Indigenous AI Gathering 2026: Meet the Speakers

Lissa has over twenty years of executive experience catalyzing national and international partnerships between industry, academia and government to drive global science, technology and innovation and build capacity in emerging technologies.

Lissa is the Vice-President of Canada’s Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC), a national center of expertise for the digital economy, funded by the Government of Canada. She has held the positions of Vice-President of Corporate Affairs at Innovation Asset Collective; Vice-President of Global Government Affairs at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR); President of Science&Tech Collab; Vice-President of International Partnerships at Mitacs; and Director of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at McGill, among other roles in Canada, the UK and Australia.

Lissa is designated as an ‘Americas Competitiveness Exchange Ambassador’ through the Organization of American States (OAS) and the US Department of Commerce; Co-Chair of the annual Science Summit at the United Nations General Assembly (SSUNGA); Board Chair of Public Ventures; Board Director of Science Rendezvous; Advisory Board Member for the Education Project at People for Education, and has sat on the Board of the Canadian Association of Graduate Studies.

Lissa holds a Master of Science in Administration degree, Innovation Governance Certification, Fujitsu Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt Project Management Certification and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Christine M’Lot is an Anishinaabe educator, curriculum developer, author, and Associate Publisher based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She holds a Master of Education from Queen’s University, where her thesis, Navigating Digital Spaces in Indigenous Education, explored how educators working with Indigenous youth navigate online learning environments and emerging technologies.

Christine’s work sits at the intersection of Indigenous education, digital wellness, and technology. She has presented at Navajo Technical University’s Indigenized AI Learning Series and along with Connected North, has contributed to the development of an AI model grounded in Indigenous worldviews, centering relationality, ethics, and community knowledge systems.

As a high school teacher and consultant, she supports the integration of culturally responsive and land-based approaches into education. In her role as Associate Publisher at Portage & Main Press / HighWater Press, she works to amplify Indigenous voices and stories.

Christine is passionate about ensuring that emerging technologies reflect and uphold Indigenous knowledge systems, sovereignty, and the wellbeing of future generations.

“Taanishi Joel Gamache dishinihkaashoon. Ma paraantii Lambert, Carriere, Dion, Rivard, Belanger, Bauchemin, Ducharme, Parisien, Klyne, Lafrance, Lariviere, Russian, Zace, Sayvoyard dit Berthelet, St. Denis. I am a proud Red River Métis man and a passionate educator. I introduce my family names in our traditional way to honour the values and teachings handed down to me, which serve as the foundation for my approach to leadership and education.” – Joel Gamache, Director, National Indigenous Youth in STEM Program, Actua.

Joel Gamache is the Director of the National Indigenous Youth in STEM (InSTEM) program at Actua. He brings a wealth of grounded experience to this role, having progressed through the education sector as a teacher, learning support facilitator, school administrator and divisional supervisor. Joel’s professional journey informs his strategic oversight of the InSTEM program, the first of its kind in Canada. Built on deep community partnerships, InSTEM works to dismantle barriers facing Indigenous youth on their educational and career pathways.

Under Joel’s leadership, InSTEM engages 40,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis youth across 200 communities annually. By drawing on his background in school leadership and land-based learning, he ensures his work remains rooted in the truth that Indigenous Knowledge is STEM knowledge. At Actua, Joel is helping to build a future-ready and culturally connected workforce where Indigenous youth see themselves as the leaders and innovators they are.

Danielle Boyer is an Indigenous (Anishinaabe – Enrolled Sault Tribe) youth robotics inventor and advocate exploring how emerging technologies can be ethically used to safeguard Indigenous cultures and languages. The Anishinaabeg are one of the largest Indigenous peoples in North America, residing across the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada, where their language, Anishinaabemowin, is endangered. In 2019, Danielle founded The STEAM Connection, a youth-led nonprofit that has provided over one million young people worldwide with free, culturally grounded technical education through robotics.

She is best known for designing the SkoBots, wearable ethical AI-powered personal robots that teach Anishinaabemowin using community-authored data, locally run systems, and frameworks rooted in Indigenous data sovereignty. Her work addresses global challenges of ethical AI, language extinction, and equitable access to emerging technologies. Danielle has spoken at the White House, UNESCO Headquarters, and the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Recognized as a National Geographic Explorer, Echoing Green Fellow, and two-time MIT Solve Fellow, her life and work were featured in an MIT Solve documentary that won a Webby Award, Sundance Brand Storytelling Award, Tribeca X Award, and a SXSW feature.

