Animikii is proud to welcome our first independent community board member, Diane Roussin.

Diane is a leader and social innovator. She is currently the Project Director of the Winnipeg Boldness Project, and has a long track record of working to make change at the systems-level. She is a proud member of Skownan First Nation and lives in Winnipeg.

“I am excited to be joining Jeff, Robyn and Stephen on the Animikii Board and I’m looking forward to helping shape this amazing company,” said Diane Roussin, ”A technology company with an independent board member helping to centre community and new ways of working towards system change? This is the future of Indigenous business.”

Animikii is a values-driven company. We are always looking for ways we can improve our governance and deeply incorporate our values into the way we work. Our company values are rooted in Indigenous knowledge and guide our business decision-making. Specifically, the 7 Grandfather Teachings from Anishinaabe culture inform our relationships with partners, our team, contractors and collaborators.

“As Animikii grows it’s important for us to take our values and put them into operation at every level of our work. Welcoming a community member onto our board provides an opportunity to have outside voice and counsel as we continue to grow,” said Jeff Ward, CEO of Animikii, “I’m excited to continue to learn from Diane and know the entire Board and team at the company will value these teachings.” 

Animikii believes that the success of our business is dependent on the ability to incorporate new ways of doing business. This motivated the creation of Animikii’s Board Equity Policy stating a minimum requirement of 50% women or non-binary folks and  50% Indigenous representation.

Quick Facts

• Diane Roussin is Animikii’s first community board member, her appointment is for two years.
• Diane’s appointment means 50% of our board are women, and 50% are Indigenous. 
• The Board has also passed a Board Equity Policy creating a minimum requirement of 50% women or non-binary folks and 50% Indigenous representation. As of today, the Animikii board consists of 4 people, 2 of whom are women and 2 of whom are Indigenous.
• We have created an online resource at open.animikii.com where other organizations can find and adopt similar policies to suit their organizations. Including our Statutory Holiday Policy, giving the choice of how our employees use these paid holidays.
• Animikii is B Corp Certified and a CCAB Certified Aboriginal Business and has grown to over 30 team members. 
• Animikii’s head office is at the Songhees Innovation Centre, on the  land of the lək̓ʷəŋən People and we have team members in Tkaranto, Tiohtià:ke, Amiskwaciy Waskahikan, Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and on Mnidoo Mnising.
• Animikii is hiring for new Thunderbirds, with open positions listed here. 

More About Diane Roussin

A proud member of Skownan First Nation, Diane Roussin is an Anishinaabe community leader passionately committed to the pursuit of mino bimaadiziwin (the good life) for all families and children. 

Working tirelessly at the local, regional and national levels to promote Indigenous People’s values and ways of knowing, being, doing and feeling, she has led many avant-garde initiatives.

Currently the Project Director of the Winnipeg Boldness Project, Diane is a driving force in establishing and leading the first and longest serving Indigenous Social Innovation Lab in Canada that seeks large-scale systems of change for children and families in Winnipeg.

Diane is a key pacesetter in the creation of a robust Indigenous Innovation ecosystem in Canada and holds many influential roles including; Chair of the Indigenous Innovation Initiative Council with Grand Challenges Canada; member of the inaugural Indigenous Innovation Advisory Council with Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies; and member of the inaugural Council of Aunties for the Fireweed Fellowship, the first national Indigenous Entrepreneurship Accelerator.

Her Board of Directors commitments are geared toward forging new ground and include: The Winnipeg Foundation where she seeks to create space for Indigenous perspectives in philanthropy; the Winnipeg Art Gallery that hosts Quamajuq, the largest public collection of Inuit art in the world; and North Forge Technology Exchange, Canada's largest non-profit fabrication lab.

Diane is a TEDx speaker on the topic of Indigenous Social Innovation and is recipient of the Governor General’s Meritorious Service Medal, recognized for Outstanding Indigenous Leadership. She is a recipient of the Manitoba Women Trailblazers Award by the Nellie McClung Foundation. Diane holds both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Social Work Degrees.

For more information please contact:

Charlene Barry at media@animikii.com