7th
November

As the CEO, Natiea is responsible for guiding the organization into the future as it empowers First Nations communities across BC to thrive in the digital age. She is honoured to hold a role where her skills and passions come together in service of Indigenous Peoples.

Natiea has more than a decade of experience working as an entrepreneur and across academia, social enterprise organizations and the public and private sectors. In all her roles, Natiea has advocated for institutional innovation, reconciliation, and Indigenous renewal. She has held several senior positions at Indigenous-led organizations, including as the Director of Programs at the Canadian Council of Aboriginal Business and as the Founder of Makook, an Indigenous content discovery service.

Natiea was a Founding Partner of Coast Educational Development Research (Cedar), and previously worked as a Lecturer and as the Associate Director of Graduate Programs at the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University. Recently, Natiea led the creation of a province-wide digital education strategy for BC Children’s Hospital.

Natiea holds a Master of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Concordia University.

A member of Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc, Natiea is grateful to live on the traditional and unceded territory of Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) First Nation in Vancouver.

Alec is a dedicated student of Musqueam language and culture, immersing himself in the rich traditions and practices that define this Indigenous community. As an associate of the JWR Group, he plays a crucial role in supporting First Nations across British Columbia and Canada, assisting them with negotiations and governance building. His work is rooted in fostering strong relationships and empowering Indigenous communities to assert their rights and navigate complex legal landscapes.

In addition to his professional commitments, Alec is passionate about creativity and expression. In his spare time, he embraces his role as a maker and storyteller, weaving narratives that reflect both contemporary experiences and ancestral wisdom. Through his storytelling, he aims to bridge cultures and inspire others to appreciate the depth and diversity of Indigenous heritage. Alec's multifaceted interests and commitment to community empowerment make him a valuable advocate for Indigenous rights and culture.

Brett Hotas currently serves as the Executive Director of Future Workforce Development Strategy at TECHNATION – Canada’s leading technology industry association. He has led the organization’s Student Work Placement Program, Career Ready, for over 6 years, stewarding $250M in funds from the Government of Canada to ensure young Canadians are met with equitable and inclusive career pathways into STEM careers. He and his team are currently focused on developing programs focused on building pathways for Indigenous folks to participate in Canada’s digital workforce.

As Genome BC’s Director of Indigenous Relations and Initiatives, Candice Loring K’wiloo’km N’kwala is working to advance the Indigenous innovation ecosystem. Candice is also an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Management at UBC Okanagan. She held the role of Senior Advisor, Indigenous Relations & Initiatives in Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Mitacs.

As a proud member of the Gitwangak band from the Gitxsan Nation in Northern British Columbia, Candice’s passion for small businesses and entrepreneurship, along with her background in business management, has allowed her to expertly guide and support hundreds of organizations through collaborative innovation projects in her position at Mitacs.

Through her commitment to advancing the national Indigenous innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, Candice serves on numerous councils and committees, including the Indigenous Advisory Council for the Oceans Supercluster, the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council Advisory Committee, and Minerva BC.

In 2021, Candice was recognized as one of Canada’s most inspirational women entrepreneurs and business leaders by Canadian SME Small Business Magazine for her economic development work in Indigenous communities. She is a Ch’nook scholar scholarship recipient named Kelowna’s 2022 BDO Top 40 Under 40. Candice was also named UBC Okanagan’s Faculty of Management Alumni Builder Award recipient in 2023.

After receiving a journalism diploma from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), Ramage went on to become the first Indigenous social media and marketing coordinator for the Canadians Skin Cancer Foundation (CSCF). 

Through her time at the CSCF, Ramage implemented the first sun safety presentations for elementary school students on various reserves across Alberta.

In 2021, Ramage began a double major at the University of Calgary in media communication and political science and is working towards a PhD. She hopes to use her knowledge in the technical field, as well as the political in order to educate future generations on the importance of how the two intertwine.

Daryl has worked for the First Nations Tech Council since January 2020 and has delivered programs for Okanagan College for women in trades and electrical and trades planner-construction craft workers. He was recently contracted to provide a first-of-its-kind Aboriginal Public Works Program where 15 learners started and completed an independent ASTTBC exam. He has also worked with the Sylix-Okanagan Nation as a trade coordinator with over 150 students who had varied trades in more than 20 separate trades. As a status Squamish Nation member, Daryl has worked for the Nation, running housing and capital works projects up to $2 million. He has worked for the Government of Canada, delivering software and security programs as well as electrical trades training for the Nation’s members. For over 16 years, Daryl was the field tech for Shaw Cable and the telecom and service trainer. 

Daryl holds a degree in computer systems technology and is a journeyman electrician. He is also currently completing the Provincial Instructor Diploma. His proudest moments are getting married and being a father to three children. Just recently, over the summer, Daryl completed his master’s in computer science and is now intending on jumping into a PhD in Edu. and refining his research on building on his Squamish Nation reclamation AI app RSE, CSTBtech, MCSE, CCNA, MCP, A+, N+, PIDP, It Essentials, CCNA ITN

Alina Perrault is a proud band member of the Muskowekwan First Nation and was raised in a small French community called Zenon Park. Alina has worked in many different areas including media outlets, government, and private sectors. Alina’s educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Saskatchewan and a Master’s degree in Journalism from the University of Regina. Seasoned project manager and communications specialist. She led the Indigenous women in tech project and launched the first-ever Reconciling Tech: Hackathon in Saskatchewan.

Jeff founded Animikii in 2003 and has orchestrated and managed its growth ever since. Everything Jeff does in business is geared toward uplifting his family, communities and Indigenous Peoples. He is Ojibwe and Métis, originally from Manitoba, and now lives and works in Victoria, BC on Lekwungen territory. Jeff is a software developer, product designer, author, and speaker. He also serves as Vice Chair for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) board.

“It’s an exciting time for the Indigenous movement. We’ve begun a new era of Indigenous-settler relations and the long journey towards Reconciliation has just begun. Each and every one of us, Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike, has been called upon to honour the past, to do better, and to rise up. Warriors everywhere are rising up in the fight for equitable outcomes for Indigenous people. We at Animikii believe that our call-to-action is to support all of these warriors in their journey by using the tools available to us. Our answer to that call, our weapon and tool of choice, is technology.”

Denis Villeneuve is the Security & Resiliency Practice Leader for Kyndryl Canada. Denis’ experience of almost 20 years ranges from solutioning complex security engagements and ensuring delivery of the managed security outsourcing services for some of Canada’s largest domestic and multinational clients across financial services, governments, manufacturing, and transportation.

 Prior to joining Kyndryl, Denis worked with three of the world’s leading Managed Security Services providers. He led cross-functional sales and solution design pursuit teams comprising of security architects and subject matter experts to deliver complex, multi-year professional and managed security services engagements.

Denis is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Associate Certified Chief Information Security Officer (C|CISO). He completed his undergraduate studies with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree in Marketing from the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa.

Denis is a member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation and is an advocate for Indigenous Reconciliation and Economic Development while promoting IT and Cybersecurity skills and talent development with First Nation communities. 

Brett Hotas currently serves as the Executive Director of Future Workforce Development Strategy at TECHNATION – Canada’s leading technology industry association. He has led the organization’s Student Work Placement Program, Career Ready, for over 6 years, stewarding $250M in funds from the Government of Canada to ensure young Canadians are met with equitable and inclusive career pathways into STEM careers. He and his team are currently focused on developing programs focused on building pathways for Indigenous folks to participate in Canada’s digital workforce.