As we deepen our commitment to equity and inclusion in Canada’s tech and innovation industries, we are called to create spaces that honor, uplift, and genuinely include Indigenous communities. Our roles and responsibilities in fostering the right relationship with Indigenous Peoples extend into professional realms, where decolonizing workplaces, embedding Truth & Reconciliation principles, and championing equity within tech and innovation become vital.

Event details

Explore the Guide to Championing Indigenous Employment & Leadership, an insightful resource developed in partnership with the Centre for Indigenous Innovation and Technology and Venture for Canada. This guide provides leaders, employers, and organizations with tools, teachings, and protocols for fostering meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities, focusing on enhancing cultural competencies, relationship-building, and Indigenous leadership development in tech and innovation.

Dr. Tanya Chung-Tiam-Fook, a leader in Indigenous innovation and advocacy, will walk participants through the guide’s offerings. This session is tailored for tech and innovation employers, startups, and organizations across sectors interested in learning how to support and empower Indigenous professionals. Attendees will come away equipped with actionable steps to recruit, nurture, and celebrate Indigenous talent.

Who should attend

This session is ideal for leaders, employers, startups, and organizations in tech and innovation committed to fostering inclusive workplaces. Join us to explore how your organization can take actionable steps toward supporting Indigenous leadership and contributing to a thriving, equitable innovation ecosystem.

Accessibility

The event will be delivered virtually via Zoom. Closed captioning (CC) will be available to ensure accessibility for all participants. If you require additional accommodations, please contact [email protected].

What you’ll learn:

In this session, Dr. Chung-Tiam-Fook will cover core elements of the guide, such as:

• Understanding Indigenous Protocols and Teachings: Gain insights into foundational Indigenous teachings that inform respectful relationships and understand how these principles apply within professional settings. Learn ways to respectfully engage and recognize Indigenous contributions.
• Tools for Championing Indigenous Talent: Discover strategies for supporting Indigenous professionals and building equitable workplaces. This includes actionable guidance on recruitment, cultural onboarding, and professional development programs tailored to Indigenous employees.
• Spotlighting Indigenous Innovation Stories: Hear inspiring case studies highlighting Indigenous-led initiatives and innovation. These stories provide concrete examples of how Indigenous perspectives contribute to and enrich the tech and innovation landscape.
• Building Reciprocal Relationships: Learn how to establish and maintain meaningful, reciprocal partnerships with Indigenous communities. Explore ways to engage authentically, ensuring that relationships are built on trust, mutual respect, and shared growth.
• Leveraging the Guide’s Resources for Lasting Change: Leave with practical resources to continue your learning journey, enabling your organization to champion Indigenous voices, contribute to Truth & Reconciliation, and play a proactive role in creating an inclusive tech industry.

Meet the speaker

Dr. Tanya Chung-Tiam-Fook
Co-Holder & Advisor at 7GenCities + Dark Matter Labs

Tanya is the co-founder and co-holder of 7GenCities and project advisor at Dark Matter Labs; advisor to a number of Indigenous, foundation and non-profit organizations; and a part-time lecturer in environmental and urban studies. She is deeply engaged in Indigenous, environmental, transdisciplinary and trans-systemic approaches to education and research, land relationships and stewardship, climate resilience, bioregional regeneration, placekeeping, innovation, and healing justice and mental wellness. She is passionate about reciprocal, collaborative and intergenerational pathways for learning and knowledge co-creation, practice, and partnerships in her roles within project and research leadership, academia, advising, and community building. Her Akawaio-Kapon and mixed ancestry from Guyana and the Netherlands, combined with community and international experiences across cultures, ecologies and geographies, enable her to bring multifaceted perspectives and sensibilities to her work that are both place-based and global.