Ep. 61: The Indigenous Economy with Jeff Cyr and Alicia Dubois Wonk

This week our host and PPF’s President and CEO Edward Greenspon discusses Indigenous ownership and economic self-determination with Jeff Cyr (CEO of Raven Indigenous Impact Foundation and Managing Partner of Raven Indigenous Capital Partners)  and Alicia Dubois (Founder of Nish Synergies Advisory Group and former CEO of Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation). They examine the role of reconciliation in driving a more inclusive economy, Indigenous access to equity and capital and the importance of engaging in meaningful partnerships on projects and ventures. Cyr and Dubois also provide examples of successful Indigenous partnerships including the coalition of Mi'kmaq First Nations and Clearwater Seafoods, and Wataynikaneyap Power and Fortis, and the upstart Virtual Gurus. Finally, they look at the role of ESG and the competitive advantage Indigenous businesses have on the path to a net-zero economy.

During Today in Policy, Katie and Edward talk about the evolution of news media in light of PPF’s fifth anniversary since releasing The Shattered Mirror, a report that detailed the troubling diagnostic of accelerating revenue declines among producers of original journalism. They also touch on the Report by the Canadian Citizens’ Assembly on Democratic Expression, released just last week.

This episode included a #PPFProud shout out to the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business for its commitment to the full participation of Indigenous peoples in Canada's economy.