Meet the volunteers, artists and collaborators behind our program.
Our program began as an exciting, emergent grassroots collective based in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Melgund Township, Northwestern Ontario in 2020. As a small volunteer-driven group, we are passionate about exploring different forms of digital arts and entrepreneurship to connect and collaborate with our community. We believe that arts are an essential tool for building strong, resilient communities and empowering our youth with an entrepreneurial mindset for careers in the arts, culture, and heritage sectors.
Manitoba and Nunavut
Since 2020
Tony Eetak is an emerging Inuk youth artist and cultural connector based in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Nunavut who enjoys music, visual and performing arts. Tony has been a dedicated volunteer for arts events for more than five years with organizations and projects including the Arviat Film Society, Global Dignity Canada, the ArcticNet-supported Inclusion in Northern Research, Creativity for Entrepreneurship with the University of Minnesota Duluth, and the Winnipeg-based hub of the Our People, Our Climate art project with the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. As a founding member of @1860 Winnipeg Arts, Tony’s work has been funded by the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Greenhouse and the Manitoba Arts Council Indigenous 360 programs. He is also a founding volunteer member of the Manitoba-based non-profit organization Niriqatiginnga. In 2023 Tony was named a National Role Model by the organization Global Dignity Canada.
Since 2020
John Mukjunik Alikut was a strong supporter of our @1860 Winnipeg Arts projects, particularly with interpreting, translating and mentorship for his brother. He loved Bruce Lee movies, dancing, dubstep music and most of all, his children. He spent many hours making and sharing the gift of music. Tragically, John passed away in November 2023, but we will always remember his contributions to supporting our program. He really helped in making participation for Inuktitut speaking members of our projects to participate. He was the best big brother, a terrific mentor and great friend who is dearly missed by all who knew him.
Since 2020
Lucy Eetak is an Inuk artist and crafter hailing from the vibrant community of Arviat, Nunavut. Alongside her passion for creating hats and traditional crafts, she has been an active community volunteer for many years, always looking for ways to support cultural entrepreneurship and local initiatives. Lucy has lent her skills and expertise to a variety of programs, and research efforts including the Arviat Film Society and the ArcticNet-supported Inclusion in Northern Research Project. In 2021 she took part in the University of Minnesota Duluth-supported Creativity for Entrepreneurship project and in 2022, she successfully completed the Northern College Work Readiness Program, further expanding her knowledge and skills. Through her art and community work, Lucy is a shining example of the creativity, dedication, and resilience that are hallmarks of Inuit culture.
Since 2020
Jamie Bell is a skilled media and interdisciplinary arts professional with extensive experience in journalism, public affairs and media. He is a long-time arts administrator, community-based research advocate and founding member of the Arviat Film Society. Jamie’s career spans almost three decades, during which he has developed an expertise in arts, media and communications, primarily focused on community development through participatory arts and research initiatives. Since 2017, Jamie has long been active supporting community outreach and arts-based projects in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In 2022, Jamie was a founding member and lead for the Canada Council for the Arts-funded @1860 Winnipeg Arts Collective pilot program. He is an active member of the Global Dignity Canada national steering committee and an annual organizer of events for National Kindness Week.
Since 2020
Ethan Tassiuk is an emerging filmmaker from Arviat, NU. Tassiuk does many jobs behind the camera, including casting, filming and production editing. Tassiuk has been involved in film since the age of twelve, when he attended his first meeting of the Arviat Film Society, of which he was a founding member. He has attended Sports and Recreation Management studies at St. Clair College, and is a founding member of the @1860 Winnipeg Arts Collective. He has supported projects and organizations like Global Dignity Canada the ArcticNet-supported Inclusion in Northern Research project and presented for the Auviqsaqtut Inuit Studies Conference. He frequently uses his camera to advocate for the health of his community. In 2022 he was awarded the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers which was presented by the Governor General of Canada.
