Dr. Wendy Cukier is a professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University. She is the Founder and Academic Director of the Diversity Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University, which focuses on dimensions of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, future skills and entrepreneurship.

She is the Academic Director of the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH), a national network supported by the Government of Canada that supports evidence-based policy and practices to create a more inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Mikwam Makwa Ikwe is the traditional name given to WEKH’s National Indigenous Hub, housed at the Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba and collaborates closely with WEKH’s national network of hubs.

The Diversity Institute has worked closely with Indigenous organizations to lead research and programs in support of the Future Skills Centre, the 50 – 30 Challenge and other Diversity Institute initiatives, ensuring Indigenous perspectives are included. Specific projects include: with the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB), Breaking Barriers: A Decade of Indigenous Women’s Entrepreneurship in Canada, Skills for Inclusive Workplaces and the Advancement of Indigenous Peoples, Early Stages of Indigenous Women’s Entrepreneurship, Readiness and Resilience – Mapping the Contours of the Indigenous Skills and Employment Ecosystem, Digital Differences – The Impact of Automation on the Indigenous Ecosystem in Canada; with the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC), Indigenous Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation in Indigenous Tourism Development in Northern Canada and the Northern Tourism Recovery Incubator; and more.

WEKH’s See It. Be It. database, an anti-stereotyping campaign features award-winning Indigenous women entrepreneurs across Canada. The Diversity Institute also collaborates with and supports a range of programs led by First Nations, Metis and Inuit entrepreneurs and organizations.

Wendy has been recognized with many awards. She was named one of the “100 Alumni who shaped the Century” by the University of Toronto and an International Women’s Forum (IWF) 2020 Women Who Make a Difference. She holds a PhD in Information Systems, an MBA, an MA, and honorary doctorates from Laval and Concordia. She has also received Canada’s Meritorious Service Cross, one of Canada’s highest civilian honours.