In honour of National Truth and Reconciliation Day, we wanted to highlight the work one of our Founding Partners, Gord Anderson, is doing with Indigenous communities across Canada. Anderson is a leader beyond KASTx Ventures and his passion and expertise informs our work in health communities and our portfolio companies.
As an expert with over 30 years of experience in finance and over 15 years working with Indigenous communities, Anderson’s career has spanned many different leadership roles internationally. Some of the key ways he has supported communities include resolving outstanding financial claims, and structuring Indigenous-centric economic partnerships with corporate Canada. Throughout his work, Anderson has been exposed to the harsh realities communities are facing, witnessing the pitfalls of many of the strategies governments and companies were taking at the time to help. Most programs were focused on funding, without the added governance support to empower leadership and inform economic opportunities.
He co-founded Indigenous Wealth Finance (IWF) to help address this gap. IWF Group is dedicated to empowering communities by financing land claims to settle the millions of dollars owed under unfulfilled treaty arrangements; develop Indigenous-owned community infrastructure and self-governance; and building partnerships between communities and businesses that promote Indigenous sovereignty.
Most recently, the group helped to launch an insurance strategy in Alberta to allow businesses to partner with communities for mutual benefit, around their insurance needs, particularly in the energy sector.
Anderson said the IWF Group aspires to accomplish three objectives in the future: every major corporation has an empowering partnership with an Indigenous community, every unresolved land claim is addressed, and at least seven generations of capital for communities is protected.
Resources to help deepen your reflection and understanding on Truth and Reconciliation Day and beyond:
- Local Calgary events: https://www.calgary.ca/events/orange-shirt-day.html
- Free course at the University of Alberta: https://www.ualberta.ca/admissions-programs/online-courses/indigenous-canada/index.html
- The Indian Residential School Survivor Society & Crisis Line: https://www.irsss.ca/
- National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/NationalCentreforTruthandReconciliation