Since 2021
Ethan Caners is a graduate of Stonewall Collegiate High School. He has also studied at the University of Winnipeg Collegiate. A member of @1860 Winnipeg Arts since 2021 he enjoys photography and has travelled across North America to capture climate change. A gifted storyteller, he intends to study meteorology and environmental studies and has been an avid participant with the Our People Our Climate project.
Minnesota
Since 2023
Ellis Anderson is a senior Comic Arts major at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. “I hope to inspire curiosity in the natural world through education. I love all things science and want to show people how many weird and cool things there are in the world.”
Since 2023
Creative Entrepreneurship and Climate Change, Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Anastasia Broman is studying entrepreneurship with a focus on climate change at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. “My is to “be the change I wish to see in the world”. I hope to make a valuable impact on communities throughout the world and help them to understand that together, we are strong.“
Since 2023
Connor Johnson is a student in the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Product Design program with a minor in Creative Entrepreneurship. Connor’s work focuses on implementing the United Nation’s Sustainable Development goals of mental health and overall wellbeing by being outside and connecting with Elders.”
Meet our Mentors and Advisors
Since 2020
Dorothy Atuat Tootoo, CD, O.Nu
Dorothy Atuat Tootoo, CD, ON, is a highly respected Elder known for her extensive experience and dedication to education in Nunavut and beyond. With twelve years of service as a commanding officer for the 3019 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps (RCACC) in Rankin Inlet and years as a student counsellor, she has been a tireless advocate for youth, helping them achieve their educational goals and persist in their pursuit of knowledge. As an Elder Advisor, she has initiated mentoring programs for various initiatives, including the @1860 Winnipeg Arts Incubator pilot, the University of Minnesota Duluth-supported Creativity for Entrepreneurship collective pilot, Our People Our Climate with the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and the ArcticNet-supported Inclusion in Northern Research Initiative. She is a recipient of the prestigious Polar Medal and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. In 2022 she received the Order of Nunavut for her contributions to Inuit culture and community.
Since 2021
Tara Baswani is an internationally acclaimed creator and sustainability designer. Social entrepreneur, trans media writer, director, composer and producer. She is an award winning interdsciplinary artist and regenerative design practitioner. As Co-Founder, and Executive Creative Director at LembasWorks, a Sustainable Arts, Design and Innovation agency, she integrates over 25 years of global experience in the creative industries with environment centred, interdisciplinary design approaches and strategic foresight to create regenerative futures. As the first Indian music artist & designer to collaborate with Cirque Du Soleil in Kooza, her work with the company has been featured globally and across world tours. She has continued contributing as a strategic creative and sustainable development advisory. In 2015, Tara debuted Quest; an interactive, multimedia experience orchestrating bi partisan dialogues and actions for the Sustainable Development Goals. She has also been a mentor for the ArcticNet-supported Inclusion in Northern Research Project. She proudly contributes to Sustainable and Social Innovation on the Advisory Boards of Global Dignity, Microcredit Montreal and The StereoVisual.
Since 2020
Maeva Gauthier is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Geography (UVic) using participatory video to engage Arctic communities around global changes they’re experiencing and a research assistant with Dr. Budd Hall with the UNESCO Chair in Community-based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education. She is also a co-founder of Live It Earth, which provides online learning for kids about the natural world. Her academic journey brought her to both poles in 2009, the Antarctic and the Arctic, which hold a special place in her heart. In 2011, she co-founded the non-profit Fish Eye Project, providing live underwater broadcasting to connect people with our oceans in a very unique and interactive way.
Since 2020
Professor and Chair, Arts Entrepreneurship
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Dr. Olaf Kuhlke is the Chair of Arts Entrepreneurship at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. He previously taught geography and philosophy at the University of Minnesota Duluth and is a founder of the B.A. Program in Cultural Entrepreneurship. His research has focused on topics such as cultural festivals, national identity in popular music, and the role of religion in public spaces. He is currently leading a project called “Our People, Our Climate” that involves developing a climate change visualization curriculum for youth in Arctic, mid-latitude, and tropical environments.
