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.
Forward Summit | WEST COAST 2025 Speakers
We don’t pay to play. Our speakers are carefully chosen with the guidance of our Leadership Council.
Featured Speakers:
Chief Roy Whitney
National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak
Mark Little
Geena Jackson
Bear’s Lair
speakers
Our 2025 Forward Summit | WEST COAST Speakers:
Former Chief Councillor Crystal Smith
Former Chief Councillor
Haisla Nation
Dr. Denise Findlay
Owner/Operator
Kweykway Consulting
Mary French
Contractor
Indigenous Relations
Hal Eagletail
Owner
Eaglestar Enterprises Ltd.
Syex̱wáliya Ann Whonnock
Knowledge Carrier & Elder Squamish Nation
Wade Griffin
National Director for Indigenous Engagement
BGIS
Barbara Mercredi
Director, Indigenous Financial Services
Scotiabank
Laurie Dokis
RN, Citizen, Independent Nurse Consultant
Dokis First Nation
Courtnei Lee
Content Creator /
Entrepreneur
Buffy Handel
Visionary Director
"Strata"
Tanya Corbet
Vice President and Director of Client Services
Sedgwick Strategies
Derrick Pattenden
Chief Investment Officer
Nations Royalty
Lauren Remple
Founder & Principal Consultant
Sequoia Collaboration and Consulting
Tim Laronde
National Director, Indigenous Strategies
RBC – Chandos Construction
Colette Trudeau, M.A.
Chief Executive Officer
Métis Nation British Columbia
Gene Ouellette
Tribal/Indigenous Client Account Manager, Americas
AECOM
Varun Srivatsan
Director of Policy
RBC – Economic & Thought Leadership Program
Erin Davis
Founder and Lead Inclusion Strategist, Erin Davis Co.
Erin Davis Co.
Tanya Rexin
Indigenous Relations Director
Aramark Canada
Chief Roy S Jones Jr
Chief
Skidegate Haida Gwaii
Al Leonard
Executive Vice-President, Capital Infrastructure Delivery
BC Hydro
Joey-Lee Morigeau
Director, Human Resources
Tahltan Nation Development Corporation (TNDC)
Joanne Stone-Campbell
Associate Director
ICBC
Kim Buksa
Sustainable & Ethical Procurement Manager
City of Vancouver
Dwight Ballantyne
Founder
The Ballantyne Project
Stan Knight
Owner/Founder
Zachary Knight Enterprises / Inspector in a Box
George Michell
Indigenous Liaison & Recruitment Coordinator
Seaspan Shipyards
Vanessa Lesperance
Co-Founder
Decolonize and Rize
Suzanne Pederson
Founder, Facilitator & Coach
Hidden Potential Coaching & Learning
Danny Chase
President & Founder
Chase Office Interiors
Elysa Darling
Chief Operating Officer
DIGITAL
Tim McEwan
Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs
Mining Association of British Columbia (MABC)
Jim Hemsworth
Manager, Indigenous Relations
Air Canada
Jodi Carlow
Director, Corporate Development & Ext. Relations
Halfway River Group
Kyle Amonson
Senior Advisor, Indigenous Entrepreneurship
BDC
Katie Skelton
Senior Director, San’yas Indigenous-Specific Anti-Racism training program
Provincial Health Services Authority
Michael Robert
CEO
Sasuchan Development Corporation
Alyssa Piva
Workplace Skills Instructor
Stk’emlúpsemc te Secwe̓pemc Nation (SSN)
Dylan Rose
Director of Destination Development and Indigenous Relations
Destination Canada
Aleksi Makila
Operations Manager, Civil
Chandos Construction
Michelle Lillos
Talent Acquisition Partner
Rio Tinto
Blaine Castle
Manager, Inside Sales
Esri Canada
Randy Beck
Former Chief of Security
Transmountain Pipeline
Dennis Thomas-Whonoak
Executive Director, Indigenous Business Initiatives & Engagement
UBC Sauder School of Business
Taryn Cutler
Community Affairs Manager
Seabridge Gold
Sonia Strobel
CEO
Skipper Otto’s Community Supported Fishery (CSF)
Gavin Domitter
Director, Indigenous Engagement
Milestone Environmental Contracting Inc.
Philip Ducharme
Vice President, Entrepreneurship & Procurement
Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB)
Shannon Pestun
CEO, Pestun Consulting /
Sr Advisor, The Diversity Institute
Dean Assinewe
Indigenous Lead
Reforest Canada Collective
Ethan Clark
Chief Executive Officer
Nationsfirst Technologies
Andrew Hungerford
Partner
Seven Generations Capital
Kwatuuma Cole Sayers
Executive Director,
Clean Energy BC
Darian Kovacs
Founder & CEO
Jelly Marketing
Sharon G. Kaur Singh
Co-Head, Indigenous | Environment
McMillan LLP.
Josh Conrad
Founder/Creative Director
Slow Studies Creative
Tamara Goddard
Co-owner & President
Four Economics Canada
Jorge Avilés
Senior Advisor, Cross-cultural & Indigenous Relations
AiM Land Services
Nadine Israel
Indigenous Relations: Employment & Training Specialist
BC Hydro – Indigenous Employment & Training Team
Jeremy Thompson
President
Eagle Spirit Business Development
Alex Ibbotson
CEO of Indigenous Mountain Culture Inc.
Lead Guide for Canada Backcountry
Co-chair External Advisory Committee, Indigenous Procurement Initiative - Province of BC
Freda Campbell
Owner – Tatl’ah Training & Engagement /Owner/Operator –
Indigeweb Canada
Jared Qwustenuxun Williams
Chair Indigenous Advisory Council
Ministry of Agriculture and Food
Catherine Pennington
Director of Indigenous Advisory Services
KPMG’s Global Infrastructure Advisory Services
Branko Bejo
VP, Business Solutions,
Securiguard Services Ltd
Maria Clark
Founder, Island Coast Mobile Welding & Fabrication
General Manager, Tinwis Resort
Colby Delorme
President
Imagination Group of Companies
Caroline Phelps
General Manager,
Vancouver Fashion Week
Andy Olson
CEO/Founder
Indigenous Fishers First
Karen Ogen
CEO
First Nations Natural Gas Alliance
Jordann Hazelwood
HR, Employment & Training Manager,
Stk’emlúpsemc te Secwe̓pemc Nation - SSN
Linette Hodges
Indigenous Relations Manager
Worley Canada
Sharon McLeod
Indigenous Relations Specialist
BC Hydro
Taya Rankin
Employment & Training Co-Ordinator
St’at’imc Gov’t Services -St’at’imc Nation
Morgan Vording
Haudenosaunee Neuroscience Student
UBC
Alexander Sayler-Tait
Bachelor of Arts Student
UBC
Annalies Verhoeff
Sauder School of Business Student
UBC
Marcela Mandeville
Founder & CEO
Bright Idea International
Want to Take Part? Become a Partner!
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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Get Your Tickets & Secure Your Spot
More than an event, Forward Summit is an experience. We have a variety of events and pricing options for you to choose from to ensure you join the conversation in 2025.
View the variety of pricing options available for you and your team: