Elder in Residence - Wendy Phillips

Recognizing the importance of Indigenous knowledge and understanding to our work, Raven Indigenous Impact Foundation and Raven Indigenous Capital Partners have created a critical new role in the organization to support our work. We are pleased to welcome Wendy Phillips as Elder in Residence.
Wendy Phillips
About Wendy

Wendy is of the Bald Eagle Clan, Potawatomi, Ojibwa, and a proud member of Wasauksing First Nation. Her vast knowledge and experience in supporting Indigenous Peoples as an Elder, Indigenous Wisdom Keeper, Ceremonial Leader, Spiritual Educator, Cultural Innovator, Seer, and Traditional Indigenous Healer combined with experience working with Indigenous non-profit and for-profit organizations will guide the way Raven works and interacts with our partners, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous businesses, and Nations. Building on the foundational work contained in the Raven Indigenous Impact Measurement Framework (RIM), Wendy will serve as a key advisor for Raven as we continue to explore all aspects of Indigenous ways of knowing and being in our work.


Wendy balances the cultural and business worlds, implementing Indigenous approaches and frameworks in the areas of strategic leadership, entrepreneurship, social innovation, project and policy development and management and, corporate, financial, and human resources management.
What is an Elder in Residence?

Our organizations are Indigenous and are committed to the upliftment and well-being of Indigenous Peoples and communities through building a reconciliation economy and the utilization of capital instruments in an Indigenous way. We see this work as a journey, not a destination, and the Elder position is designed to assist and inform the management and staff teams to understand and bring forth traditional Indigenous knowledge and understanding through all aspects of our work. Building on the foundational work contained in the Raven Indigenous Impact Measurement Framework (RIM), the Elder will be a touch point for Raven as we continue to explore all aspects of Indigenous ways of knowing and being in our work.

The Elder in Residence is a unique position within the Raven Indigenous Impact Foundation and Raven Indigenous Capital Partners. Along with their unique cultural knowledge, protocols, stories, and ways of being, Elders often demonstrate many of the core values Raven holds in high priority: experiential learning and discovery, inclusiveness and diversity, leadership, integrity, and community.

What is the Elder's Role?
  • Serve as a tangible link to Indigenous traditions, identities, histories, and ways of understanding the impacts of our work
  • Ensure that cultural knowledge and activities are accessible through ceremony and practice with staff and partner organizations
  • Provide support and counsel to the management team and staff on specific projects and initiatives, such as the Mino-Ayawin T2D Initiative
  • Provide cultural and traditional knowledge supports and be an additional resource to Raven portfolio companies and CEOs
  • Establish opportunities for in-depth teachings
  • Help to nurture a sense of community, belonging, and identity for Raven employees through ongoing exposure to a supportive environment and cultural activities
  • Provide one-on-one guidance sessions to assist with mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical health with staff
  • Offer access to medicines and ceremony
  • Facilitate cross-cultural understanding through work with other Elders
  • Participate in the Raven Elders Council, when initiated
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