Indigenous entrepreneurship has existed across Turtle Island long before settler colonization. But today, there are still so many myths about Indigenous businesses — including the idea that Indigenous people aren’t entrepreneurs, that they rely on government handouts, and that they need to be taught how to build successful businesses. None of that is true. In fact, Indigenous entrepreneurship is thriving — and it’s rooted in long-standing traditions of innovation, sustainability, and community care. In this episode, we bust those myths and explore how Indigenous ways of doing business can challenge — and improve — how we all think about entrepreneurship.

GATE’s Busted podcast is made possible by generous support from BMO.

Featured guests:

Dr. Jordyn Hrenyk, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Institute for Gender and the Economy, Rotman School of Management

Sara Wolfe, Executive-in-Residence, Rotman School of Management and Institute for Gender and the Economy; Senior Fellow, Massey College; External Director, Wilson College for Leadership and Civic Engagement, McMaster University

Produced by: Carmina Ravanera and Dr. Sonia Kang

Edited by: Ian Gormely

When most people think about philanthropy, they picture rich, often white, men, writing huge cheques for whatever cause they decide to get behind. And billionaire philanthropy has faced growing criticism: is it really philanthropy, or is it just a sneaky way for the wealthy to avoid taxes and reinforce inequality? But this perspective leaves out a much broader, richer history – one where women, members of racialized communities, LGBTQ+ folks, and others have long used the power of voluntary giving to contribute to the public good and drive important social change. In this episode, we speak to researchers who are challenging the dominant narrative, expanding our understanding of who gives, why they give, and how philanthropy has always belonged to more than just a select few.

Further research:

Ackerman, J., Han, X., and Osili, U. (2024) Women Give 2024. Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. https://scholarworks.indianapolis.iu.edu/items/b1a60723-37d9-41da-9556-4505270d9c8f

Dale, E.J., Ackerman, J., Mesch, D.J., Osili, U.O. and Garcia, S. (2017). Giving to Women and Girls: An Emerging Area of Philanthropy. https://doi.org/10.1177/0899764017744674

Rumble, T. and Numata, Y. (2023). Prioritizing restitution, Indigenous leadership, and the future with ‘restorative philanthropy’. The Philanthropist Journal. https://thephilanthropist.ca/2025/03/prioritizing-restitution-indigenous-leadership-and-the-future-with-restorative-philanthropy/

GATE’s Busted podcast is made possible by generous support from BMO.

Featured Guests:

Jacqueline Ackerman, Director, Women's Philanthropy Institute, Indiana University Indianapolis

Dr. Elizabeth J. Dale, Frey Foundation Chair for Family Philanthropy, Grand Valley State University

Produced by: Carmina Ravanera and Dr. Sonia Kang

Edited by: Ian Gormely

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we got a sense of how devalued care work really is. Care workers were, and still are, working long hours in poor conditions, for low pay, to support elders, children, and people with disabilities. These care workers provide some of the most essential labour in our society, but their work is often overlooked. We rarely stop to think about how much we rely on care, and how everything would fall apart without it. That neglect has consequences: care workers have been leaving the sector, and we’re now facing a global care crisis, with not nearly enough carers to support everyone who needs care. In this episode, we’ll be busting the myth that care work is low value, and talk about what it would look like if society recognized that our communities and economies are built on and sustained by care.

Further research:

Prentice, S. & Armstrong, P. (2021, May 25). We must eliminate profit-making from child care and elder care. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/we-must-eliminate-profit-making-from-child-care-and-elder-care-159407

Thomas, C., & Lightman, N. (2022). “Island Girls”: Caribbean Women Care Workers in Canada. Canadian Ethnic Studies 54(1), 29-58. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/ces.2022.0004.

GATE’s Busted podcast is made possible by generous support from BMO.

Featured Guests:

Dr. Susan Prentice, Duff Roblin Professor of Government and Professor of Sociology, University of Manitoba

Dr. Carieta Thomas, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Carleton University

Produced by: Carmina Ravanera and Dr. Sonia Kang

Edited by: Ian Gormely