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MIKE DEAL \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
David Chartrand, president of the Manitoba M\u00e9tis Federation, speaks during Thursday\u2019s announcement at the RBC Convention Centre that the upcoming World Indigenous Business Forum will be held in Winnipeg this October.<\/p>\n
Indigenous Leadership Development Institute, Inc., Walker\u2019s non-profit company, is hosting the conference in collaboration with Winnipeg Economic Development & Tourism.<\/p>\n
Bringing the gathering to Manitoba\u2019s capital \u201cfeels really good,\u201d Walker said on Thursday, after a news conference at the RBC Convention Centre where she and other stakeholders shared details about the event.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s nothing like it in the world,\u201d Walker said. \u201cThere\u2019s no other place that Indigenous people can go to talk about business (and) economic development.\u201d<\/p>\n
Up to 1,000 delegates are expected to attend the three-day event, with some already registered from Nepal, Colombia, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Guatemala and Papua New Guinea.<\/p>\n
The conference will start with an opening reception at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, followed by two days of keynote speeches and panel presentations at the downtown convention centre.<\/p>\n
About 50 people are scheduled to speak, Walker said. They\u2019ll explore a range of topics that includes Indigenous women in business, artificial intelligence, tourism and environmental sustainability.<\/p>\n
Walker is eager to give delegates a taste of the keystone province via a keynote presentation from local singer-songwriter William Prince. <\/p>\n
The two-time Juno Award-winning artist from Peguis First Nation will reflect on his career and perform a couple songs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted to have a little bit of a Manitoba experience for people who are just coming here for the first time,\u201d Walker said.<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Economic Development & Tourism estimates the conference will generate more than $3 million in total economic impact.<\/p>\n
At the same time, the event is about more than money, said Natalie Thiesen, vice-president of tourism. It\u2019s about truth and reconciliation, connection and understanding, and showing the world how Indigenous communities and economies are thriving.<\/p>\n
\u201cWinnipeg is uniquely positioned to host this conversation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs home to the largest urban Indigenous population in Canada, and a hub for First Nations, M\u00e9tis and Inuit leadership and business events, Winnipeg brings both credibility and lived experience to this world stage, and we know that we leave a lasting impression on our guests.\u201d<\/p>\n
Walker started the conference after she and a colleague attended the World Business Forum in 2009. After a presentation about the resource industry around the world, Walker asked the presenter how they interact with the Indigenous Peoples whose land those resources are a part of.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey didn\u2019t know. Didn\u2019t have a clue,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t MIKE DEAL \/ FREE PRESS <\/p>\n Rosa Walker, president and CEO of Indigenous Leadership Development Institute, Inc., speaks during an announcement at the RBC Convention Centre on Thursday.<\/p>\n Walker met with the organizers and they told her if she wanted to do something about it, they would assist. That\u2019s how the World Indigenous Business Forum started.<\/p>\n Canadian-born filmmaker and environmentalist James Cameron spoke at the inaugural conference. Top Gun actor Val Kilmer made keynote presentations in 2011 and 2012, after approaching Walker about getting involved. (The American actor, who died in April 2025 at age 65, had said his father\u2019s ancestry included Cherokee roots.)<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, it\u2019s so important that you have somebody who has an audience that speaks about some of the challenges that Indigenous people face when they\u2019re trying to create their own businesses and be part of the economy,\u201d Walker said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re always the last in line, you know? We start at a place where we have next to nothing \u2026 It\u2019s tough slogging.\u201d<\/p>\n A handful of local Indigenous leaders expressed their enthusiasm Thursday about the upcoming event.<\/p>\n \u201cThis opportunity is amazing,\u201d said David Chartrand, president of the Manitoba M\u00e9tis Federation.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t Choosing Winnipeg as a host city is both intentional and meaningful, said Andrew Carrier, the federation\u2019s vice-president.<\/p>\n \u201cWinnipeg is not only the geographic heart of Canada, but also a place of deep Indigenous history, resilience and leadership,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u201cIt is home to a thriving and growing Indigenous business community, and it stands as a powerful example of what is possible when Indigenous leadership is supported and celebrated.\u201d<\/p>\n Winnipeg Economic Development & Tourism started bidding for the event in 2023. The 2025 conference was held in Melbourne, Australia.<\/p>\n aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Aaron Epp Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. Read more about Aaron<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Aaron produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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