Issue Overview

For our December conversation we are welcoming Norman Yakeleya, Michelle Wright and Lisa Roper to be discussion leaders on the innovative rural mindset.  We hope to explore the impact that the landscape, the community and time has on rural innovation and how that might be different compared to more populated areas.In our upcoming Thought Exchange,  we hope to learn from innovators in the field and answer some of the following questions:

  1. How does the landscape affect the mindset of a rural innovator?
  2. How does time affect the rural innovator?
  3. How does community affect the rural innovator?
  4. Is there a difference between rural innovators and remote innovators?
  5. What resources and supports are most useful for rural innovators?​

​Resources 

Enhancing Rural Innovation in Canada

Seeding Rural Innovation

Lisa Roper Outdoors

The Morning Bell Brings the Broken Hearted: A Novel - Jennifer Manuel

​The Serviceberry - Robin Wall Kimmerer

Preparing for a World that Doesn't Exist - Yet - Rick Smyre & Neil Richardson

Change or Die - Alan Deutschman

Asset Based Community Development

Let's Explore the Idea of Innovation

After looking through the research, here are a few questions that have come up that we are hoping to explore a little further with this Thought Exchange.

  • Do you think that rural people look at collaboration in innovation differently? Do you think that rural people look at operations more than strategy when innovating - or do they look at innovation strategy differently?

  • How do rural entrepreneurs continue to develop in their lifelong learning and how does that affect innovation? Is design thinking an opportunity for innovation in rural?

  • Is a rural mindset different in young rural people vs older rural people? How fast can innovation happen? How do you determine the best speed of innovation for adoption in rural?

  • How does innovation happen more in rural - incrementally or radically? How does innovation change things?  Does innovation change the rural mindset or does the rural mindset influence the innovation process?

  • How is iterative innovation or frugal innovation supportive of rural economies? Are rural innovators naturally more frugal or use resources more wisely?

  • How important is it to innovate in a general way for the main population of a rural community rather than get overly specific since there is no critical mass to support it?

  • What does innovation look like for a rural innovator when they are scaling innovation rather than as a start up? What are different needs that they need (whether it is social or business)?
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  • How does that leadership for innovation get fostered and built over time? Can it be encouraged in all rural residents?


Our Discussion Leader

Norman Yakeleya​

Norman Yak’eula is a private consultant and former Dene National Chief and Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief with the Dene Nation representing and serving 26 Dene communities in the Northwest Territories from 2018 to 2021. 
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Michelle Wright

A practical leader with a passion for community, Michelle Wright drives innovation and fosters growth in businesses, organizations, communities, and individuals. With over 60 years on the planet, she’s using the rest of her runway to connect, network and enjoy the opportunities she’s been blessed to have.
 
She’s a Canadian, embracing my “hockey skills” everyday – there isn’t a challenge or problem we can’t deke around! She believes what you want is possible, and that by really getting and accepting the problem, workability will show up.
 
Michelle is committed to empowering communities through collaboration and that a network is a gift that never stops giving and by sharing it, we can have a profound impact on the world.

Lisa Roper

Lisa Roper is a trailblazer in the outdoor industry and the first woman in Canada to host and produce a fishing show on Sportsman Channel Canada and the World Fishing Network. As the founder of Lisa Roper Outdoors, she combines expert fishing and hunting skills with a passion for inspiring others, especially women and youth, to connect with nature and embrace new challenges.
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Lisa’s TV show and community events, like Ladies on Ice, Apple School Youth Event and Angling 101, focus on conservation, education, and fostering confidence in the outdoors. Known for her approachable style and infectious energy, Lisa is dedicated to breaking barriers, building meaningful relationships, and sharing the beauty and excitement of outdoor adventures.

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