Inclusive Entrepreneurship Webinar Series | Spotlight on Diversity: Indigenous Entrepreneurship

Dr. Sonya Graci, Associate Professor | Director, Hospitality and Tourism Research Institute

Dr. Sonya Graci is an Associate Professor at the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management and the Director of the Institute of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Toronto Metropolitan University. Dr. Sonya Graci is a specialist in sustainable tourism with a focus on corporate social responsibility, Indigenous tourism development, island tourism, stakeholder engagement and environmental management.  She has a passion for working with communities to develop sustainable livelihood approaches and strategies to increase sustainability. She has worked with numerous communities, businesses and destinations on developing sustainability strategies in New Zealand, Honduras, China, Canada, Fiji and Indonesia. Dr. Graci has a Masters in Geography and Environmental Studies from the University of Toronto and a Ph.D. in Geography with a focus on corporate social responsibility from the University of Waterloo. Dr. Graci is also the author of two books. Her first book focused on the greening of the hotel industry and the second on sustainable tourism development in island destinations. She is also the author of several peer reviewed journal articles and industry reports and has been invited as a speaker at several conferences on sustainable tourism worldwide. She is also involved with several not for profit organizations related to sustainable tourism development.

Dr Michael Mihalicz, Indigenous Advisor, Office of the Dean, TRSM | Assistant Professor

Michael strives to help people be more effective decision makers. His research combines principles from Psychology and Economics to explore how people make decisions, and what causes them to make poor choices. His research findings have led him to devote his personal and professional life to help people understand how drive states subconsciously influence decision-making and predispose people to irrational behaviour. Michael is a PhD student at the University of Glasgow, the Indigenous Advisor at the Ted Rogers School of Management and Assistant Professor in the Entrepreneurship & Strategy Department at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Michael is also committed to making education accessible to underserved and often neglected segments of the population. For over a decade, he has been working to afford student inmates access to courses by breaking down barriers to education and finding creative solutions to institutional concerns. In his current role as Indigenous Advisor, Michael is actively involved in overseeing and supporting reconciliation priorities across campus and tasked with leading the development of protocols and processes that will increase access to postsecondary education for Indigenous students. 

Ashley Richard, WEKH Indigenous Outreach and Partnership Lead

Ashley Richard is a proud Indigenous woman from Winnipeg with family from Pine Creek First Nation and Camperville, Manitoba. Her Spirit Name is Forever Woman. Ashley’s life purpose is to follow in the footsteps of her grandmother, Mary Richard, who she describes as the love of her life.

Ashley’s career, both professional and volunteer, has spanned across many grassroots collectives, NGOs, private sector firms, and non-profits. Currently, she is the National Indigenous Outreach and Partnership

Development Lead for the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from the University of Manitoba and is part of the Class of 2021 cohort for the Masters in Management Innovation and Entrepreneurship program at Queen's University.

As a survivor of sexual assault and having been homeless at a young age, Ashley is a public speaker and travels across Canada speaking about her journey and the importance of resilience, empathy, and self-acceptance.

Dr Bob Kayseas, PhD, M.B.A., B. Admn, M.S.M., Pro.Dir.

Dr. Kayseas is a Saskatchewan born Anishnaabe originally from the Fishing Lake First Nation. He has been employed at the First Nations University of Canada for over 20 years as a Professor in the School of Business and Public Administration where he primarily teaches entrepreneurship, economic development and strategy courses. He was appointed as the Associate Vice-President in May, 2014, Vice-President Academic in 2017 and Interim President in mid-2019 to October 2021. Bob returned to his faculty position in January, 2023. 

Bob obtained a degree in Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Regina and in 2009 a Ph.D. (Enterprise and Innovation) from the Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship, Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia. Dr. Kayseas has established a recognized scholarly program of research centered on Indigenous entrepreneurship and economic development. He is actively engaged in both the research and practice of entrepreneurship and economic development. Most recently, he has worked to foster the integration of reconciliation into academic programming both in the classroom and in online distance learning. 

Dr. Kayseas is the Chair of the Board of Directors of FLFN Ventures Ltd – a corporate entity owned by the Fishing Lake First Nation. The company manages development projects for the community that includes a joint venture at BHP Billiton’s Discovery Lodge camp, near Jansen, Saskatchewan and other opportunities. 

In 2018, Bob received a Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General of Canada. This recognition referenced his work, “as a scholar, teacher, community leader and mentor”. Then, in 2022, Bob received a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal. The honour is given to those who have a “commitment to service”.