Photo: Courtesy of EFMD. (L-R) Charmaine Stack, Director, Gustavson Executive Programs Administration; Brent Mainprize, Teaching Professor & ACE Program Director; David Parnell, TRICORP Business Development Officer; Cory Stephens, NW-ACE Program Manager & Learning Enhancement Officer.
Originally published in Gustavson’s 2019 Year in Review.
The Aboriginal Canadian Entrepreneurs (ACE) program, developed in partnership with Tribal Resources Investment Corporation (TRICORP), provincial and federal governments and the Gustavson School of Business, was honoured with the 2019 Excellence in Practice Gold Award in the category of Ecosystem Development. Bestowed on the program by the world’s largest association in the field of management development, the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD), the international recognition honours ACE’s commitment to in-community learning and development opportunities for Indigenous entrepreneurs across BC. It was the only North American partnership to be recognized as part of the 2019 awards.
“We’re proud of the ACE programs and the difference they are making in the lives of our people and in the economic self-reliance of our Indigenous communities. This prestigious international honour validates the power in partnership where we work together and learn from each other by bridging Indigenous culture with the
key principles of entrepreneurship,” says Frank Parnell, CEO of TRICORP.
To date, the program has 384 graduates from 46 Indigenous communities with 103 businesses started. Enabling the creation of more Indigenous businesses is important for the prosperity of Indigenous communities and helps move toward economic reconciliation in Canada.
“It was an honour to be invited by TRICORP to co-design the ACE program to provide prospective entrepreneurs with the skills, knowledge and mentorship needed to successfully start a business, serve their communities with confidence, and foster entrepreneurial development while using their Indigenous heritage,” says Dr. Brent Mainprize, director of the ACE program and entrepreneurship professor at Gustavson. “Indigenous businesses and communities in Canada hold tremendous potential to revitalize regional economies and contribute to prosperity and well-being for all Canadians.”
EFMD created the Excellence in Practice Awards in 2007 to showcase outstanding learning and development partnerships that demonstrate best collaborative practices in the field of executive education.
