Knowledge Circle

What Knowledge Circle does, is allows for the space of Indigenous worldviews to be welcomed into the mentorship experience.  When I am doing the work I do, I often place my own experiences in employment and try to think of solutions that will support and guide generations coming into their careers behind me.

This solution comes from the space of me being a trailblazer.  I kind of fell into the profession of Human Resources by accident.  I believed the guidance that I was given that as an Indigenous young person, becoming an Administrative Assistant was a big deal.  I continued and succeeded towards a career in Human Resources but, no one would hire me as Human Resources wasn’t really well known at the time.  I reached out to professionals who had been in HR for years and were Indigenous but they didn’t have the capacity to mentor me.  I could have really used it because I ended up in non-Indigenous organizations for years when, with the right guidance, could have reached further in my career had I had the support.

Knowledge Circle provides that support.  Through conversations, I ask skilled Indigenous professionals what stops them from mentoring others in their field, it’s time and lack of funding.  For mentees, they have the same results I did in my career, not many have capacity to mentor them.  Knowledge Circle compensates Mentors’ time so they can feel dedicated to their Mentee in a good way, and Mentees get undivided attention and guidance to help them to navigate their careers.

The technology is an online software that matches Indigenous mentors to rising Indigenous professionals.  Both the Mentor and Mentee fill out a questionnaire that creates a profile for them.  The Mentor is completing the questionnaire and profile to speak to who they are as a professional.  The Mentor has the option to show when they have capacity to work with a Mentor or not.  

The Mentor goes on the system to be matched with a Mentee.  The Mentee does the same but is given top Mentor matches based on their answers.  The Mentee has the opportunity to decline suggested Mentors as well.  

Once both Mentor and Mentee select each other, the Mentor is given a contract agreement of meeting with the Mentee up to a set amount of obligated times to reach the compensable parameters.  The system tracks both parties satisfaction.

The employer, who is the payee of the service, also is provided a backend data and administration platform.

There is a bit of a void at the minute in the space of retaining Indigenous talent for employers.  They are hiring but past giving Indigenous talent a job, there is no growth towards their career.  This solution would serve Indigenous talent who are often under supported in career development.

Knowledge Circle would serve the needs of Indigenous people's career advancement.  It's nice to have a really great Auntie or Uncle who is in your corner with you, with care and support to only see you do well AND who has also been in a similar journey.

The target populations would be all Indigenous professionals across Turtle Island.  Mentors would be seeking legacy and capacity building within their professions.  Mentors would be seeking guidance and clarity in their chosen path.  Employers would be seeking to further advance Indigenous careers.  The focus for the solution to be online is so Indigenous people who come from remote Nations like mine, can still access the system.

The team has a sole visionary, Carrie Lamb.  She has been seeking technology companies who can support the development and is in conversations with one in particular based out of British Columbia.  In my above explanation, this solution would have served my career in the beginning to help navigate me through colonized employment systems.  It's often putting myself in the seat of exploring where I was inflicted harm in employment and considering that many Indigenous people, based on conversation, also desire mentorship or knowledge sharing depending on where they are at in their careers.

One of the roles I have often played as an Indigenous HR professional is in the seat of recruitment / learning & development supports to employers and employees.  Mentorship has always been the feedback or request from Indigenous employees.  My data is strictly through conversations and my professional experiences, not documented.

My professional background is coming from the deep love and adoration for Human Resources.  I'm not a technologically savvy person and I would be seeking guidance on the tech solutions to help formulate a strong project plan to initiate it to launch.  Honestly, I still harbour fears in reaching for the stars.  I have been dreaming to be able to serve Indigenous communities in big ways since I fell in love with Human Resources.  But through the impacts of colonization, I always played small and kept my head down.

My day job with Fraser Health Authority is Leader, Indigenous Recruitment & Retention.  My focus is to serve the local Indigenous population with their careers.  In this work, I am connected to multiple Indigenous organizations in partnership and all of us have the focus to provide Indigenous cultural safety solutions in employment.  

On LinkedIN, somehow, I became a social media influencer.  I get recognized as a leader across Turtle Island as having meaningful thought solutions for the careers of Indigenous people.  This is sometimes odd to me how often I get recognized by strangers just putting out what I put thought into.  

Knowledge Circle, provides a safe place for budding Indigenous professionals.  It's scary to navigate through colonized systems that aren't built for us.  It can sometimes even be career ending.  This provides a deeper connection to someone who has walked the good path and can give guidance and support to strengthen hearts and minds.  Once we have strong hearts and minds, the opportunities are endless.  

I'm uncertain how this can change the market.  All I have is a massive vision to support and hold up as many as I can.

My impact goal is to support as many Indigenous professionals as I can, recognizing that the solution will soften pathways opposed to creating more rigidness.  The transformational impact is being able to witness Indigenous people rise in even bigger ways than we are currently.  

With Knowledge Circle, there data on usage and success will be tracked and housed in order to improve or sustain the mentorship solutions.  There is so much harm inflicted still on Indigenous people across Canada.  In the UN's description, I don't want to just leave the marker being "decent work" I want Indigenous people to find meaning and connection in the work they are doing.

Year one the target would be 10 employers to purchase the online software.  Knowledge Circle will also offer a sponsorship payment option with the hopes to support grassroots organizations and non-profits who may not be able to financially access Knowledge Circle.  This year would also have a considerable effort in marketing across Turtle Island to gain Mentors to support the Mentees. By the end of year one, there should be enough engagement responses to impact success.

When I was fourteen, I sat with an Elder who told me that when it was time, a skilled community member would take a young person under their wing to guide them in ceremonial and cultural ways to pass on knowledge.  Knowledge Circle is derived from this shared experience from the Elder.

My first goal is to be granted preferential hiring of Indigenous talent through BC Human Rights commission.  Outside of that, my vision is to hire a diverse workforce with the similar vision to advance Indigenous people in technology.  This would look like scholarships for Indigenous students in IT programs, then an internal mentorship program where we hire a set number of Indigenous students per year who are then partnered with a current Knowledge Circle team member to be guided within the software and their career.

I often talk to others about creating an employment experience for Indigenous talent that speaks to their Indigenous worldviews.  Often solutions are driven by non-Indigenous people that don't get to the heart of who we are.  

What I have unlearned is that I don't have to water down my Indigeneity.  It is beautiful and strong.  

It's my intent to keep Indigenous worldviews centered in this work.  The key customers would be top employers across Turtle Island who are seeking guidance on how to strengthen the employment experience for Indigenous talent so they stay in employment within their organizations.  It's the mistaken concept that giving Indigenous people jobs is enough.  Employers are realizing this and wanting to adapt.  

Knowledge Circle will decrease burnout, provide a remote solution, talent develop, strengthen Indigenous people being comfortable bringing their whole selves forward, and also give data to employers of its success.

In May, I am soft pitching Knowledge Circle to Tech Talent in Vancouver to gain attraction as well as a possible investor.

In addition to this, I belong to an Indigenous Female Entrepreneur group who directed me to Grand Challenges Canada i3 (Indigenous Innovation) that I will be seeking funding from.  The application is pending signing with a tech company who is going to help me create the solution.

Following this, the top employer rate will be $87,000 per year. and the target customer number is 10 paid customers.  I hope to be self-financed within the first year with at least four of those companies to sponsor a non-profit or grassroots organization to access Knowledge Circle without the financial barrier.

Knowledge Circle is in the beginning stages.