Dr. Krystal Tsosie (Diné/Navajo Nation) is a geneticist, data scientist, and bioethicist, and an Assistant Professor at Arizona State University whose work centers on building Indigenous-led science infrastructure designed to serve Indigenous peoples on their own terms.

She is a co-founder of the Native BioData Consortium, the first Indigenous-led biobank in the United States, and leads the Tsosie Lab for Indigenous Genomic Data Equity and Justice at Arizona State University, one of the largest public research universities in the United States — where she is the first Indigenous geneticist in the institution's history. Her research integrates AI, machine learning, and genomics across precision health, biodiversity, and ancient DNA, with work published in Nature Genetics, Cell, and Nature, and supported by major federal research funding.

Her vision for Indigenous AI futures is not aspirational — it is already being built. Through federated learning systems, Tribal data governance frameworks, community-engaged genomic cohorts, and a new generation of Indigenous scientists she is mentoring, she is helping to reshape the infrastructure of science itself. She has advised the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; the World Health Organization; the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health; and multiple international genomics consortia, and speaks across North America, Europe, and Oceania. Her work is covered in the New York Times, NPR, The Atlantic, and beyond. 

Sara is an experienced executive dedicated to driving positive change and uplifting innovation. With a unique blend of design and strategy expertise, she deeply understands the needs of Indigenous and underserved communities in health, entrepreneurship, and impact investing. 

As a registered nurse and midwife, Sara has held various community, primary care, and health system leadership roles in Canada and the UK. Her connections to innovation, tech and AI stem from her experiences leading and developing the Indigenous Innovation Initiative, her work in Indigenous data governance and data sovereignty, and her participation on the AI for Social Good Wisdom Council. She serves as an External Director at McMaster's Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement, a Senior Fellow at the University of Toronto’s Massey College, and an Executive in Residence at the Rotman School of Management.

Michael Running Wolf (Northern Cheyenne/Lakota/Blackfeet) was raised in a rural prairie village with intermittent water and electricity on his mother’s reservation in Montana; naturally he now has a Master of Science in Computer Science. He is a published poet but a computer nerd at heart with professional experience as an engineer for IBM, AT&T Wireless, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, and Amazon’s Alexa. Michael was faculty at Northeastern University and is the Vice-President of Software Systems at an AI startup. Michael is also FLAIR’s lead architect.

Michael is an AI ethicist who envisions an Indigenous future where Indigenous communities, alongside reclaiming their languages, attain technological sovereignty while addressing data ownership and systemic barriers to Indigenous AI. He is co-author of the Indigenous Protocol and Artificial Intelligence Position Paper, co-founder and Board President of IndigiGenius, co-founder of the Lakota AI Code Camp (LAICC), as well as co-founder and Lead Architect of First Languages AI Reality (FLAIR). He is a 2024-25 The Tech for Global Good Laureate and, among other awards, his work researching an automatic speech recognition system for highly polysynthetic languages has been recognized with the Patrick J. McGovern AI for Humanity Prize.

Michael serves on industry advisory boards, is invited as keynote speaker and to events at the United Nations as well as the US and Canadian governments. In his applied research, consultant work, and speaking engagements, Michael is an advocate for Indigenous ways of knowing, data justice, and AI ethics, contributing to the ecology of thought represented by the Indigenous. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/runningwolf)    

Keoni Mahelona (kanaka ʻōiwi) is the driving force behind the development of digital technologies that aim to protect and promote indigenous languages and knowledge. He makes decisions every day to protect the sovereignty of platforms and data, from the digital and machine learning tools deployed for advanced applications to the storage and sharing of data in culturally appropriate and secure ways.

Ryan St. Germaine is a seasoned entrepreneur, AI strategist, and advocate for Indigenous leadership in technology. As the Founder and CEO of the Indigenous Tech Circle, he established Canada’s largest Indigenous-led tech network, fostering growth, collaboration, and innovation among over 400 Indigenous founders, leaders, and changemakers. Now, as Board Chair of the Circle’s non-profit, he leads a 100% Indigenous board focused on strategic vision and impactful programming.

With a career spanning HRTech, EdTech, AI-driven insights, and social recruitment, Ryan has co-founded and led companies like BCjobs.ca and Jobcast to successful exits. His expertise includes AI, product development, marketplace innovation, and purpose-driven community building. As an Executive in Residence with Foresight Canada, New Ventures BC, and Raven Indigenous Capital Partners, he mentors founders on AI, scaling ventures, and community-driven impact. Known for building resilient tech ecosystems, Ryan empowers Indigenous professionals by connecting them to capital, mentorship, and growth.

