At the Afro-Caribbean Business Network, we know that resilience in business comes not only from strategy and capital but from wisdom—especially the wisdom of Elders. In our When Elders Speak series, we highlight powerful voices whose lessons help entrepreneurs build enterprises rooted in values, community, and continuity.
In a recent conversation, Joanne Stone-Campbell, a Nishnabe woman originally from Northern Ontario, shared deep insights from her 35 years in education, her MBA studies, and her current role at Vancity in Indigenous finance. Joanne works at the intersection of finance and community, leading efforts to transform how financial institutions serve Indigenous people.
For Black entrepreneurs, her lessons on Indigenous wealth offer an invaluable roadmap for building ethical, sustainable, and community-centered businesses.
Key Lessons on Indigenous Wealth for Black Entrepreneurial Leadership
1. Prioritize Relationships Over Transactions
For Joanne, genuine success in business is not about services—it’s about relationships. She recalls a hereditary Chief saying, “It’s not a service we want, we want a relationship.”
Takeaway for Entrepreneurs: Build trust and long-term connection with your clients and communities. Be present, accessible, and responsive—not just transactional.
2. Decolonize Processes and Customise Offerings
Much of Joanne’s work involves reviewing financial systems for bias and redesigning them to better serve Indigenous communities. She helped create the Wealth Mindset curriculum, tailored to Indigenous learners, because existing programs failed to connect.
Takeaway for Entrepreneurs: Audit your systems for bias. Ask: Are there barriers unintentionally excluding certain groups? Customize your offerings so your clients feel represented in your content, stories, and services.
3. Redefine Wealth Beyond the Dollar
In Indigenous finance, wealth extends far beyond money. It includes family connections, cultural knowledge, language, songs, stories, and spiritual practice. Institutions like Vancity reflect this by reinvesting 30% of their earnings into the community.
Takeaway for Entrepreneurs: Expand how you measure impact. Track how your business strengthens cultural ties, supports community well-being, and uplifts families—not just financial returns.
4. Honor and Leverage the Wisdom of Elders
Joanne reminds us that Elders carry lived experience equivalent to advanced degrees. They are teachers, healers, and advisors—and should be recognized as such.
Takeaway for Entrepreneurs: Bring Elders into advisory roles. Compensate them fairly. Support their participation by offering accommodations. Treat their presence not as symbolic, but as a vital source of strategy and foresight.
A Call to Action for Emerging Leaders
Joanne’s advice is simple yet powerful: Listen, Learn, and Observe. Emerging leaders should actively seek the wisdom of Elders and seasoned professionals. Even small acts—offering assistance, showing respect, or seeking their counsel—strengthen intergenerational knowledge transfer.
By valuing Indigenous wealth perspectives, removing systemic barriers, and prioritizing authentic relationships, entrepreneurs can build businesses that are financially strong and deeply rooted in community well-being.
Watch the full interview with Joanne Stone-Campbell to hear her wisdom on Indigenous wealth and Black entrepreneurial leadership:
👉 Watch on YouTube
Learn about our ACBN Membership so we can work with you to build your business:
https://acbncanada.com/membership/
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