down with an advisor who is there to help me while understanding my needs and background,” he says.

As VP of corporate relations for UMICS, Carriere plans events that get Indigenous business students face-to-face with potential employers and mentors, creating opportunities for students that they may not otherwise access on their own.

A Red River Métis citizen, Carriere’s life within and outside of Asper is characterized by the transformative power and place of community connection.

He was one of three youths selected to attend the Papal visit on the Maskwacis Reserve in 2022, caring for, supporting and connecting with Elders during the journey. The experience revealed the meaning of resilience and community that, rather than enforcing uniformity, holds space for difference.

“That was lifechanging,” he says. “I got to hear multiple perspectives and learn from the Elders—some forgave, some didn’t, some felt uneasy or uncertain. It shaped my view of how important community is because even with different responses, the most consistent thing was resilience. Witnessing that resilience drove me towards applying to be a provincial board member.”

In November 2023, he joined the Provincial Youth Advisory Committee of the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) after years of service as a Winnipeg Regional Youth Advisor. As a teenager, Carriere sought guidance in the Métis community of Manitoba and MMF, which became a place of belonging and reclamation.

“I never really knew my Métis background when I was younger because for my dad and my grandpa, back then, that identity and history was shameful. My family encouraged me to go out and be in the community to find my place. At my first meeting, I was gifted a Métis sash by Elders and leaders in the St. Norbert Local (MMF). Instantly, I felt welcomed.

“I felt like I had a place.”

Carriere’s willingness to embrace his history and actively take part in his community is something his family celebrates today, a reminder that more equitable futures are imagined through truthful reckonings of the past. Committed to empowering youth in the community, he shares the long-term goals that drive his work with the MMF and Métis youth.

“I want to help create an identity for youth to embrace and live through, and cultivate inclusiveness, because Métis people come from many diverse backgrounds.”

For Carriere, inclusivity recognizes that every individual—every generation—has wisdom to offer.

Whether he is heeding advice from his grandparents (encouraging him to go with his gut and pursue business), following a lead from IBEP to secure an internship at Deloitte this summer, connecting fellow Asper students to part-time work through his current role at TD, or engaging with the next generation of Indigenous business and Métis leaders, Carriere works to create spaces that value experience at every level—what he refers to as a “ladder of wisdom.”

“Everyone has their own story,” he explains. “Everyone is a visionary. Share your life experience and what you’ve seen of the world and seek that out in others. That exchange, that’s your leverage.”