Rachel Petero
Rachel Petero, a Māori leader from Waikato, champions Indigenous leadership and economic empowerment. She founded IWI – Indigenous Women in Industry, a platform for empowering Indigenous women globally. The first event was in New Zealand in 2024, with future gatherings in Canada, Australia, and the U.S.With over 10 years’ experience, Rachel specializes in leadership development, executive coaching, and cultural capability. She launched Rise Global in 2015, offering Indigenous-led business solutions. Her governance experience spans various sectors, including healthcare and tribal development.Rachel remains committed to impactful change and collaboration, building a legacy with her husband, John, her family, tribe and communities.
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Jaime Gloshay
Jaime is the Managing Director of Impact Investments at Common Future, where she leads lending and investments into community-rooted organizations.She currently serves on UpTogether’s Board of Directors, Urban Strategies Inc., Kiva U.S. Advisory Board, and Justice Funders Governing body - co-developing the Just Transition in Investment FrameworkAs an intersectional movement builder, Jaime has supported and worked with Justice Funders, Kindle Project’s Indigenous Women’s Flow Fund, the Trauma of Money, and NDN Collective’s - Collective Abundance Fund.Jaime is a fellow with Liberation in a Generation, Center for Community Investment, Boston Impact Initiative, New Mexico Tribal Data Champions, and Opportunity Finance Network.Prior to her work at Common Future, Jaime began her career in finance when she developed Dreamspring’s (formerly Accion) Native Lending program and supported the development of Nusenda’s relationship-based lending initiative with Roanhorse Consulting LLC.Jaime is a Co-founder and former Co-CEO of Native Women Lead, where she led key initiatives in program design, capital strategies, advancement, and partnership development while overseeing impact and evaluation. Here, Jaime served as one of the primary architects of the Equality Can’t Challenge - the prospectus and competition that seeded $10mm into the The Future is Indigenous Women initiative.Jaime is a mother of three, residing in Tiwa Territory (Albuquerque, New Mexico), and from the Navajo and White Mountain Apache Nations.
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Bobbie Racette
Bobbie Racette is the Founder of Virtual Gurus, an inclusive talent marketplace she built from a $300 idea into a multi-million-dollar company that was later acquired. A Cree-Métis and queer entrepreneur, she became the first Indigenous woman in Canada to close a Series A funding round and lead the acquisition of a venture-backed tech company. Bobbie is now the Founder of Tapwi, a platform supporting founders through access, community, and truth-driven entrepreneurship. She is a speaker, advocate, and ecosystem leader focused on creating opportunity for underserved founders.
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Jenn Harper
Jenn Harper is not just a name in the beauty industry; she's a revolution. An award-winning social entrepreneur and international speaker, Jenn is the trailblazing founder and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics—a brand that has gracefully painted the ideals of sustainability and inclusion onto a global canvas. From its inception in 2015, Jenn has nurtured Cheekbone Beauty into a B. Corp Certified force, now gracing the shelves of Sephora Canada and 550 JC Penney locations across the USA. To date, over $250,000 has been donated to philanthropic causes, testament to Cheekbone's core values.Cheekbone's prestige has been hard-earned. In 2019, Jenn Harper made a confident appearance on Canada's Dragon's Den, the nation's equivalency of Shark Tank. The accolades accruing to Jenn's name bear the weight of her achievements. In 2022, she was listed among the 100 Women of Influence by Entrepreneur Magazine—a list graced by the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian. In 2023, Jenn was conferred an Honorary Doctorate degree from the Goodman School of Business at Brock University. In November of 2024, Jenn Harper was also named as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women.Jenn Harper, with Cheekbone Beauty, brings forth a narrative of passion, resilience, and authenticity. Her biography is not just about the ascent of a brand; it's the story of a vision brought to life, of barriers broken, and of a future envisioned where commerce and charity coalesce seamlessly, all painted with the strokes of an eco-friendly brush.