Althea Wishloff (she/her) is a General Partner at Raven Indigenous Capital Partners, an impact-focused venture capital fund investing in Indigenous- and Native American-led businesses across sectors. At Raven, Althea leads the U.S. practice, investing in Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian led businesses, and simultaneously supports Canadian portfolio companies in technology. Prior to Raven, Althea was the co-CEO of Koble Health (acquired by Dialogue Technologies in 2023), a pre-seed investor with Panache Ventures, and an educator at the Schulich School of Business. Outside of her Raven work, Althea is a Board Member at the National Indigenous Economic Development Board, who provides Indigenous economic policy advice to the Canadian Federal Government. Althea is a member of the Gitxsan First Nation and resides in New York City (traditionally known as Lenapehoking).

Darian Hirst is an investor at BDC Capital, focused on building the new $100M Indigenous Fund to empower Indigenous entrepreneurs across Canada. Proudly Métis, Darian is committed to fostering inclusive economic growth and supporting innovative ventures that strengthen Indigenous communities."

Brian Ritchie is the Founder, CEO, and CTO of kama.ai, a company that provides a comprehensive platform for launching Responsible Composite AI Agents to autonomously deliver efficiency and value in enterprise and community applications.

Brian is a graduate of Lakehead's Mechanical Engineering program and holds an MBA from Lake Superior State University.

Prior to forming kama.ai, Brian worked with global technology companies Oracle, Ericsson and ZTE where he held various solution sales and marketing leadership roles in the Canadian market.

Besides his work at kama.ai, Brian serves his First Nation on several economic development corporations and is a board member of Kerry’s Place, one of the largest autism agencies in Canada.  

Dr. Will Atlas is a co-founder and chief scientist at the Salmon Vision collaborative, where he leads the team's research efforts in computer vision and machine learning for salmon conservation. With over 20 years of experience in salmon conservation and stock assessment, his work bridges the gap between technology and the on-the-ground realities of salmon conservation practitioners.

Shani is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of pipikwan pêhtâkwan and wâsikan kisewâtisiwin. And now host of the Settle Down podcast. 

Shani is a sixth generation Métis and a member of the Cunningham Clan on her mother’s side and a descendant of the Michel Band and Ferguson Clan on her father’s side. Shani is a proud Métis woman with a passion for elevating Indigenous voices, projects and successes. 

Today, she has built one of Turtle Island’s leading Indigenous-owned, -led and majority-staffed communications and engagement agencies and has created an AI company led and informed by Indigenous Peoples. She is committed to uplifting underrepresented peoples, including Indigenous women, youth, and the LGBTQ2S+ community, so that they hold equal spots in society. 

In 2021, Shani was recognized as one of Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40 and IABC Edmonton’s Communicator of the Year. In 2023, she was also awarded Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal, on behalf of her team, for their work on the Papal Visit to Treaty Six Territory.

Dr. Natasha Ita MacDonald is an Inuk from Nunavik and a consultant specializing in Inuit-led decolonization and Inuktut language preservation. Through Silattusarniq Community Solutions Consulting, she advances Inuit knowledge–based policy and systems change and supports the co-development of Inuit Nunangat University. She also serves as Vice-President of Heritage Lab, where she provides strategic, governance, and operational leadership for Inuit-led artificial intelligence and language technology initiatives, including the Ai! Project in Nunavik. Her work ensures digital tools uphold Inuit data sovereignty, cultural protocols, and community control while strengthening partnerships with funders and building pathways into language technology for Inuit communities.

Lyle J. Fabian is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of KatloTech Communications Ltd., an Indigenous owned telecommunications and digital infrastructure company based in the Northwest Territories. He is also the founder of KatloTech Fiber Ltd. and IceFox Data Center Inc., where he is leading the development of an open access fiber optic backbone from High Level, Alberta, to the Hay River and Katlodeeche First Nation region, along with a Northern modular data center platform designed to support cloud hosting, co location, content delivery, artificial intelligence infrastructure, and sovereign data storage.

With more than 17 years of experience in telecommunications, information technology, wireless systems, and fiber optic networks, Lyle combines technical expertise with a strong background in pipeline construction, environmental assessment, Indigenous ecological knowledge, and major infrastructure development. He led the first fiber optic and wireless network deployment in Katlodeeche First Nation in 2013 and has since managed technology projects involving remote communities, industrial operations, municipal infrastructure, security systems, and Northern connectivity.

Lyle’s vision is to build Indigenous led digital infrastructure that supports broadband expansion, Northern data sovereignty, national security, economic diversification, and long term technology jobs in the Northwest Territories. Through KatloTech Fiber and IceFox Data Center, he is working to position the North as a strategic hub for secure connectivity, cloud services, and critical digital infrastructure in Canada.

