ABOUT US

About TeKnoWave Inc.

TeKnoWave Inc. is an Indigenous non-profit corporation headquartered in Ottawa. Established in 2000, we serve First Nations, Inuit and Métis populations in Canada.

We oversee capacity-building programs that enhance Indigenous self-reliance through economic and community development, heritage and cultural awareness, talent development, adult education, employment, and entrepreneurial opportunities.

For over 20 years, TeKnoWave has been delivering projects to bridge the skills gap, enhance employment prospects, and provide innovative and sustainable solutions to Indigenous communities’ needs.

Our projects cover a wide range of fields, including IT, healthcare, clean energy, business career development, employment awareness and skills training, industry certifications, and certificates. TeKnoWave has developed Indigenous Cultural Sensitivity Handbooks in collaboration with community partners and offered seminars and workshops.

As a non-profit organization, TeKnoWave offers Indigenous programs that increase capacity in Indigenous communities and employment opportunities for Indigenous people. The organization is community-driven and designed to involve Indigenous communities at the intersection of economic development, training and reciprocal knowledge transfer.

Communities and organizations interested in hosting the TeKnoWave program can benefit from the training received by students through the community cooperative work placement project following in-class training.

Retaining expertise in the communities in the long term is essential.
Participating students gain self-confidence, self-worth, and often a renewed interest in their culture.

 

Our Story

TeKnoWave was founded on a wave of dreams and a powerful vision. Its story of giving and unique partnerships is truly inspiring. When asked about how TeKnoWave came to be, Rima Aristocrat, President and CEO of the 108-year-old Willis College of Business & Technology and the Founder/President of TeKnoWave Inc., shares a story as unique as the initiative itself.

The inspiration for the TeKnoWave initiative began with an event that took place in Winnipeg in the year 2000, where Aristocrat was speaking at an international conference. At the end of the day, educators from 20 different countries gathered for an evening of entertainment, where Aboriginal Hoop Dancer George Bear performed his sacred dance. After his performance, Bear shared a personal account of his lack of education and the hardships that Canadian Indigenous people face in achieving higher education.

Bear’s story deeply moved Aristocrat, who decided to grant him an $18,000 scholarship to Ottawa’s Willis College. The college then set up a permanent educational scholarship for Aboriginal students named after Joseph Tokwiro Norton (J.T.N.), Grand Chief of the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory. The Joseph T. Norton Scholarship was later expanded to include an additional $10,000 stipend for living expenses, which was raised from Aboriginal corporations such as National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, Mohawk Internet Technologies, and Donna Cona Inc.