Jeff K. Ward

"We were fortunate enough to have Jeff join us for the inaugural FWD50 event in Ottawa (2017), looking at how we can use technology to make society better for all. Jeff brought a crucial voice to the unique needs, potentials, risks, and future of digital government in the lives of indigenous peoples. He was a absolute pleasure to work with: generous, responsive and professional and I very much look forward to future opportunities to collaborate with him!"

-Rebecca Croll, Director of Content, FWD50

"It was great to have Jeff and his family at Hollyhock for Activate: Digital Leadership 2018. Jeff's session on Animikii brought an inspired entrepreneurial, Indigenous voice to the conference. His personal story of building a mission based digital agency from the ground up resonated with so many of the change-makers at the conference. People were talking about his session all week. We would love to have Jeff and his family back to Hollyhock anytime!"

-Peter Wrinch, CEO, Hollyhock

"It was an absolute pleasure to have Jeff speak at our PeaceTalk on Reconciliation through Indigenous Innovation. His energy and ability to make a challenging and sensitive topic accessible and relatable to the audience certainly left a mark on us, and I have no doubt that his personal stories and insight left everyone in the room feeling inspired to take action and learn more about Indigenous knowledge, technologies and innovation. Jeff is a thought provoking leader, entrepreneur and presenter, and we would certainly recommend having him as a speaker!"

-Cherrie Lam, Digital Projects Coordinator, PeaceGeeks

"Every year, we try to bring unusual angles and unexpected stories to the over five thousand attendees who come to Startupfest from around the world. Jeff’s ability to share his insights with that audience, explaining how to build and grow a solid business while finding a social True North and furthering meaningful outcomes, is a perfect example of this."

-Alistair Croll, Content Chair and Board Member, Startupfest

"It was a pleasure to have Jeff Ward speak at our B Inspired event last fall. He did a great job of opening our eyes to how important Indigenous Entrepreneurship was in informing how business can be a force for good."

-Joyce Sou, Director, B Lab Canada

"We were extremely excited to welcome Jeff and Animikii to the Ones to Watch Stage. Given that this stage featured the best up and coming tech companies in the province, it was a great opportunity for all of our summit delegates to learn about Animikii and help spark indigenous innovation across the province."

-Innovate BC, organizers of the #BCTECHSummit

"It was a pleasure having Jeff speak at our Undergraduate Conference. From a student’s perspective, it was inspiring hearing about his journey being an entrepreneur and following his true passions. He shared that if you have a dream anything is possible if you have the support and the drive to accomplish that dream. We would love to have Jeff back at Simon Fraser University and we recommend him to anyone looking for a keynote."

-Elaina Styka, Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology Undergraduate Conference Chair

"Jeff Ward joined the brand new panel discussion at the Canadian Telecom Summit titled: Indigenous Connectivity and Technology’s Role in Reconciliation this year, bringing a dynamic discussion never before seen by the largely telecom audience. Jeff’s many years of experience and unique and important perspective brought a depth to the event and a real vibrancy to the stage. Jeff was thoughtful in his comments, accentuated his fellow panelists ideas, and brought a strong conviction of the urgency to ensure an Indigenous lens is included in the technology landscape. His voice would be a welcome addition on many more CTS events in the future!"

- Kalene DeBaeremaeker, Sr. Communications Manager- Public Affairs, Telus

"Jeff has been an ambassador of the Indigenous Business Award (IBA) program since Animikii Inc.'s initial recognition in 2010. His recent contributions as a 2021 IBA jury member underline his personal commitment to Indigenous business excellence while demonstrating his leadership as an entrepreneur. BC Achievement is grateful for Animikii Inc.'s advocacy and willingness to share its knowledge and practices along with Jeff’s sage insight into Indigenous business in the province and beyond. We value Jeff’s role as an IBA alumni (2010; 2019) at the jury table and look forward to his return to the 2022 adjudication process."