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Mya Beaudry
Mya Beaudry is an Algonquin youth from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg and the Founder & CEO of Kokom Scrunchies. She launched the brand in 2020 at just nine years old to honour her culture and inspire her community. Now 15 and balancing her role as CEO and as a high school student, Mya has grown Kokom Scrunchies into a nationally recognized brand, with made-in-Canada scrunchies carried in over 150 stores, first-of-its-kind scrunchies vending machines in shopping malls across Canada, and partnerships with Nike, Mastercard, and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Her work has even reached Hollywood, with a feature at the Oscars pre-gifting suite 2025. Mya and Kokom Scrunchies have been featured on eTalk, Good Morning America, and the National News outlets across Canada.A pow wow dancer and hockey player since the age of three, and a public speaker since age 10, Mya also works as an educator with Connected North and delivered the 2025 keynote on economic development at the Assembly of First Nations BC. Through it all, her goal is to inspire the next generation to dream big and lead with purpose.
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Natasha Amos
Natasha Amos comes from the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Hesquiaht, ’Namgis, and Secwépemc traditional territories, is a future clinical counsellor and community advocate currently completing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Capilano University. Her work is grounded in supporting Indigenous healing, with a focus on mental health, cultural safety, and community connection.Her journey into this work is deeply personal, shaped by her own experiences with healing and recovery. Natasha is passionate about creating spaces where Indigenous people feel seen, heard, and supported. With experience in Indigenous governance and research, Natasha brings a trauma-informed and relational approach to her work. She is passionate about creating spaces that centre Indigenous voices, stories, and lived experiences.Natasha is also breaking into the podcast scene, producing a podcast that amplifies conversations around healing, identity, truth & reconciliation, and connection. Her work is guided by the values of empathy, advocacy, and cultural resurgence, with a vision to support Indigenous communities through accessible, community-based care.
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Paula Amos
Paula Amos is of Hesquiaht and Squamish Nation descent, born and raised in the Nuu-chah-nulth territory on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Paula has worked for the Indigenous Tourism Association of BC for the past 20 + years and has been a part of the industry growth and success by driving results in experience development, partnerships and marketing strategies to provide a voice and space for Indigenous tourism and economic development.Paula sat on the steering committee for the groundbreaking Blueprint Strategy for Indigenous tourism in British Columbia. The Blueprint was the catalyst for developing Indigenous tourism in BC launched in 2006. The overall Indigenous tourism industry has grown by over 80% since the launch of the Aboriginal Tourism Blueprint Strategy.She was also involved with the 2010 Aboriginal Tourism Working Group for the 2010 Winter Olympics, in partnership with the 2010 Bid Corporation. Paula views the development of the Indigenous cultural tourism industry as not only economic development and job potential but is also a driver for cultural pride, reconciliation and a new generation of entrepreneurs.Paula Amos is an advocate and leader for Indigenous tourism community development and works in the important areas of collaboration and partnerships. She has been selected 3x for the annual BC500 list for the province of BC’s most influential business and community leaders.
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Victoria LaBillois
Victoria LaBillois is an award-winning Mi’gmaq entrepreneur and founder of The Eloquent Hostess, blending her gift for languages with her commanding voice as MC for national events. She has served in First Nation, provincial, and federal public service, including on the National Indigenous Economic Development Board, Hydro-Québec Board, and Indigenous Advisory Council for Major Projects. Passionate about mentorship, Victoria dedicates her time to teaching financial literacy to Indigenous youth.
