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The Voices of
Forward Summit

Meet the wide selection of speakers carefully selected with the guidance of our Leadership Council. Our speakers range from industry professionals to thought-leaders in the global and national discussions around economic reconciliation.

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Forward Summit | EAST 2026 Speakers

We don’t pay to play. Our speakers are carefully chosen with the guidance of our Leadership Council.

Featured Speakers:

Chief Roy Whitney

Chief
Tsuut’ina Nation

National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak

National Chief
Assembly of First Nations

Mark Little

Owner & Co-Founder
Jotson
Geena Jackson

Geena Jackson

Executive Producer, Creator, Core Judge
Bear’s Lair

speakers

Our 2026 Forward Summit | EAST Speakers:

Woman in a feathered ceremonial headdress with white fur trim, standing in a sunlit field, smiling.

Chief Nikki van Oirschot

Chief
Caldwell First Nation

Smiling man in a black shirt wearing a decorative embroidered vest and a knit hat with a deer emblem and ear flaps.

Chief Joe Miskokomon

Chief
Chippewas of the Thames First Nation

Man standing outdoors in front of a white tent, wearing a gray zip-up jacket and blue-gray cap."],

Chief Bruce Archibald

Chief
Taykwa Tagamou Nation

Chief Jennifer Constant

Chief
Mattagami First Nation

Smiling man with short dark hair and black rectangular glasses outdoors, wearing a blue collared shirt.

Minister Greg Rickford

Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation & Minister Responsible for Ring of Fire and Economic and Community Partnerships

Hal Eagletail  

Co-Host & Owner
Eaglestar Enterprises Ltd. 

Geena Jackson

Founder & Executive Producer, Bears’ Lair and
President, Indigenous Initiatives Inc.

Smiling woman with long brown hair wearing a white blouse against a dark gray studio backdrop.

Myan Marcen-Gaudaur

Director, Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation
Scotiabank

Margaret Kenequanash

CEO
Wataynikaneyap Power

Jorge Avilés

Senior Advisor, Cross-cultural & Indigenous Relations
AiM Land Services

Sheryl-Ann Carscadden

Founder and Owner
Sundance Source Consulting

Trina Maher

President
Bridging Concepts

Smiling woman with rectangular glasses, gray hair, and a gold-speckled cardigan indoors.

Sharon Ostberg

Bamkushwada Treasurer & Lead Band Councilor
Biigtigong Nishnaabeg

Kahsennénhawe Sky-Deer

CEO and President at
Sky-Deer Consulting
Vice President, Dable Advisory and Consulting Services

Jeremy Thompson

President
Eagle Spirit Business Development

Woman sitting on a white sofa wearing a white top and leopard-print skirt with black socks, in a modern living room.

Rachael Hunt

Founder & CEO
Freedom School Co.

Matthew Jackson

Vice President, Indigenous Relations Partnerships & Business Development
HydroOne

Wade Griffin

National Director for Indigenous Engagement
BGIS

Smiling middle-aged man with gray hair and beard wearing a white t-shirt in a bright office setting.

Clinton Belcher

Founder
Canadian Ecotourism Services (CES)

Portrait of a woman with long brown hair wearing a black top and purple necklace, smiling against a gray background.

Natalia Valeev

Director, Certification
FMB

Head-and-shoulders portrait of a man in a navy suit and white shirt, looking at the camera against a neutral background.

Derek Goring

Chief Executive Officer
Northcrest Developments

Portrait of a woman with short wavy auburn hair, wearing a beige knit sweater, looking at the camera with a soft smile.

Caitlin Patterson

Chief Operating Officer
Ampere

Sean Madden

Senior Manager, Policy & Planning
Building Ontario Fund (BOF)

Mary Kelly

Social Performance & Indigenous Partnerships Lead
GHD

Smiling woman with blonde hair in a brown top and black blazer, outdoors, leaning on a railing.

Bryanne Smart

Senior Reconciliation Consultant
NVision Insight Group Inc.

Smiling woman with short dark hair and red glasses, wearing a dark shirt and gray plaid scarf, standing in a glass-walled walkway with one hand on the railing.

