Reconciliation in Business 2022 event wins Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE) gold medal
Congratulations to Cody Anthony for leading the Reconciliation in Business 2022 event, as it won gold for Best Indigenous Relations Initiative in the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education’s 2023 Prix d’Excellence Celebration.
The Reconciliation in Business Conference, hosted and organized by Ted Rogers Indigenous in Business student group was held September 25, 2022 at the Ted Rogers School. The first event of its kind at Toronto Metropolitan University, the conference had the theme of #maamawi (Ojibwe: Together) and featured seven panels and over 25 speakers discussing Indigenous representation in commerce, law, academia, entrepreneurship, and finance. Keynote speakers included Gimaa (Chief) R. Stacey Laforme of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Carolyn King (external link) , former Chief and the founder of the Moccasin Identifier project, Elder Duke Redbird (external link) from Saugeen Ojibway Nation and Jonathon Araujo Redbird (external link) , president of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation Financial Corporation.
Cody Anthony (external link) , the founder and former president of the Ted Rogers Indigenous in Business student group, says he was honoured that the Reconciliation in Business 2022 was recognized by the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education.
“This was a great closing moment for the 2022 event, and provided extra motivation towards making this event happen annually in the future,” Anthony said.
“Our people deserve to be heard. They deserve equity in partnership. They deserve the greatest opportunities for commerce that are taking place on their territories. The future is bright for welcoming Indigenous peoples and worldviews in business, and I'm ready to continue fighting for it.”
Anthony explained that there were hundreds of Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders, community builders, professionals, academics, and more who supported the 2022 event and reignited the conversation about what it means to bring Indigenous peoples to the economic table.
“The conversations that took place at Reconciliation in Business 2022 will have a generational impact on the future of inclusion in the business sectors,” he said, adding, “The involvement and care from the Ted Rogers School of Management, Office of the Dean, Indigenous Initiatives, Business Career Hub, and Ted Rogers Student Society was extraordinary and leaves me incredibly optimistic for all incoming Indigenous students.”
This award is a testament to Cody Anthony’s leadership and a recognition of TMU’s relational approach to reconciliation, explained Sana Mulji, who leads the Indigenous initiatives at Ted Rogers School and supervised Anthony.
“We are grateful to all those who chose to walk this journey with us, and for their collaborative efforts,” she said. “This conference would not have been possible without the guidance of Michael Mihalicz, Indigenous Advisor and Assistant Professor, Entrepreneurship and Strategy and contributions from Maria Lypyavka, student at The Creative School.”
The event was made possible through the support of Johnson & Johnson, Venture for Canada, Rogers and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment.
“We are excited to continue discussing business reconciliation at the next conference in September, under the theme: ‘Indigenous Worldviews from the Classroom to the Boardroom,’” Mulji said.