Indigenous Innovators

Mark Rutledge, CGD™ talks with Jen about his career as a graphic designer and the journey of how he ended up at Animikii. From attending school in Seneca College to working in Yukon, Mark provides a unique perspective on the difference between supporting and celebrating Indigenous design and appropriation using Indigenous cultural art for personal gain. He also discusses strategies for Indigenous youth interested in becoming an illustrator or graphic designer in today's tech industry. Guest Bio Mark Rutledge, CGD™ is Animikii’s lead designer. As a passionate graphic designer who embraces his creative instincts and intuition, he has a burning desire to cultivate flawless outcomes in branding, photography, and web design. Mark is Anishinaabe and a member of the Little Grand Rapids First Nation. He lives and works on Kwanlin Dün and Ta'an Kwäch'än Council Territories in Whitehorse, Yukon. Mark also serves as National President of the Graphic Designers of Canada. Host Bio Jen manages content, social media, a

Darian Sampare, Website Developer Intern at Animikii, talks with Jen and Dakota about the challenges and benefits of entering the tech sector as an Indigenous person. Even today, there are substantial barriers for Indigenous students and young people who are thinking about entering the tech sector. We discuss these barriers and also explore some of the benefits of technology for Indigenous communities with this episode's guest, Darian Sampare, who, as an Indigenous Computer Sciences student at Uvic, has experienced many of these issues first-hand. Guest Bio Darian Sampare is Gitxsan from Hazelton, BC and resides in Victoria, BC. He is currently a student at the University of Victoria in the Computer Science program. Darian has worked in and out of the Indigenous tech-sector for the past few years while attending school, including positions within the community and running his own startup. Most recently, he spent this summer on a co-op at Animikii working as a Web Developer. He is passionate about honing his

Jace Meyer, Lead for Indigenous Entrepreneurs at Shopify, talks with Jen about the benefits, barriers, and tools available for Indigenous entrepreneurs on Turtle Island. Through technology, entrepreneurs can now sell their creations from anywhere in the world to a global audience using online platforms. This shift to online commerce is something that this episode's guest, Jace Meyer, is intimately aware of from her role as the Lead for Indigenous Entrepreneurs at Shopify. Guest Bio Jace Meyer is the Lead for Indigenous Entrepreneurs at Shopify. She is also a teacher, speaker, artist, entrepreneur, and Shopify's Lead for Indigenous Entrepreneurs. In her spare time, Jace also designs 21st-century classrooms, youth engagement training, and hackathons for social enterprises. She is Métis from Manitoba but lives and works in Ottawa on the traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Peoples. Host Bio Jen manages content, social media, and multimedia projects for both Animikii and their digital communicatio

Denise Williams, CEO of the First Nations Technology Council, has an in-depth discussion with Jordyn about some of these issues of Internet access and technological literacy in Indigenous Communities - particularly as it relates to job creation. Technology jobs in British Columbia are expanding and will continue to do so as we move further towards a knowledge-based economy and no one understands that better than this episode’s main guest, Denise Williams. Denise Williams is the Executive Director of the First Nations Technology Council. She is Coast Salish from the Cowichan Tribes on Vancouver Island but lives and works in Vancouver as the Executive Director of the FNTC. Later on in the episode, Lydia Prince, Animikii Web & Communications Strategist talks with Jordyn about her experience as a student in FNTC’s first Bridging to Technology cohort and about why she’s chosen a technological career as an Indigenous young person. Guest Bio At the intersection of Indigenous sovereignty, technological advancement

Trina QaqqaqIn, Inuit Activist, talks with Jordyn and Dakota about what it means to be an effective ally to Inuit Peoples. They discuss issues of identity and belonging, particularly as it relates to being a Northern Inuit person living and working in the Southern Canadian context. The trio takes a deeper look at Trina’s motivations for joining the activism space and talks about what she hopes to accomplish with her growing projects. Trina speaks clearly and passionately about issues that Northern Canadians face and she provides important insight for all Southern Canadians to consider. Guest Bio Trina is currently a student of Business Administration and Human Resource Management at Sir Sandford Fleming College in Peterborough, Ontario. Her presence as an Inuit activist is growing and we look forward to supporting her in any way we can - at the very least, following what is sure to be a long and passionate career in activism. Host Bios Jordyn Hrenyk is a Dean’s List graduate of the Gustavson School of Bu