Jasmine Redfern is an Inuk lawyer, governance practitioner, and strategic advisor working across Arctic governance, Indigenous rights, public policy, and institutional change. She has held senior leadership and board roles in Inuit, Indigenous, legal, and community-based institutions, including as Chair of the Nunavut Human Rights Tribunal, and has supported national conversations on governance, sovereignty, justice, and organizational strategy.

As Managing Director of Small Economy Works and a Director at Nadlii, her work is grounded in helping institutions navigate complex questions of rights, accountability, community realities, and decision-making across different systems. Jasmine brings a Northern and Indigenous governance lens to emerging conversations about artificial intelligence, including the questions AI raises for sovereignty, infrastructure, data, land, public trust, and community benefits

Leslie is the CEO of PolArctic, an oceanography and data science company focused on solving complex challenges in the Arctic. She holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in International Business and is a Veteran of the US Air Force, where she served as a commissioned officer. From the USAF, she transitioned to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) for five years, conceptualizing and initializing programs with complex geospatial components and analytics. She left NGA to found the technology start-up PolArctic based on her heritage, experience, and passion for the Arctic, and to bridge the gap between science and business requirements. PolArctic’s AI tools evolve in near real-time to compensate for climate change and support industries operating in this dynamic environment. Leslie is Yup’ik, Alaska Native, born and raised in Alaska, and serves as a Board Director for her Alaska Native Corporation, Bristol Bay Native Corporation. She was awarded the Women in Artificial Intelligence (WAI) North America Award for AI for Good: Environmental Social Governance (ESG) for 2022, and was listed as a 2021 Forbes Next 1000 entrepreneur.

Gary Joseph is a studio owner, creative director and network manager, passionately supporting Indigenous storytelling. Born and raised at Six Nations of the Grand River, Gary is a builder of things Indigenous-led, Indigenous-owned, and Community based.

Hugo Larochelle is the Scientific Director of Mila, the world’s largest academic research center in deep learning. With a community of over 1,500 researchers and 150 industrial partners, Mila has established itself as a pillar of the Canadian AI ecosystem with a reach that extends far beyond national borders.

As a pioneering researcher, industry leader, and philanthropist, he has a unique perspective on both large-scale corporate research laboratories and Canada’s world-class academic AI community He built his academic foundation alongside two "Godfathers" of artificial intelligence: Yoshua Bengio, his Ph.D. supervisor at the Université de Montréal, and Geoffrey Hinton, his postdoctoral supervisor at the University of Toronto.

Over the years, his research has contributed several conceptual breakthroughs found in modern AI systems. His work on Denoising Autoencoders (DAE) identified the reconstruction of clean data from corrupted versions as a scalable paradigm for learning meaningful representations from large quantities of unlabeled data. Through models such as the Neural Autoregressive Distribution Estimator (NADE) and the Masked Autoencoder for Distribution Estimation (MADE), he helped popularize the neural autoregressive modeling paradigm now omnipresent in generative AI. Furthermore, his work on Zero-Data Learning of New Tasks introduced the now-standard concept of zero-shot learning.

He successfully bridged the gap between academia and industry by co-founding the startup Whetlab, which was acquired by Twitter in 2015. After a role at Twitter Cortex, he was recruited to lead Google's AI research lab in Montreal (Google Brain), now integrated into Google DeepMind. He remains an Adjunct Professor at the Université de Montréal and McGill University, and is a Canada CIFAR AI Chair, mentoring the next generation of AI researchers.

A father of four, Hugo Larochelle and his wife, Angèle St-Pierre, have also made multiple donations to the Université de Montréal and Université de Sherbrooke to support students and advance research, particularly in AI for environmental sustainability. He also founded the Techaide conference, mobilizing Montreal's tech community to raise funds for the charity Centraide in its mission to fight poverty and social exclusion.

Tékeniyáhsen Ohkwá:ri (Jackson 2bears) is a Kanien’kehà:ka (Mohawk) artist and cultural theorist from Six Nations of the Grand River and Tyendinaga. 2bears’ research-creation activities focus on Indigenous land-based histories and embodied cultural knowledge, wherein they explore the creative use of digital technologies as a means to support the innovation, transmission, expression, and transformation of FNMI creative and cultural practices in the context of our current digital epoch. 2bears is currently As

Dr. Sean Hillier is a queer Mi’kmaw scholar and a registered member of the Qalipu First Nation. He is an associate professor and York Research Chair in Indigenous Health Policy & One Health the Faculty of Health of York University. He is also the Interim Director of the Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Languages and Special Advisor to the Dean of Health on Indigenous Resurgence. Sean sits on the National Interagency Panel on Research Ethics. Additionally, Sean is a Board Member of the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto and the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT). His collaborative research program spans the topics of aging, living with HIV and other infectious diseases, and antimicrobial resistance, all with a concerted focus on policy affecting health care access for Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Dr. Hillier has been successful in receiving funding from each of the three federal granting agencies, with more than 10 external grants. 

