Mick Elliott
Positions
PhD Student
Haskayne School of Business, Entrepreneurship and Innovation [ENTI]
Contact information
Web presence
Background
Educational Background
MBA Indigenous Leadership and Management, Simon Fraser University, 2021
B.Sc Computer Information Systems, DeVry University, 2000
Biography
ᐅᑭᒪᐘᑎᐠ Okimâwâtik is Mick's gifted spirit/Indigenous name. He is a proud citizen of the the Okanese First Nation. His name roughly translates to "tree of life" and is represented by the prayer tree in the centre of a ceremonial arbour of the SunDance.
Mick is the inaugural Indigenous Business PhD student at the University of Calgary. In this role, he brings decades of experience working in national oversight positions at large multinational corporations. Guided by Indigenous leaders, Elders and Knowledge Keepers, Mick integrates the Indigenous worldview into his Knowledge journey.
Over the years, Mick has provided Indigenous Awareness sessions to a wide range of audiences, including business executives, colleagues, and other Indigenous peoples. He is humbled to be invited to share his insights on topics such as corporate social license to operate, negotiations, consultation, strategic management, business development, community development, government relations, emergency response, community and public relations, Indigenous relations, organizational behaviour, impact benefit agreements, hydrocarbon infrastructure, oilsands developments, up/down/midstream operations, onshore and offshore projects, reclamation and remediation projects, project management, team development, EDIIA (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Indigenization, Accessibility), regulatory environments, lobbying, navigating regulatory tensions, sustainability, conflict resolution, systemic racism, racism, discrimination, 2SLGBTQ+ advocacy, human rights, and Indigenous rights, worldviews, economies, entrepreneurship, and procurement, in addition to providing his insights and experience in his corporate and Indigenous community roles.
In addition to his academic and professional work, Mick has volunteered in Indigenous communities, supporting self-determination efforts. He has also volunteered for urban non-profits as an anti-racism advocate, working to create more inclusive spaces.
Mick's goal is to apply his experience and unique perspective to help shape the minds of future business leaders, fostering a greater understanding of Indigenous issues and rights. He is keen support the effort needed to realize more Indigenous representation in business schools and around boardroom tables.
Research
Areas of Research
My Knowledge journey (research) looks at the tensions between Indigenous and neoliberal economies while visiting the reality of the socioeconomic gap that exists between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations.
While situated in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, my business acumen lends itself to other business research disciplines including International Business, Organizational Behaviour & Human Resources, and Strategic Management.
Drawing on my multinational corporation experience, I am taking an Indigenist / qualitative research approach to investigate what resources contribute to the development of dynamic capabilities within academic systems necessary to advance Indigenization and Decolonization.
Through this problematized-research I hope to create a framework that can be utilized to increase the representation of Indigenous peoples in academic spaces and around boardroom tables.
Ruminations include leveraging my technology background to contemplate how AI could flip the classroom in higher education. What will pedagogy evolve to?
I am also curious how LLMs could be used to support aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders who might not have the benefit or access to mentors within underrepresented and marginalized communities.
Furthermore, I have created a Cree GPT instance as an Indigenous language tutor to support language and culture revitalization. Through this practical application, I am curious to advance research on how best to deploy culturally-appropriate LLMs solutions into Indigenous communities to counteract the ongoing impacts of residential school and assimilation policies. I have confidence this action-based research will support entrepreneurship, business development, governance support, and educational support with an Indigrnous worldview to increase conveyance into higher education.
Awards
- Canada Graduate Scholar, Government of Canada - SSHRC. 2023
- Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholar, Government of Alberta. 2022
- Building Brighter Futures Scholar, CIBC Bank. 2022
- Building Brighter Futures Scholar, McDonalds Canada. 2023
- Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholar, Government of Alberta. 2023
- Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholar, Government of Alberta. 2024
Publications
- Transforming Indigenous Higher Education: Privileging Culture, Identity and Self-Determination: A Review. Emily Salmon. Academy of Management Learning & Education. (2024)
- Charting the Course for Decolonization – Feasible Future or Puzzling Paradox. Emily Salmon, Theadora Carter, Mary E. Doucette, Shelley Price, Francois Bastien, Katelynn Carter-Rogers. AOM 2024. (2024)
- Defining, Designing And Deploying Indigenous Research Methodologies In Management Research. Theadora Carter, Jordyn Hrenyk, Mary E. Doucette, Emily Salmon, Katelynn Carter-Rogers. AOM 2024. (2024)
In the News
- Paving an inclusive path: Haskayne's first Indigenous business PhD student on a journey to build a better tomorrow. UCalgary News - UToday. (2024)
- Indigenizing leadership pathways: A journey through the impactful Ch’nook Scholars program. UCalgary News - UToday. (2024)
- Ch’nook Scholars program provides community and support for Indigenous Haskayne students. The Gauntlet. (2024)
More Information
Supervisors: Mohammad Keyhani and Yvonne Poitras Pratt
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