31 Mar Animikii

A N I M I K I I “Their success is our success” says Ward. T E C H N O L O G Y With a recent investment of $1 million from Raven Indigenous Capital Partners and the Business Development Bank of Canada, Animikii will continue to grow and lead the way for other Indigenous tech companies. With growth comes greater impact. Ward and his team at Animikii believe that technology is a societal equalizer, a powerful tool for reconciliation that will continue to be an economic driver within the Indigenous economy. “Indigenous people have always been technologists. We’ve always been inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs,” says Ward. “Existing in the innovation ecosystem and being a player in the tech space is an act of resilience.” Today, Animikii is using its Indigenous approach to technology to amplify the voices and projects of Indigenous innovators, and the movement is growing. “Whereas in 2003 it was a bit lonely as an Indigenous technologist, now there’s a thriving available workforce and as we expand our circle of influence we see more and more folks saying, ‘Hey, I’m Indigenous. I’ve been doing this in my corner of the world for a while.’” As a social enterprise and certified B corporation, Animikii’s impact goes beyond their business operations. They run a scholarship program and offer a variety of community workshops in areas such as coding, robotics, and social media marketing. They also run an Indigenous Innovators initiative (https://indigenousinnovators.ca/) that highlights Indigenous Peoples across North America who are innovators in their fields. Perhaps the biggest project of all, however, is Niiwin (https://niiwin.ca/), a forthcoming web-based software product that will empower Indigenous Data Sovereignty. “We’re always finding ways to amplify our social impact,” says Ward. Ward’s message to other organizations seeking to foster reconciliation and build the Indigenous economy is that Indigenous business in Canada is booming. “We’re in an interesting moment where there’s tremendous opportunity for Indigenous entrepreneurs to expand and grow. There is incredible opportunity for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to work together.” “Don’t just make meaning in the work that you do but share that meaning with the world because that will attract others to you as you create your own movement. When times get tough–and they will get tough– that meaning is going to help you get out of bed in the morning and do the hard work that needs to be done. We have an opportunity to be a shining example of how to do business in a good way

ANIMIKII TEN TO WATCH 2019