Danica Pawlick-Potts is a Research Associate in Communication and Media Studies at York University and a member of the Alexis Nakota Sioux First Nation. Danica’s research specializes in Indigenous Data Sovereignty and focuses on supporting the development of data infrastructure that affirms and respects Indigenous data sovereignty and expanding our knowledge of the implications of emerging data and technologies for Indigenous peoples. Danica works closely with the First Nations Information Governance Centre’s Data Sovereignty Research Collaborative and is a member of the National Indigenous Knowledge and Language Alliance. She also holds expertise in broader issues in AI and data ethics and data literacy such as trust and public perceptions of AI. In 2021 Danica and her colleague, Dr. Mike Ridley, received the Association of Information Science and Technology’s SIG AI Publication of the year award for their paper “Algorithmic Literacy and the Role for Libraries”.

Danica is currently completing her PhD in Library and Information Science at Western University. Her dissertation focuses on the theory of data territories to make sense and navigate the networked and decontextualized nature of Indigenous data in virtual spaces, and as a tool to guide the assessment and development of research data repositories. She received her MLIS from the Faculty of Information and Media Studies at Western University (’18), and her BA with Distinction in English from the University of Calgary (’16).

Petera Whaiao Hudson is a PhD candidate at Massey University with a First-Class MSocSci from Waikato University and an MA in Educational Administration from USIS, San Diego. His research explores how Indigenous Knowledge Systems can shape next-generation AI to enhance cultural well-being for Māori whānau. With extensive experience as a Research Fellow at Waikato and Massey Universities and a Lead Facilitator in early ICT development programmes, Petera combines practical and academic expertise. His leadership in initiatives like Abundant Intelligences and the Future Imaginaries of AI Workshops demonstrates his active role in decolonising AI. Widely published, his work appears in esteemed outlets such as the IEEE Annals of the History of Computing and the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Petera’s efforts bridge the digital divide between Indigenous and Western systems, contributing significantly to Māori communities and the wider ICT field.

Dr. Alejandro Mayoral Baños is the Co-Executive Director of Access Now, where he leads the mission of extending and defending the digital rights of people and communities at risk. A dedicated activist and academic, he is passionate about bridging Indigenous Peoples and digital technologies. As a Mixtec/mestizo and a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, Dr. Mayoral Baños is driven by a commitment to inclusivity and equity through technology.

He founded the Indigenous Friends Association (IFA) in Canada and Magtayaní in Mexico, giving him extensive experience in driving organizational growth across various socio-economic contexts and fostering environments where Indigenous perspectives and digital innovation converge. With a strong background in volunteering and social action, his work has spanned Canada, Mexico, Peru, Guatemala, Chile, Bolivia, and the United Nations.

In recognition of his impactful work, Dr. Mayoral Baños was named an Ashoka Fellow in 2023. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, a Master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, and a Ph.D. in the Joint Program of Communication and Culture, emphasizing decolonial computing and Indigenous media.

Peter-Lucas Jones is a visionary leader driving Māori language revitalisation through technology and media. As CEO of Te Hiku Media, he leads the development of cutting-edge natural language processing tools for te reo Māori, including speech-to-text, text-to-speech, and Indigenous pronunciation modelling — transforming the digital landscape for Indigenous languages.

A passionate advocate for intergenerational language transmission, Indigenous data sovereignty, and AI-driven language licensing, Peter has positioned Te Hiku Media as a global leader in Indigenous language technology. His expertise in corpus development and AI innovation saw him named to TIME Magazine’s 2024 list of the world’s 100 most influential voices in AI.

Peter-Lucas also holds key governance roles, including Chair of Te Rūnanga Nui o Te Aupōuri, Te Aupōuri Treaty Settlement Trust, and Te Whakaruruhau o Ngā Reo Irirangi Māori, Deputy Chair of Whakaata Māori, and an elected Northland Regional Councillor.

Dr Éliane Ubalijoro is Chief Executive Officer of the Landscape Alliance and Director General of World Agroforestry (ICRAF). The first African woman to lead a CGIAR Research Center, she has spent more than two decades advancing sustainable development across agriculture, gender, health and environmental stewardship. 