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Dr Hinemoa Elder
Dr Hinemoa Elder is Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Kurī, Te Rarawa, Ngāi Takoto and Ngāpuhi nui tonu. She has two adult children.A Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist for 20 years, Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Psychiatrists, she is the Kaiārahi Oranga Hinengaro at Te Hiku Hauora.Hinemoa is recognised nationally and internationally as a senior practitioner, with expertise in indigenous mental health, working across a range of settings including youth forensic services, maternal mental health and inpatient services, currently her main focus is primary mental health and prevention.She completed her doctoral and post-doctoral studies examing Traumatic Brain injury for Māori, developing evidence-based tools for cultural needs assessment which are used in rehabilitation services as well as a wide range of mental health services.Hinemoa has published several book chapters on medico-legal matters such as Capacity Law, Mental Health legislation and Forensic Psychiatric practice as well as regularly publishing papers in international journals.She was awarded the MNZM, New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Psychiatry and Māori in 2019, she is a member of the NZ Human Rights Review Tribunal, and a best selling author of six books through Penguin Random House, bringing Māori wisdom to global readership providing indigenous resources to promote wellbeing.She is a Rockefeller Foundation, Bellagio Resident Alumni and a member of the Busara Circle, for the Homeward Bound Project.
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Inez Cook (Snitsmana)
Inez Cook is a proud member of the Nuxalk Nation (New-Halk) and grew up in Vancouver BC.She is the cofounder and owner of the award winning Salmon n’ Bannock Bistro in Vancouver as well as the owner of Salmon n’ Bannock on the Fly at YVR international departures (the first Indigenous restaurant at a Canadian airport).Inez recently retired from a 33 year flying career which has afforded her opportunities to live all over the world and celebrate international cultures. She always dreamt of taking people on a journey and finally came full circle and is taking people of her very personal journey within.She also is the author of the books The Sixties Scoop & Reconnecting After The Sixties Scoop, sharing her personal story.
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Jenni Walke
Jenni Walke is a proud First Nations Bundjalung woman and the founder of Elephant in the Room Consulting, a purpose-led advisory firm grounded in Indigenous wisdom and contemporary business strategy. With more than 25 years’ experience spanning military service, Commonwealth agencies, and senior leadership roles in the private sector, Jenni brings depth, clarity, and courage to every engagement.Jenni works at the intersection of strategy, culture, governance, and impact. She has supported more than 200 Indigenous businesses, facilitated over $10 million in contracts, and designed and delivered cultural capability, leadership, and governance programs for major organisations including Thiess, BMD Group, Alinta Energy, Powerlink, Shell QGC, Stockland, and government agencies at both state and Commonwealth levels.A trusted advisor and facilitator, Jenni is known for her ability to navigate complexity, challenge systems that no longer serve, and translate intent into action. Her work focuses on building culturally safe organisations, embedding Indigenous perspectives into decision-making, and moving beyond compliance towards meaningful, lasting change.Jenni currently serves on several boards and advisory groups, including Director of the BilaEmpower Board, member of the Woolworths First Nations Advisory Board, Yalari Northern Regional Council, and the Shell Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Advisory Group.Recognised nationally for her leadership and impact, Jenni is respected for her strategic insight, ethical approach, and deep cultural competence. Passionate about governance, policy influence, and community-led outcomes, she is committed to seeing Indigenous leadership embedded where decisions are made.As a mentor, speaker, and role model for women and Indigenous entrepreneurs, Jenni believes success is driven by purpose, courage, and community, and that when culture leads, impact follows.
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Kaye-Maree Dunn
Kaye-Maree is the Director of indigenous consulting firm Making Everything Achievable, Decentralised Geneology platform - Ahau NZ Limited, and Tech Development Company - Indigital Limited. She is currently the Chair of the Mahue Pera Ahu Whenua Trust, a Trustee on the North Hokianga Development Trust, Āhau Tātai Hono Trust and is a Sir Edmond Hillary Fellow and a Senior Atlantic Fellow through the University of Melbourne. Kaye-Maree brings her commercial and community development acumen to her approaches in indigenous tech and has released two significant reports - Mapping the Māori Tech Sector in 2023 and Mapping the Māori Tech Workforce in 2025. Kaye-Maree has provided significant thought leadership in Data Sovereignty, Digital Identity, Decentralised Data systems, youth entry into tech roles and equitable indigenous access to the internet and internet governance.
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Dr Michelle Deshong
Dr. Michelle Deshong draws her connection to Kuku Yalanji and Butchulla nation and currently lives in Townsville, North Queensland. She has committed most of her professional life to the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples asserting their right to self-determination through culture reclamation, leadership, governance, and political engagement.Michelle is recognised globally for her efforts in political advocacy, having worked across Indigenous affairs for over 30 years. She is among a generation of Indigenous leaders pushing the boundaries of change to overcome the challenges that have long beset Indigenous communities and organisations. A large body of her work has been in executive roles within the Federal government, NGO, and community sectors. Michelle has also held several governance roles including Chairperson of Supply Nation, previous Deputy Chairperson of AIATSIS, Chair of the Queensland Treaty Institute, and a member of the DFAT Indigenous Advisory Committee.Michelle has been a business owner for over 20 years and is passionate about supporting the growth of the Indigenous business sector nationally and internationally. The business enables her to present and engage extensively on areas of expertise and support Indigenous peoples and communities across the country.Michelle is also an accomplished academic, completing her PhD on the participation of Indigenous women in public and political life. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in 2015/2016 to work with Native communities across the US, Canada, and New Zealand to explore models of cultural governance and nation building. She was also awarded a Churchill Fellowship and received the National NAIDOC Indigenous Scholar of the Year in 2015.To find out more about Michelle and Deshong Consulting, visit the website www.deshongconsulting.com.au.
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Rosa Walker
Rosa is the visionary behind the Indigenous Leadership Development Institute, Inc. which has been in operation for over 25 years. She started and has led the World Indigenous Business Forum for the past 16 years. Rosa is one of the founding members of the World Indigenous Business Network for the past 14 years and has been the Chair of the Canadian Chapter as well as the head of the Secretariate for all the Chapters.Rosa was the Executive Director and part of the team for the start-up of Taking Charge! Inc., a program to transition single parents into the workforce. She was employed at the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs as Managing Director, Workplace Diversity. Rosa worked with the Bank of Montreal in the capacity of Manager, Workplace Equality for Manitoba and Saskatchewan.Rosa served on many Boards, including the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board, Accreditation Canada, Faculty of Business and Economic Alumni Committee and Global College Advisory Council, both University of Winnipeg. Rosa is the past Chair of First People’s Economic Growth Fund.Rosa is the recipient of the YM-YWCA Women of Distinction Award and was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women. She is the recipient of a Canadian Indspire Award and most recently, Spotify’s Top 100 Fascinating Manitobans. Rosa received a distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Winnipeg in 2024.
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Rosanna Angus
Rosanna Angus is a Bardi and Jawi Traditional Owner from the Dampier Peninsula in Western Australia and the founder of Oolin Sunday Island Cultural Tours, an award-winning Indigenous tourism business operating on Jawi Sea Country.A respected tourism leader, entrepreneur, and advocate for Indigenous-led economic development, Rosanna is passionate about ensuring that tourism is delivered on Country, by Traditional Owners, and on their terms. Through her work, she creates opportunities for cultural knowledge sharing, employment, training, and community development while supporting the continuation of Bardi and Jawi culture for future generations.Rosanna serves as a Commissioner with Tourism Western Australia and Chair of the Bardi Jawi Garrda Marine Park Joint Management Body. She has been recognised nationally for her contribution to tourism and cultural leadership, including being named Australia’s Top Tour Guide and leading Oolin Sunday Island Cultural Tours to Gold at the WA Tourism Awards.Her work focuses on strengthening Indigenous participation in tourism, cultural enterprise, conservation, and community-led economic development while sharing the stories, knowledge, and living connection of Bardi and Jawi people to Country.
