Photo: Kelly Lendsay, president and CEO of Indigenous Works and chief transformation officer at Luminary. Photo by Luminary.works.
By Aaron Walker
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Windspeaker.com
A new national survey is shedding light on a long-standing gap in Canada’s business education system.
Luminary, an Indigenous-led innovation and economic collaboration hub, found that many business schools remain disconnected from Indigenous economies, with limited partnerships with Indigenous businesses, economic development corporations and entrepreneurs.
The Saskatchewan-based organization recently released its Canadian Business School Indigenous Engagement Report 2025, described as the first national benchmark of Indigenous engagement in Canadian business schools.
The report points to uneven progress and gaps in areas of strategy, curriculum, research, and partnerships.
Among the key findings, just 59 per cent of business schools surveyed said they had an Indigenous strategy in place, including plans to support Indigenous students, develop Indigenous-focused curriculum, or build partnerships with Indigenous communities and businesses. Only 14 per cent reported having a standalone Indigenous strategy. Only 48 per cent said they had a formal response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. The report also found that only half of business schools offered at least one Indigenous course, while just over half offered core courses with Indigenous content.
In research, the gap appears even more pronounced. Of roughly 130 business schools across Canada, just 48 participated in the survey, and while more than half of those reported some level of Indigenous research, direct partnerships with Indigenous businesses remain rare. Only one research project identified an Indigenous entrepreneur as a partner, while just four Indigenous economic development corporations were involved.
For Kelly Lendsay, president and CEO of Indigenous Works and chief transformation officer at Luminary, the findings point to a broader missed opportunity.
“There’s a lack of awareness (and) there’s a lack of connections,” he told Windspeaker.com. “There’s a lack of opportunity in a business case to see where and how we can be fostering more research.”
Luminary, an initiative of Indigenous Works, was created after the organization began examining what was — and was not — happening between Canada’s academic institutions and Indigenous business leaders.
“Basically, there’s an engagement gap in terms of research, curriculum and partnerships,” Lendsay said. Luminary connects academia and Indigenous communities to strengthen research and innovation, but the 2025 survey suggests many business schools are still in the early stages of that work.
While some progress has been made, deeper institutional commitment is still needed, the report finds. Indigenous participation in school governance remains largely advisory rather than decision-making, and funding is more often directed toward honorariums and services, such as payments for Indigenous advisors, guest speakers, or cultural supports, rather than broader changes such as staffing or curriculum development.
The findings come as the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) announced on Feb. 24 that it has committed $250,000 to support Luminary’s work over the next five years, focused on expanding research, developing curriculum, and strengthening connections between academic institutions and Indigenous economies.
Lendsay said the funding will support three main areas: developing Indigenous case studies and curriculum, strengthening business and research talent, and bringing together Indigenous innovators, entrepreneurs, students, and academic leaders.
Part of that work will take place through national events, including Luminary’s second annual Indigenous Innovation Summit in Montreal this Sept. 22 to Sept. 24, which will bring together leaders from academia and business.
RBC’s support is also helping Luminary scale up its research and engagement efforts, including follow-up efforts connected to the inaugural business school survey.
In a press release, Brittanee Laverdure, director of the Truth and Reconciliation Office at RBC Origins, framed the investment as part of a broader economic reconciliation effort.
“Supporting economic reconciliation is critical to enacting meaningful change for Inuit, First Nations, and Métis communities,” Laverdure said. “With Luminary’s mission to nurture inclusive opportunities for economic growth and well-being, we’re proud to support the advancement of Canada’s Indigenous research and innovation agenda, empowering the next generation of Indigenous innovators to drive Canada’s economy.”
Luminary’s report suggests strong interest among business schools in expanding Indigenous curriculum and engagement, with nearly all respondents expressing a desire to learn more and take part in knowledge networks, even as capacity remains limited.
Lendsay said that interest must be matched with action, including stronger relationships with Indigenous partners.
He pointed to sectors including artificial intelligence, agri-food, and seaweed development as areas where Indigenous-led research and innovation could expand through stronger collaboration.
Lendsay highlighted Luminary’s Seaweed Hub, led by Indigenous Works in collaboration with partners including Coastal First Nations and the Nuu-chah-nulth Seafood Development Corporation, as an example of an emerging industry with significant economic potential. While Canada has abundant seaweed resources across its coasts, the sector remains underdeveloped despite growing global demand. The initiative aims to support Indigenous communities in building businesses, creating jobs, and developing value-added products.
More broadly, he said, Indigenous innovation should not be seen as something new or niche.
“Innovation is not new to Indigenous people,” he said, noting long-standing knowledge systems and technologies developed over generations, from snowshoes designed for different terrain to birchbark canoes capable of transporting heavy loads across vast distances.
“The combination of traditional and western knowledge is really what the innovation ecosystem is about.”
That idea, often described as “two-eyed seeing,” a concept introduced by Mi’kmaq Elder Albert Marshall, sits near the centre of Luminary’s approach. The goal is not simply to insert Indigenous content into existing business programs, but to reshape how business education understands knowledge, partnership, and economic value.
With new benchmark data and expanded support, Luminary is positioning itself to bring more Indigenous voices into Canada’s research and innovation landscape.
“We want to infuse and transform business education in this country to bring in the exciting work of Indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses,” he said, pointing to what he described as a “tremendous $52 billion economy.”
“That’s what needs to come out in business schools so they can be showcasing what’s happening in the Indigenous economy.”
To explore Luminary’s initiatives and opportunities to get involved, visit Luminary.works.