Born in Rwanda and raised across three continents, Dr. Ubalijoro brings a global perspective shaped by science, service and a deep commitment to improving lives. She holds a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and a master’s and doctorate in molecular genetics from McGill University. Her early career in Montreal’s biotechnology sector, where she led molecular diagnostics and bioinformatics programmes, reinforced her conviction that science must be connected to the challenges facing people and the planet. That conviction has guided her work around the world, where she has helped shape climate-resilient and inclusive development pathways.

Alongside her leadership at the Landscape Alliance, she serves as Professor of Practice at McGill University and the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. She is also a Senior Fellow at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis and a Fellow of the International Science Council.

Dr. Ubalijoro’s leadership is recognized globally. Appointed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, she serves on the Independent Group of Scientists preparing the 2027 Global Sustainable Development Report. She contributes to several international boards and advisory bodies, including Equity Group Holdings PLC, ESCP Sustainability Council, IKEA Forestry Advisory, Science for Africa, Genome Canada, Capitals Coalition, Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet, Akagera Medicines and ShEquity. She is a member of the first African Space Council, elected by African Union Heads of State, and serves on the External Advisory Committee advising Statistics Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada on the Census of Environment. In 2025, Reuters recognized her as one of 12 Trailblazing Women in Climate.

From 2021 to March 2023, Dr. Ubalijoro served as Executive Director of Sustainability in the Digital Age and Canada Hub Director for Future Earth, where she led global efforts connecting sustainability science, digital transformation and policy. She is widely recognized for advancing gender equity and transformative leadership. She received the International Leadership Association’s 2022 Award for Women and Leadership and has facilitated the UNAIDS Leadership Programme for Women. Through FemStep, shehelped bring the perspectives of rural African women into national poverty reduction strategies. She also co-facilitated the 2018 Global Women in Science Leadership Workshop in Rwanda, and Forbes profiled her career for International Women’s Day in 2019.

Dr. Ubalijoro is the founder of C.L.E.A.R. International Development Inc. and previously served as Deputy Executive Director of Programs for GODAN. She has also held governance roles at WWF International and the Crop Trust and is co-editor of Building Resilient African Food Systems After COVID-19.

Caroline Running Wolf née Old Coyote (Crow) is a language activist and XR producer dedicated to supporting Indigenous languages and data sovereignty. Caroline co-founded First Languages AI Reality (FLAIR) and serves on multiple advisory boards where she champions the inclusion of Indigenous knowledges. 

Caroline is an advocate for Indigenous data sovereignty, data justice, and AI ethics. Caroline’s PhD research at University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada partners with Kwakwaka'wakw communities and explores applications of immersive technologies (AR/VR/XR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance Indigenous language and culture reclamation.

I am a Native Hawaiian artist, illustrator, and visionary born and raised in Mākaha Valley on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. For over 30 years, I have explored storytelling through a wide range of media—including oil painting, book illustration, murals, game design, and immersive installations. My work envisions a thriving future rooted in ancestral wisdom, blending traditional moʻolelo (stories) with new narratives that speak to the present and generations to come. Themes of collective consciousness, ancestral identity, and our relationship with honua (Mother Earth) guide my creative practice, all viewed through the lens of an Indigenous person from Hawaiʻi.

My work has been exhibited at Biennial X (Honolulu Museum of Art), the 19th Honolulu Biennial, the 6th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (Queensland Art Gallery), CONTACT Hawai‘i, and more. It is included in private and public collections, including the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center and Capitol Modern (formerly Hawaiʻi State Art Museum). I've led numerous community mural projects, including an installation at the Museum of Contemporary Native American Art in Santa Fe, and have received art commissions for hotels, corporate offices, public buildings, and schools in Hawai'i. Recent projects include a 3,000-square-foot mural installation for Amazon’s first delivery facility in Hawaiʻi, site-specific work for the upcoming Queen Liliʻuokalani Trust Children’s Center in Honolulu, and lead artist roles on the Capitol Pools project at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol. I was selected as a featured artist for the 2025 Aichi Triennale in Japan, where I will represent Native Hawaiian perspectives on global Indigenous futures. I continue to lead collaborative, community-based art projects across Hawaiʻi and beyond—always with a commitment to creativity, connection, and cultural continuity.

Emilee Bews (she/her) is Anishinaabe-kwe with membership to Batchewana First Nation and currently resides in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal, QC). She is a doctoral student in Educational Studies at McGill University, with research focusing on decolonizing educational systems by integrating Anishinaabe perspectives into Ontario curricular frameworks to support Anishinaabe learners. Her current work builds on her M.A. in Education & Society, obtained at McGill University as a McCall MacBain Scholar, which explores land-based education as a vehicle for cultural resurgence in Batchewana First Nation. She holds a B.A. in English with an embedded certificate in Mental Wellbeing and Resilience from the University of Calgary.

Valérie Pisano is the President and CEO of Mila. A prominent leader in Canada’s artificial intelligence landscape, she is recognized for her strategic vision and transformational leadership. With over 20 years of experience in growth management, she notably served as Chief Talent Officer at Cirque du Soleil and co-founded the Mobïus project on bias to accelerate the dialogue on female leadership in the corporate world.

Since 2018, she has led Mila, the world’s largest academic research center in deep learning, founded by Professor Yoshua Bengio, the world's most cited researcher and recipient of the AM Turing Award. Under her leadership, the Institute has experienced exponential growth, establishing itself as a pillar of the Canadian AI ecosystem with a reach that extends far beyond national borders. Today, Mila boasts a community of over 1,500 researchers and 150 industrial partners, and stands as a global benchmark for AI governance, notably through key collaborations with the OECD and the United Nations.

As a former consultant with McKinsey Canada, she focuses on how humans can adapt to and benefit from this technological revolution. She holds a degree in Finance and Economics from HEC Montréal and currently serves on the boards of directors of LawZero, Chartwell, and Énergir.

Elissa Strome is the Executive Director of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy at CIFAR. She works with leaders at Canada’s three National AI Institutes in Edmonton (Amii), Montreal (Mila), and Toronto (Vector Institute) and across the country to advance Canada’s leadership in AI research, training and innovation. She is a champion of equity, diversity and inclusion in science, and an ambassador for Canada’s position in AI research, innovation, and policy internationally. Elissa is a member of the federal government’s AI Advisory Council, a member of the OECD’s Network of Experts on AI and Expert Group on AI in Health, a member of the Health Canada Expert Advisory Committee for AI in Health, and sits on the Advisory Board of York University’s Centre for AI & Society. Her strong leadership and support of women and gender-diverse people in STEM has been recognized by a Special Jury Recognition at the Women in AI Awards North America (2023) and the Womxn in Data Science Lifetime Achievement Award (2022).

Elissa completed her PhD in Neuroscience at the University of British Columbia. Following a post-doc at Lund University, in Sweden, she decided to pursue a career in research strategy, policy, and leadership. From 2008 – 2017 she held senior leadership positions at University of Toronto’s Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation, advancing major institutional strategic research priorities, including establishing and leading the SOSCIP research consortium. She has recently earned her second-degree black belt in taekwondo.

Dr. Jacqueline Ottmann is Anishinaabe (Saulteaux) from Fishing Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan. Prior to her academic career, Jackie was an elementary, high school teacher and principal. She remains an engaged scholar alongside her responsibilities as a senior academic leader. While at the University of Calgary, she was the Coordinator of the First Nations, Métis, Inuit undergraduate teacher education program, and Director of Indigenous Education Initiatives within the Werklund School of Education (WSE). She also co-chaired the WSE Indigenous Strategy, and alongside the Provost, the university-wide Indigenous Strategy.

After her time with the University of Saskatchewan as Professor and Vice-Provost Indigenous Engagement, Jacqueline Ottmann was appointed President of the First Nations University of Canada. Ottmann has been recognized as an international researcher, advocate, and change-maker whose purpose is to transform practices inclusive of Indigenous leadership, methodologies, and pedagogies. Jacqueline is driven to create schools and communities that foster a deeper sense of belonging and appreciation for Indigenous peoples – their histories, stories, ways of knowing and being. Ottmann is also the first Indigenous person to become President of the Canadian Society for the Study of Education.

Jonathan Dewar, PhD, is the Chief Executive Officer at the First Nations Information Governance Centre. The FNIGC leads national-level research and information initiatives, including the longstanding First Nations Regional Health Survey; provides data sovereignty, information governance, and OCAP® education and training; and leads the implementation of the national First Nations Data Governance Strategy. 

He has spent most of his career directing research and knowledge translation initiatives for national Indigenous-led organizations. During that time, his work has focused on governance; strategic planning; health and wellbeing; research ethics; data sovereignty; and truth, healing, and reconciliation and he is a sought after speaker and advisor on these topics.

Jonathan previously served as the Director General and Vice President, Collections, Research, Exhibitions and Repatriation at the Canadian Museum of History; Director of the Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre and Special Advisor to the President at Algoma University; and Director of Research at the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, among other leadership roles.