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Tracey Metallic
Born and raised on the shores of the Restigouche River, Tracey is a Mi’gmaq artist whose journey in painting began in 2015 as a therapeutic outlet, creating cartoon characters for her grandchildren. After sharing her artwork on social media, Tracey quickly gained recognition for her unique abstract designs, leading to a surge of requests and collaborations. Her artistic path ignited a passion that has flourished over the years. Notably, her work has attracted attention from major corporations and celebrities, including Ryan Reynolds, who showcased her art on Instagram from a mutual collaboration. Currently, Tracey is expanding her brand by incorporating her designs into a line of fashion items, including handbags, wallets, luggage, and clothing. Her custom-designed jean jacket was recently featured in the TV series Sullivan’s Crossing, while her artwork also appeared in the mini-series Cardinal.In January 2024, Tracey was invited by the prestigious DPA Group to present her merchandise at the Pre-Golden Globes Gifting Suites in Los Angeles, further solidifying her presence in the art world. She is in the process of establishing a physical store to exhibit her artwork and sell her products both in-store and online.Recently, Tracey was honoured with the King Charles III Coronation Medal for her resilience, community leadership, and status as a role model. This award recognizes her significant contributions to the community and her artistic endeavors.Tracey’s artwork reflects her personal journey and belief that everyone is on their own path, striving for improvement and self-reflection. She resides in her home community of Listuguj, in the territory of Gespe’gewagi, and holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Social Work from St. Thomas University, along with a Master's Degree from Wilfrid Laurier University.
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Jasmine Newman
Jasmine Newman is a proud Wiradjuri woman, entrepreneur and award-winning business leader. As Founder and Managing Director of Killara Services, she has built a successful Indigenous and female-owned business focused on delivering high-quality services while creating sustainable employment and development opportunities for Aboriginal people.A passionate advocate for Indigenous entrepreneurship, supplier diversity and women in leadership, Jasmine is committed to driving economic empowerment and creating pathways for future generations. Her achievements have been recognised nationally, including being named Indigenous Businesswoman of the Year and Certified Supplier of the Year. Jasmine brings a unique perspective on building and growing an Indigenous and female-owned business, creating social impact through procurement, and leading with purpose and cultural pride.
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Amanda Healy
Amanda is a Wonnarua woman – traditional owners of the Hunter Valley in NSW, and part of the Koorie nation. She has spent most of her life living in WA.Amanda has more than 35 years’ experience in the mining industry, in Australia, Africa and Canada – working for Blue Chip miners such as BHP, Rio Tinto and WMC. In 2003 she founded her own Engineering business in the Pilbara - Maxx Engineering which was sold to a large international company in 2015.In 2014 she was awarded the prestigious ‘Indigenous in Business’ Award at the Ethnic Business Awards at the G20 in Brisbane (for Maxx Engineering), since then has won a number of small business awards both nationally and regionally. She has an MBA and was honoured with a Doctor of Commerce at Curtin University in 2020.Amanda developed Kirrikin in late 2014 (a social enterprise sharing profits with the artists) to address shortage of authentic Indigenous products. Kirrikin digitally prints gorgeous Aboriginal artwork onto luxurious Cashmeres and silks, turning them into clothing and accessories. See www.kirrikin.com. Kirrikin’s products have been shown in fashion stages throughout the world.In 2019 Amanda won a Churchill Fellowship to study fashion. In 2022 she was finally able to complete the course at the International Fashion Institute in Paris, France.In 2017 Amanda joined forces with two other Industry specialists to form Warrikal, and Indigenous Majority owned Mechanical Services business, combining some 50 years of experience in shutdowns and turnarounds in the Pilbara. Amanda is the CEO of Warrikal and continues her work in Social Responsibility through Kirrikin.Amanda holds a keen interest in the UN Mechanism on the rights of Indigenous Peoples and works diligently to help others develop small business to create economic sustainability – see work on Enterprise Learning Projects board chair role on helping the development of skills in remote communities.
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