‘There’s nothing like it in the world’

After playing host to the World Indigenous Business Forum around the world, founder Rosa Walker is bringing the annual conference to her home city for the first time.

Winnipeg will host this year’s event Oct. 26-28. The conference will bring together Indigenous entrepreneurs, leaders, innovators and allies from across the globe to share knowledge, build relationships and explore opportunities for economic growth and collaboration.

Since launching the conference in 2010 in New York City, Walker has held the event in places such as Namibia, Guatemala and New Zealand. This year marks the third time a Canadian city has hosted.

Indigenous Leadership Development Institute, Inc., Walker’s non-profit company, is hosting the conference in collaboration with Winnipeg Economic Development & Tourism.

Bringing the gathering to Manitoba’s capital “feels really good,” Walker said on Thursday, after a news conference at the RBC Convention Centre where she and other stakeholders shared details about the event.

“There’s nothing like it in the world,” Walker said. “There’s no other place that Indigenous people can go to talk about business (and) economic development.”

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.

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.

About 50 people are scheduled to speak, Walker said. They’ll explore a range of topics that includes Indigenous women in business, artificial intelligence, tourism and environmental sustainability.

Walker is eager to give delegates a taste of the keystone province via a keynote presentation from local singer-songwriter William Prince.

The two-time Juno Award-winning artist from Peguis First Nation will reflect on his career and perform a couple songs.

“We wanted to have a little bit of a Manitoba experience for people who are just coming here for the first time,” Walker said.

Winnipeg Economic Development & Tourism estimates the conference will generate more than $3 million in total economic impact.

At the same time, the event is about more than money, said Natalie Thiesen, vice-president of tourism. It’s about truth and reconciliation, connection and understanding, and showing the world how Indigenous communities and economies are thriving.

“Winnipeg is uniquely positioned to host this conversation,” she said.

“As home to the largest urban Indigenous population in Canada, and a hub for First Nations, Métis 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.”

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.

“They didn’t know. Didn’t have a clue,” she said.

Walker met with the organizers and they told her if she wanted to do something about it, they would assist. That’s how the World Indigenous Business Forum started.

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’s ancestry included Cherokee roots.)

“For me, it’s so important that you have somebody who has an audience that speaks about some of the challenges that Indigenous people face when they’re trying to create their own businesses and be part of the economy,” Walker said.

“We’re always the last in line, you know? We start at a place where we have next to nothing … It’s tough slogging.”

A handful of local Indigenous leaders expressed their enthusiasm Thursday about the upcoming event.

“This opportunity is amazing,” said David Chartrand, president of the Manitoba Métis Federation.

Choosing Winnipeg as a host city is both intentional and meaningful, said Andrew Carrier, the federation’s vice-president.

“Winnipeg is not only the geographic heart of Canada, but also a place of deep Indigenous history, resilience and leadership,” he said.

“It 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.”

Winnipeg Economic Development & Tourism started bidding for the event in 2023. The 2025 conference was held in Melbourne, Australia.

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca