b'PERSONAL PERSPECTIVETurtle Island. The shop beganWeek, which reached thousands oftransactional engagement to mean-with the purpose of connectingstudents across North America. ingful influence.people to authentic Indigenous gifts. As customers asked aboutLooking back, I realize that TribalThe turning point came when I the significance of the items inTrade wasnt just a business; it wasrealized that representation is only the store, I started writing downa bridge between traditional knowl- powerful when its paired with teachings to help my employeesedge and modern platforms. It wasinfluence. Its not enough to be answer questions. The notes wealso one of the first places I trulyin the room; you have to shape compiled became blog posts onsaw how my identity could be boththe conversation to influence our website, and the posts quicklycultural and professionalhowmeaningful change. This realization evolved into YouTube videos thattradition could inform innovation. drove me to pursue my MBA at have since reached close to 70,000Ivey Business School. I wanted channel subscribers. SHIFTING THE NARRATIVE to deepen my financial fluency, In many of the corporate partner- strengthen my strategy toolkit, and That digital platform was born outships I developed over the yearsensure my value wasnt limited to of curiosity, service, and educa-including projects with Procterreconciliation work, but there was tion, which has become a global& Gamble, Best Buy, HP Canada,no doubt that I was qualified to sit community of over 100,000 emailand other major brandsI wasat the executive table.subscribers. People who had neveroften the Indigenous consultant. set foot in a First Nations commu- At Ivey, surrounded by some of nity were learning about smudging,I brought perspective that othersCanadas most driven professionals, resilience, and Anishinaabe teach- lacked, but sometimes I feltI began to see the unique experi-ings in a way that felt personal,reduced to that single lens. Thatences I was given as a competitive accessible, and welcoming. I beganinsight led to my TEDx talk in 2023,advantage for accelerating my collaborating with my granny,where I shared how data-drivendevelopment toward top-tier Susie, a respected Elder, to createmarketing, when grounded inexecutive leadership. I quickly courses such as Smudge Circlecross-cultural understanding,learned that my hypothesis was and Resiliency Transformationcan move organizations fromproving to be true: culture drivesTchadas Leo (left), BCIT Broadcastand Media grad, works with a colleagueat CHEK News.THE FUTUREIS YOURSFOR THE MAKING.Your journey matters. At BCIT, Indigenous students thrive with holistic supports, mentorship, and a strong community rooted in culture and belonging.Learn more at bcit.ca/indigenous-studentsEDUCATIONFOR A COMPLEX WORLD.WATCH2025indspiration39'