Jonathan received a doctorate from the School of Indigenous and Canadian Studies at Carleton University and holds an appointment as Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. He also serves in many volunteer capacities, including as a member of the Board of Directors of the Queensway Carleton Hospital and as a member of the inaugural Board of Directors for the National Council for Reconciliation. He has served on many expert advisory bodies, including the Expert Advisory Group on the pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy, and serves as a member of the National Killam Program Selection Committee.

Born and raised in the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Nation (Ottawa), Jonathan is a member of the Huron Wendat Nation.

Dr. Teena Starlight is a respected Indigenous Knowledge Keeper, educator, and visionary leader from the Tsuut’ina Nation, and the first Tsuut’ina individual to earn a Doctorate in Education (EdD). A graduate of the University of Calgary’s Werklund School of Education, her research centered on Indigenous ways of knowing and integrating Tsuut’ina language and culture into Alberta’s curriculum to strengthen identity and belonging.  

As Co-Founder of CyberCloud-AI, Dr. Starlight leads a movement of ReconciliAction, ensuring Indigenous Peoples lead and benefit from the AI revolution through sovereign, AI-ready data centres that create training and employment opportunities for Indigenous youth.  

She is also Co-Founder of Canadian Indigenous Newcomer Education (NICE), which promotes education, understanding, and collaboration between Indigenous Peoples and newcomers. Through her leadership and the Tsuut’ina Ninisha (Ways of Knowing) framework, she continues to bridge tradition, technology, and reconciliation, empowering communities nationwide.  

Taylor Sparklingeyes (she/her) is a powerful Cree matriarch from Goodfish Lake First Nation, now rooted in amiskwacîwâskahikan, now known as Edmonton. As a Senior Data Sovereignty Technical Lead and Project Director, Taylor works to champion Indigenous Data Governance and systems change within Indigenous Nations and organizations. Taylor has experience designing and leading in-community social research projects that enhance Nations’ governance and stewardship of Indigenous Data.

She is proud mother of two boys who loves nothing more than hitting the mountains for some family adventures.

Jeff Ward is the founder and CEO of Animikii Indigenous Technology, a values-driven B Corp building ethical technology for a more equitable world. Since 2003, Jeff has grown Animikii into the company behind Niiwin, one of the world's first data platforms built with Indigenous-first design. Niiwin empowers organizations to control and use their data to benefit their communities, grounded in Indigenous data sovereignty principles like OCAP® and CARE.

Jeff is Ojibwe and Métis, originally from Manitoba, now living and working in Victoria, BC on Lekwungen territory. He's a software developer, product designer, author, and speaker.

He has served on the board of Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) and its subsidiaries since 2018 and is a founding board member of the Indigenous Tech Circle. He also serves on the OECD Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) Experts Working Group on Responsible AI and is a Fellowship Leadership Judge for MIT Solve.

Jeff speaks and presents regularly at national and international conferences and is quoted widely in the media.

Over a 45 year public service career, Mr. Lafond has held many leadership positions in business and community development. A former Tribal Chief elected by the 7 member First Nations, he was appointed by the Government of Canada as the Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan, a role involving public education, neutral convening and dialogue with Treaty parties, and durable resolution of conflict relating to Treaty rights and responsibilities. Mr. Lafond currently advises the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology to support innovative research, learning and education achievement, based on the direction and input of First Nations governments. He holds a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Saskatchewan and undertakes ongoing professional development and training in business, administration, negotiation and economic prosperity.

Mr. Lafond is a citizen of the Saskatchewan Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Treaty Six territory. In 2016 he received the Saskatchewan Order of Merit.

Dana Tizya-Tramm is a Vuntut Gwitchin leader, former Chief of Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, Chair of the First Nation School Board, and Executive Director of the Nadlii Society, an Indigenous-led non-profit advancing Indigenous data sovereignty, ethical artificial intelligence, and community-owned digital infrastructure.

During six years in elected leadership, including four as Chief, Dana helped defend the Peel Watershed land use plan before the Supreme Court of Canada, advocated internationally for the protection of the Porcupine Caribou Herd, and served as Co-Chair of the Gwich’in Council International. Under his leadership, Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation adopted one of Canada's first Indigenous-led climate emergency declarations under a modern treaty government.

Today, Dana focuses on the intersection of Indigenous governance, education, and emerging technologies. Through Nadlii, he is helping develop Indigenous-led approaches to AI that prioritize sovereignty, cultural continuity, community empowerment, and stewardship responsibilities to future generations. His work explores how First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities can participate in the digital economy on their own terms through sovereign data governance, community-owned infrastructure, and AI systems aligned with Indigenous values.