Nadine Bernard

Founder & CEO | Indigenous Procurement & Engagement Strategist
Indigevisor Ltd

Portrait of a smiling man with short brown hair against a white background, wearing a dark gray T-shirt.

Ryan Oliver

Chief Executive Officer
Ampere and Canada Learning Code

Portrait of a young man in a black blazer and white shirt, wearing glasses, a beaded lanyard, and a circular badge.

Zachary Flett

Founder
IndigiHub

Christine John

Founder
Owl Vision Strategies

Portrait of an older man with white beard and blue glasses, wearing a light blue shirt and navy blazer, looking at the camera.

David Rutherford

AVP, Sustainability Research and Insights
Mackenzie Investments

Smiling woman with shoulder-length brown hair and red-framed glasses wearing a burgundy blazer, posing against a gray background (professional headshot).

Melanie Assiniwe

Chief Executive Officer
Giyak Mishkawzid Shkagmikwe

Smiling woman with long dark hair and red glasses, wearing purple and black top, patterned background behind her

Jaquie Jamieson

Senior Manager of Tourism & Community Development
Six Nations of the Grand River (SNGR)

Darion Ducharme

Founder & Owner
Teqare

Close-up portrait of a man with short dark hair and facial hair, wearing a navy blazer and orange shirt, looking at the camera with a blurred indoor background.

Kevin Eshkawkogan

President & CEO
Indigenous Tourism Ontario

Smiling woman with shoulder-length hair wearing a white top and black blazer, portrait-style photo with decorative shoes on a shelf in the background.

Laurie Froman

Executive Director
Moccasin Identifier

Professional headshot of a smiling blonde woman in a white top and dark blazer.

Sydney Oakes

Director of Indigenous Relations and Public Affairs
Canada Nickel

Smiling woman with light brown hair wearing a yellow blazer and black top, standing against a light background.

Amber Ogima

Operations Manager
Anishinabek Employment and Training Services

Karen Restoule

Director of Indigenous Affairs and a Senior Fellow
Macdonald-Laurier Institute

Smiling woman in a red academic gown signs a book with a burgundy pen at a formal ceremony.

Delia Opekokew

Lawyer
J. de Whytell & Associates

Portrait of an elderly woman with pink glasses, grey turtleneck, black cardigan, smiling softly against a wood background.

Stephanie Sandy

Elder
Chippewas of Rama First Nation

Professional head-and-shoulders portrait of a woman with dark hair, black glasses, nose ring, and a black blazer against a white background.

Michelle Brennan

Co-Founder & Managing Director
Maverick Gardner Pathways North

Portrait of a smiling woman with dark brown hair and teal beaded earrings, wearing a teal top and black cardigan in an office setting.

Fiona Kirkpatrick Parsons

owīhtamakīw (Advisor)
Kirkpatrick Parsons Consulting

Smiling middle-aged man in a dark suit and patterned tie sits at a desk by a window, arms resting on the table.

Leo "Couchie" Hurtubise

Co-founder and Vice President
LaFlesche Inc.

Professional headshot of a smiling man in a light blue shirt against a gray backdrop. Full-shoulder portrait suitable for a profile photo.

Chris Webb

President
Nasittuq Corporation

Smiling woman with long wavy hair and glasses, facing the camera against a gray background (b&w).

Josephine de Whytell

Principal
J. de Whytell Law

Portrait of a man in a blazer and light blue shirt wearing glasses, outdoors with green foliage behind him.

Chad A. Garlow

Senior Manager – Indigenous Development Program
RBC Royal Bank of Canada

Portrait of a smiling woman with long dark curly hair, wearing a gray top and hoop earrings, against a dark background.

Diane Carriere

Principal
D. Carriere & Associates

John Rowinski

CEO
Zhooniya Makak Limited Partnership

Head-and-shoulders portrait of a man with blond hair wearing a dark blue shirt, looking at the camera.

David Walders

Manager, Indigenous Relations
Ontario Energy Board

Smiling woman with curly brown hair wearing a black and white plaid blazer, standing in a green forest.