-Cathryn Wilson, Executive Director, BC Achievement

"Jeff Ward shared his insights and experiences on the topic of inspiring future Indigenous technologists at our annual members’ conference in November 2021. Jeff delivered his keynote with commitment and humour while challenging participants to think deeply about connecting the process of reconciliation to our work with Indigenous youth in K-12 education. His keynote was just the message we were seeking!"

-Maureen Ciarniello, Director of Education Services, Focused Education Resources

"Jeff Ward is both a thoughtful and engaging speaker. He brought loads of helpful actionable ideas and also ensured all our listeners were able to understand and engage with his challenges and encouragement.I'd highly recommend and endorse Jeff as a speaker. "

-Darian Kovacs, Founding Partner at Jelly Marketing & PR, Marketing News Canada

"Mr. Ward’s sincerity, transparency and sharing of his professional and lived experiences as an Indigenous person leading a highly-regarded tech company was well received by Sobeys Inc. teammates. Close to 1,000 employees tuned in to hear Mr. Ward share his thoughts on actionable solutions for settler organizations to employ to ensure they are moving on the right path of Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. We thank Mr. Ward for his time and look forward to connecting with him again. "

-Kim Johnson, Manager, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Sobeys

"We were very honoured to have Jeff moderate our virtual event on Indigenous Connectivity: How Technology Can Support Reconciliation. Our goal was to create meaningful dialogue around this topic and share how technology can support reconciliation across Canada. Jeff certainly delivered and helped contribute to the success of the event. He led the discussion with great topics and questions to our panel of experts. He was professional, engaging, and personable. We look forward to the opportunity to work with Jeff again and would highly recommend him as a speaker! "

-Alison Salman, Event and Marketing Manager, Economic Club of Canada

"It was a great pleasure to include Jeff in an important discussion on investment into Indigenous businesses during CVCA's D&I series. The values that are driving the growth of Animikii and Jeff's insight will help the Canadian private capital community better understand how it can support Indigenous entrepreneurs, the communities they serve, and the challenges that must be overcome for Canada to be positioned for success. "

-Kim Furlong, CVCA

"Jeff Ward took part in a Q&A session for first-year UBC Sauder Bachelor of Commerce students learning about entrepreneurship and innovation. His Q&A gave our students insight into how Indigenous worldviews contribute to innovation. Students also appreciated hearing about Jeff’s career as a technology entrepreneur. Jeff, thank you for the thoughtful, personal, and practical advice and wisdom that you shared. "

-Colin Dodds, Lecturer, UBC Sauder School of Business

"We greatly appreciated Jeff's video recording to present to our Digital Creatives cohort! Jeff’s created a valuable resource that the entrepreneurs can always reference back to as it provides tangible and strategic advice to early stage entrepreneurs. Keeping his engagement personal, Jeff shared his start-up story that steamed back to his childhood that enabled a deeper understanding and connection with the audience. Sharing the point that even the biggest of dreams start small, and that no dream is too big as long as you have adequate supports. Again, we can’t thank Jeff enough for taking the time to address the entrepreneurs in a way that resonated with them in a holistic and practical way. "

-Tammy Lynn Snook, Program Manager, EntrepreNorth

"We at Equinix had the pleasure of working with Jeff and his team for a thought-provoking keynote session titled “Indigenous Reconciliation in Business and Technology”. Jeff’s team was considerate and diligent in their approach to partnership and content. Jeff was engaging, thoughtful, and challenged our perspectives of digital inclusion and data sovereignty. In partnership with Jeff and the Animikii team, we hope to continue to expose our team to the principles that ground an Indigenous worldview and harmony with the land, while creating opportunity between community and industry. “Diversity of thought and participants makes our teams better and helps us along our learning journey. I would like to thank Jeff and the Animikii team for helping us reflect on our history, expand our views, and create meaningful change.” "

-Andrew Eppich, Managing Director, Equinix Canada.

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