Interdisciplinary Arts and Arts Administration
Co-Founder, LembasWorks
Remi Lemieux is a sustainable Innovation practitioner with a passion for inventing transformative intersections between the Creative and Cultural industry, sustainable business, ethical technology and community engagement towards social & environmental responsibility. As co-founder of LembasWorks, a Sustainable Arts, Design and Innovation group, he brings over 20 years of operations design, prototyping and activation experience in the entertainment industry with clients such as Cirque du Soleil, the Government of Canada, Alliance Française in India, Invest in Canada, and many more. Remi brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this project, having more than 15 years of experience in capacities such as Head of Rigging, Technical Director and Production Director for Cirque du Soleil productions such as Quidam, Choose, Futuroscope, Bazzar and Axel. Remi also supported youth arts as a mentor for the ArcticNet-supported Inclusion in Northern Research Project. His specialization is in producing conceptual experiences and conscious innovation towards cultural change. As a lover of the Arts and our Planet, his one true goal is to use art as a vector for change for planetary wellbeing. He is a Board Member for the non-profit organization Global Dignity Canada.
Since 2020
Chair, Global Dignity Canada
Chair Emeritus, Global Dignity International
Giovanna Mingarelli is the Co-Founder of several international companies, including M&C Consulting, Inc., MC2 Inc. and MC3 US. located in Ottawa, Canada and Seattle, Washington. Her reach extends from places like Nunavut, in Northern Canada to the White House in Washington D.C. and beyond to the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meetings in Davos, Switzerland and Dalian, China. Giovanna is an avid contributor and speaker at events and conferences relating to crowdsourcing, digital democracy, Millennial leadership, open innovation, Big Data and the gamification of politics and business. She is on the Board of Directors for Invest Ottawa and an advisor to Women in Cloud, seeking to bring $1 billion in economic access to women-led STEM businesses by 2030. Giovanna worked with the youth media team as a mentor for the ArcticNet-supported Inclusion in Northern Research Project. She is the Canadian Chair of the youth empowerment organization Global Dignity Canada and a past Chair of the Global Dignity international board.
Director, Master of Arts in Creative Leadership
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Kami Norland, MA, ATR, is Director of the Master of Arts in Creative Leadership graduate studies program at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. A trailblazing advocate for human-centered leadership and mental wellbeing. As CEO of Integrative Re-Sources, LLC, co-founder of the Elevate Compassion Coalition and the Journey Guide Project, LLC, Norland’s impact resonates globally. With 20+ years spanning local clinics to national healthcare leadership, she champions mental wellbeing as a necessity for fulfilled lives. Through dynamic keynotes and workshops, Norland weaves science and relatable stories to reshape workplace experiences. Her transformative work mirrors the essence of social prescribing, emphasizing compassion and balance. Kami’s legacy lies in reshaping leadership perceptions, highlighting the profound link between mental wellbeing and a fulfilling life.
Since 2023
Associate Professor, Operations and Supply Chain Management
Inaugural Kjell R. Knudsen Faculty Fellow for Innovation
University of Minnesota Duluth
Dr. Wenqing Zhang, PhD is Associate Professor in Operations and Supply Chain Management at Labovitz School of Business and Economics, University of Minnesota Duluth. He received his PhD in Management Science/Operations Management from McGill University in 2012. Dr. Zhang’s research interests lie in contemporary operations and supply chain issues, with a particular focus on strategies to promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in supply chains. His research endeavors also encompass the advancement of equitable development for indigenous communities, as he seeks to enhance our understanding of how individuals and organizations interpret social responsibility and sustainability when making operational or supply chain decisions for these communities. Dr. Zhang is also a Director for the Minnesota Indigenous Business Alliance.
