Drumbeats - Canadian Indigenous Investment Podcast · Canadian Indigenous Investment Summit

Indigenous Leadership in Business and Resource Development with JP Gladu

October 2, 2025·35 min·3 clips

The episode opens with JP Gladu's background and the role he now plays in national conversations about development. He is introduced as a board member of the recently announced Indigenous Advisory Council that's part of Mark Carney's push for building Canada. He is also described as the principal of Mokwete. Gladu explains how his career bridges traditional Indigenous life and modern corporate leadership. That bridge sits at the heart of the conversation. He speaks from experience rather than abstraction. His journey from his Anishinaabe roots in Thunder Bay, Ontario, to becoming President and CEO of the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business gave him a wide view of community priorities and business realities. He also talks through the programs he built to support Indigenous entrepreneurs. The hosts keep circling back to the practical question of how projects actually get done. Gladu's answer is that they do not move forward without meaningful engagement and participation. He says communities have a strong say in how resource development and anything affecting lands and rights is handled. He describes Bill C-5 as having had a rocky start because it triggered pushback from communities across the country, while also noting that some communities see opportunity in it. The episode treats those tensions as part of the operating environment for major projects, investment, and public policy. Gladu says billions of dollars of projects have already been developed in concert with Indigenous communities, including First Nations, Metis, and Inuit partners. He points to that history as proof that the model is not experimental. He then turns to the newly established major projects office and explains why it matters. The office is meant to help set up the thinking, practices, relationships, and cultural understanding needed for projects to succeed. He identifies Don Farrell as the prime minister's appointment leading that effort and references her experience with the Trans Mountain pipeline. The Indigenous Advisory Council, he says, is part of the major projects office to advise on how to move forward. He is careful to note that the council does not approve projects and does not have veto power. Its role is advisory. The strength of the group, in his view, is that the members come from different regions and backgrounds and do not all think the same. He also highlights successful examples such as Enbridge's collaborative work with First Nations in Alberta. Those examples serve as evidence that direct engagement can produce durable outcomes. He encourages overseas investors to speak directly with Indigenous leaders rather than rely on secondhand summaries. The episode closes by returning to that practical advice. Good data leads to better decisions, and direct outreach helps investors understand ground-level perspectives.

As heard by us

A measured look at how Indigenous partnership shapes Canadian resource and infrastructure investment.

JP Gladu gives the episode its weight, offering a calm and practical look at how Indigenous leadership fits within Canadian resource development, infrastructure investment, and government policy.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Listen if you want the business case for Indigenous partnership, not just the talking points.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Drumbeats - Canadian Indigenous Investment Podcast