Jason is Anishnawbe and Cree from Ginoogaming First Nation, a Treaty #9 signatory in Northwestern Ontario. Jason has over 20 years of marketing, finance, strategy, governance, economic development, and management experience with various First Nations across Canada. He is recognized as one of Canada’s top economic developers and has secured more than $750 million for capital projects, legacy infrastructure, and business expansion with Indigenous communities.
Jason has a university degree in business and is a certified economic developer, project manager, and corporate director. He has deep knowledge of First Nations’ rights and the natural resource sector through his involvement in regulatory processes, permitting, complex negotiations, and partnership development between First Nations, industry, and governments. He has led First Nations to precedent-setting agreements in the mining, forestry, and energy sectors, resulting in equity positions in natural resources and ownership of enabling transportation and community-based infrastructure.
Jason has served on the boards of several Indigenous organizations and professional and non-profit associations, including the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Regional Economic Strategic Planning Committee, the Oshki-WenJack Business Advisory Committee, the Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund Board and Loan Committee, and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) task force for natural resource development. In 2019, he co-founded the Anishnawbe Business Professional Association to advocate for the inclusion of Indigenous business in pursuit of economic reconciliation of Indigenous peoples in Canada.