Nicole Charbonneau

Founder and Principal Consultant
Sigma Wolf Solutions

Christine Channer

Founder & Principal
Channer Consulting & Training

Smiling man wearing a dark T-shirt and cap, sitting on rocky ground with trees in the background outdoors.

Luke Wassegijig

Tourism Manager
Wikwemikong Development Commission

Lyndsay Brisard

Associate Director, Indigenous and Northern Investments
Canada Infrastructure Bank

Portrait of a smiling woman with short dark hair and a colorful patterned scarf, standing in front of a graffiti-covered wall.

Carey Calder

Founder/Owner
Nakanagis Consulting

Portrait of a man with dark hair and a goatee, smiling with arms crossed indoors.

Ricky Houle

Business Development
Talon Resources and Community Development Inc.

Wade Kerr

Manager, Indigenous Entrepreneurship
BDC

Mary-Anne Willsey

Director, Business Operations
Chippewas of Rama First Nation

Smiling woman with brown hair and glasses in a black blazer, portrait in a bright office setting.

Patricia Graham

Employer Partnerships Specialist
Métis Nation of Ontario

Portrait of a man with a full beard and slicked-back hair outdoors against a blue sky and green trees behind him.

Taylor Muloin

Program Director – Community Prosperity
Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres (OFIFC)

Portrait of a man in a gray blazer, white shirt, and striped tie, looking to the right against a neutral background; small lapel pin visible.

Max Skudra

Partner
Mokwateh

Close-up portrait of a middle-aged man with dark hair and a neutral expression, wearing a dark sweater, against a blue backdrop.

Guy Freedman

Principal ([Re]-Confederation) and Founder
First Peoples Group

Smiling man with dark hair and glasses in a blue blazer and patterned shirt, standing before a rusted metal wall.

Camden Lawrence

General Manager
First Nations Agriculture & Finance Ontario

Professional headshot of a middle-aged man in a dark suit jacket and light checkered shirt, against a white background.

Bill Murray

Director, Indigenous Markets
CIBC Global Asset Management

Partial portrait of a man wearing black-rimmed glasses and a pale blue dotted shirt, facing the camera against a beige wall

Bennett Woods

Regional Representative
Métis Nation of Ontario Youth Council
Policy Advisor
Métis National Council

Head-and-shoulders portrait of a smiling man with short brown hair wearing a light purple checkered shirt against a dark background.

Eric Muller

Senior Director of Policy for Ontario
Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA)

Smiling man in a tan blazer and black shirt posing for a professional portrait.

Rick Morano

Chief Financial Officer
Chippewas of Rama First Nation

Frank Busch

President & CEO
Kelso Technologies Group Inc.

Close-up of a man wearing a light-gray blazer and white shirt, smiling, with a red‑white‑blue lanyard against a white background.

Matt Neveu

Vice President, Indigenous Banking, Ontario
BMO Bank of Montreal

Head-and-shoulders portrait of a smiling man wearing glasses, a brown blazer, light blue shirt, and dark sweater against a gray background.

Dan Lovell

Vice President
Sussex Strategy Group

Kristan Straub

President and CEO
Canada Indigenous Loan Guarantee Corporation

Close-up of a middle-aged man with short gray hair and a neutral expression, wearing a black shirt, indoors with framed pictures on the wall.

Kenn Ross

Senior Manager, Indigenous Relations
OPG

Marion Roberts

Indigenous Services Consultant
Barnes Management Indigenous Services

Shayla Oulette Stonechild

Founder & Host, Matriarch Movement
Global Yoga Ambassador,
lululemon

Jasmine Redfern

Managing Director
Small Economy Works

Smiling woman with gray hair and glasses stands outdoors in front of a green hedge, wearing a denim jacket and turquoise top with a long patterned skirt and colorful shoes.

Vanessa Dreckmann

Manager of Indigenous Engagement at BGIS
Co-Owner of TIPI HORSE and TIPIHORSE TURNKEY

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We have three events happening across Canada this year. Learn more about the high level Indigenous and non-indigenous industry and community leaders that your brand will get exposed to.

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