The University of Winnipeg's MDP students blog from the field

By Brent Wennekes, 1st year MDP student

I grew up in Hawkesbury, Ontario, on Crawford’s Purchases, the traditional lands of the Mohawk and Six Nations people. In 2010, I moved to Winnipeg, and in March 2020, when the COVID pandemic struck, my family relocated to my wife’s family cabin. We now live permanently in beautiful Treaty One, just a five-minute walk from the sandy shores of Lake Winnipeg.

With 15 years of experience working at the intersection of education, applied research, innovation, and entrepreneurship, my current placement focuses on addressing barriers to capital for Indigenous entrepreneurs. I am working with Richard Tuck, a leading expert on social and Indigenous finance and the Metis founder of Wakopa Financial, a cooperative of professionals dedicated to creating positive community change. 

My placement continues a larger partnership aimed at advancing opportunities for Indigenous entrepreneurs seeking capital. Our project culminated in a significant market study report, valuable to both an external foundation exploring investment avenues and the broader public. Leading a team of three interns—a PhD student in Economics from the University of Manitoba, an Indigenous PhD candidate from Royal Roads, and an Indigenous MBA student from UNBC—we developed the report using quantitative and qualitative data from a nationwide survey of entrepreneurs and capital providers.

My MDP coursework, especially in Indigenous Research Methods and Indigenous Quantitative Methods, was crucial in balancing qualitative and quantitative approaches for the study. The foundational education from Indigenous Thoughts and Worldview, taught by Elder Dan Thomas, bolstered my confidence in contributing meaningfully to Indigenous truth and reconciliation.

Witnessing months of diligent work, including numerous one-on-one interviews, culminate in a unified and impactful report has been immensely fulfilling. The insights gained have fueled the development of prototype solutions to dismantle barriers faced by Indigenous entrepreneurs in accessing capital. Wakopa, its partners, and I are eager to continue our efforts by implementing selected solutions in the coming months and years, paving the way for more equitable access to capital in Canada.

Brent (L) & Richard (R)