Karen Restoule is Director of Indigenous Affairs and a Senior Fellow at Macdonald-Laurier Institute, and a strategic advisor to CEOs and senior executives on complex issues at the intersection of First Nations, industry, and government.  

She also serves as Chair of TC Energy’s Indigenous Advisory Council, leading a council that advises the company’s CEO and executive leadership on Indigenous relations, economic reconciliation, and strategic issues affecting major energy infrastructure projects.  

A prominent voice on Indigenous policy and Canada’s economic future, Karen regularly contributes to news media, radio, and conferences across North America on Indigenous policy. She is founder and host of Breakthrough Nation, a podcast featuring leaders advancing economic growth, Indigenous ownership, major projects, and nation building. 

Karen is a graduate of the University of Toronto, Osgoode Hall’s Intensive Law Program in Aboriginal Lands, Resources, and Governments, and the University of Ottawa’s Common Law Program, where she was inducted into the Faculty of Law Honours Society in recognition of her law-related contributions to society. Karen was named ‘Businesswoman of the Month’ in November 2025 by Indigenous Business Magazine.  

She is Ojibwe from Dokis First Nation, who are signatory to the Robinson-Huron Treaty of 1850.