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.

VIBE is hosted by Indigenous Business Education Partners (IBEP). Located within the Drake Centre, this unit of Asper School of Business supports Indigenous business students as they develop the vision, grit and passion needed to become business leaders of tomorrow.

This year’s VIBE Awards take place November 6, 2025. The two recipients are Cody Gonsalves of Purposeful Movements Ltd. and E. Oliver Owen of Amik Aviation.

The two recipients of this year’s awards tell stories of entrepreneurs who lived through the issues that their businesses solve. They both lead by example, consistently going out of their way to provide the best possible experience for their clients while keeping community at the forefront of decisions.

“In Cody and Oliver’s stories, they followed their personal passions and ended up quickly becoming a staple presence in their respective community circles,” says IBEP Director Riley Proulx [BComm(Hons)/19]. “By staying true to themselves and leading by example, both provide valuable and essential services to Indigenous communities across Manitoba.”

2025 VIBE Award Winner – Purposeful Movements Ltd. (Cody Gonsalves)

Cody Gonsalves used to be a boxer. When he first started, he would move around the ring constantly, trying to fake out his opponent and get the upper hand.

That was, until his coach told him: “Cody, you need to stop wasting energy and move with purpose.”

Cody’s company, Purposeful Movements Ltd., is the full manifestation of his story. He hopes to empower Indigenous individuals to prioritize their physical, mental, and emotional well-being through exercise. To help people connect back to themselves and reclaim their health, just as he once did.

Of Cree ancestry from Red Pheasant First Nation, Gonsalves struggled on and off over 15 years with “using external solutions such as drugs, alcohol and takeout.” His internal solution was movement: he boxed and got a job as a personal trainer, which showed him focus, discipline, and how to impart those qualities to others. To Cody, movement is medicine.

Along the way, he completed his BComm (Hons) in Entrepreneurship and Marketing, graduating in 2015. His participation in the Indigenous Business Education Partners (IBEP) gave him a strong foundation of mentorship, cultural connection, and entrepreneurial instinct that paved the way for his company’s values.

Purposeful Movements Ltd. works in and together with Indigenous communities, providing in-person and virtual lessons, one-on-one sessions and group classes, to youth and elders alike.

They created an innovative Wellness Ambassador Program, training and mentoring locals to be role models for their community. In May 2025, Purposeful Movements Ltd. collaborated with Indigenous organizations AMC, SCO, MKO & NCN to organize and operate the first Movement is Medicine 5K Walk/Run, which gathered over 200 participants.

Cody’s vision with Purposeful Movements Ltd. is to positively change Indigenous communities by creating strong, resilient individuals that will have a ripple effect across generations.

With every challenge they encounter, Purposeful Movements Ltd. continues to grow while meeting people where they’re at.

2025 VIBE Award Winner – Amik Aviation Ltd. (E. Oliver Owen)

When E. Oliver Owen was growing up, air travel to and from Indigenous communities in Manitoba was difficult, to say the least.

Owen’s hometown community, Pauingassi didn’t have an airport. If you needed a plane, you had to travel more than 40 minutes by boat over mini-rapids, then organize a ground transportation to get yourself the last half-mile to the landing strip. At best, this is a challenge, at worst (in the case of a medical emergency) it’s a nightmare.

Planes were essential for supplies, travel, and medical assistance, but they weren’t readily accessible or affordable. So Owen, who was fascinated with aviation his whole life, set out to change that.

He created Amik Aviation with the simple goal of making air travel more convenient for Indigenous communities.

It wasn’t long before he amassed a network of solutions: he located Amik in St. Andrews Airport, 20 minutes north of Winnipeg; built docks to make landing easy in certain communities; and expanded his operations to Little Grand Rapids, Pauingassi, Bloodvein, Berens River and Poplar River.

He was awarded the prestigious Pioneer of Flight award by the Manitoba Aviation Council in 2019 for his specific innovation in using the quiet and fuel-efficient Cessna 208—usually used for utility transport—for passenger services. He was the first person to do it.

With a fleet of six planes and close to 20 employees, many of whom speak Ojibwe or other Indigenous languages, Amik Aviation shows no sign of slowing down.

Though Owen has been the cause of seismic change in this area, the little things count just as much. Even the transportation of envelopes used to be tough. Some couriers would charge up to $25 to ship to Winnipeg. Give an envelope to Owen, and he’ll gladly get it there.

The fee? No charge. 

Investing in future Indigenous business leaders

IBEP Director Riley Proulx knows that students will come away from the VIBE Awards with more than they came in with.

“VIBE is a moment where we can reflect on the people who, through their drive, thoughtfulness, and community-involved leadership, inspire us to keep striving for greatness. Our guests are always thrilled to attend and learn about our recipients because they have stories that come from the heart. And for the students, our recipients are reminders that they too can achieve success in business while staying grounded to their communities.”

The VIBE awards directly benefit Indigenous students at Asper. Each year, 100% of event proceeds benefit IBEP students through scholarships, bursaries, academic supports, and more.

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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 the 2025 VIBE Awards here.

“To me what speaks volumes about these two recipients is how they stepped up to the plate when they saw a need in their communities,” said Riley Proulx, director of Indigenous Business Education Partners, the department at the University of Manitoba that presents the awards.

Vincent, who grew up in the Métis community of St. Laurent, started his company in 2007, after recognizing the need for representational design.

Today, his branding and marketing firm employs close to 40 people. The company focuses on promoting Indigenous communities, organizations and companies.

To read the entire story, please visit the link here with the Winnipeg Free Press.

Law students at the Faculty of Law learn a lot about the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal-Crown relations, intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism as well as other subjects. However, there is also a need for law students to get outside of classrooms to learn more about Indigenous entrepreneurship and see first-hand examples of Indigenous economic development and Indigenous business excellence which is vital  to learning and witnessing Reconciliation in action. This is exactly what Business Law Clinic students wanted to do in attending the Asper School of Business, Indigenous Business Education Partners (IBEP) VIBE Awards which recognized and celebrated this year’s VIBE Award winners Dreamcatcher Promotions and La Brasserie Nonsuch Brewing Co.

Dreamcatcher Embroidery was founded in 2011 by Michelle Cameron as a home-based business, which evolved into Dreamcatcher Promotions in 2013 to reflect their expanding services. Today, with a team of 56 staff members operating out of Swan Lake First Nation Urban Reserve, the company supplies promotional products and apparel to organizations nationwide and holds the distinction of being the largest Indigenous-owned promotions company in Canada. Explore their offerings on the Dreamcatcher Promotions website.

La Brasserie Nonsuch Brewing Co., a Métis-Francophone-majority-owned business, serves up some of the best brews and fare in the province. Led by Matthew Sabourin, along with co-founders Mark Borowski, Ben Myers and Ty Johnston, the business aims to create special moments for customers to realize a culturally richer Winnipeg. The team’s vision is “one where our home continues to flourish, becoming more sustainable, diverse, equitable, inclusive, progressive, and just.” Learn more about their story on the Nonsuch Brewing website.

Rebecca Penner 3L, JD Candidate 2024, shared her unique perspective as an Asper Business School B.Comm alum and as a law student currently working at the Business Law Clinic, “It was very fulfilling to see people from all backgrounds joining together as Manitobans to celebrate these fantastic organizations as they should be celebrated, with traditional songs and ceremony. I remember attending this event as a student at the Asper School of Business and being so proud of my peers for facilitating such a celebration and redirecting the spotlight to Indigenous success. Attending the VIBE Awards now as a law student provided an opportunity to see how supporting Indigenous people with their businesses can create lasting, tangible good for Manitoban communities today and in the future, and I look forward to playing a small part in that future as a Manitoban lawyer.”

Law student Jamie Robertson 3L, JD Candidate 2024, shared her thoughts about the event, “It was an honour to attend the VIBE Awards and be in the presence of so many amazing and successful Indigenous entrepreneurs. Hearing from the award winners was incredibly impactful – we are very fortunate to have such strong business leaders in Manitoba. I am grateful to the L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic for allowing students like myself the opportunity to attend this prestigious event honouring Indigenous entrepreneurs.”

The VIBE Awards was an inspiring and unique opportunity for the law students to meet many attendees including Diane Roussin [BA (Sociology)/BrandonU; BSW/UManitoba], a very well-known community leader, social innovator, and member of the University of Manitoba Board of Governors, Manitoba Public Insurance, The Winnipeg Foundation, Winnipeg Art Gallery, and North Forge, to name a few. Currently Project Director at the Winnipeg Boldness Project, her vast and impressive work is a reminder of the importance and need for social innovation and the power of collaboration in promoting and continuing work on solving problems, removing barriers, and providing opportunities for others to achieve and contribute to communities which is a responsibility for all and should be supported.

Congratulations to Dreamcatcher Promotion and La Brasserie Nonsuch Brewing Co. and much thanks to the Asper School of Business Indigenous Business Education Partners (IBEP) for organizing this truly inspiring event that provided the opportunity for so many to gather to become better educated, more aware and witness Indigenous business excellence and achievement in practice, and also learning about the importance of providing opportunities and support to others along the path that we all must travel together towards Reconciliation. The L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic excitedly awaits next year’s awards!