GRIT EDITION THREE - Flipbook - Page 8
20
20
NEXT LEADERS
CLASS OF 2020
MY INDIGENOUS
CULTURE IS THE
BEDROCK OF
MY SUCCESS
By: Chip McCrimmon; Co-founder & CEO, Falc0n-X; Next 36
Chip holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science
from Brock University, and recently completed the
Masters of Management, Innovation & Entrepreneurship program from The Smith School of Business at Queen’s University.
Chip is Dene and a member of the Deninu K’ue
First Nation, with his home community
located in Fort Resolution, Northwest
Territories on the Eastern shore of the
Great Slave Lake.
Falc0n-x helps local landfills reduce
their carbon emissions by providing an add on technology that
captures, separates and purifies greenhouse gas emission.
8
GRIT
My Indigenous Dené culture is my superpower. I’ll admit, I’m
still learning about it, but right now I’ve come to know three
pillars that ultimately make me a stronger founder:
1. Helping others, without expecting
anything in return
From a young age, my indigenous culture has taught
me the importance of sharing and caring for others.
It has helped me to understand the value of helping
others with no expectation of getting anything in return. I have come to realize over the years that this
pillar of my culture can help make a huge difference in
terms of success, both personally and professionally.
Selfless acts will help bring your peers up, especially
when they are in need. It’s important to note that you
should not expect anything in return, as that is how a
true leader acts. However, through a lifetime of experiences I have come to realize that a helping hand will
eventually find itself back to you one way or another.
2. Valuing wisdom and staying humble
In entrepreneurship, mentorship and guidance are
crucial keys to growth. I’m humble in the sense that
I’m aware that I don’t know everything and
there’s always more to learn. Since
childhood, it has been ingrained in
me to learn from my elders and respect their wisdom. I was raised
to be curious about life, to always have a willingness to learn
from those wiser than me, and to
be humble in my pursuit of this
valuable knowledge. This pillar
of Indigenous culture has given
me a coachable mindset, which is vital as an entrepreneur - This mindset has allowed me to not
only form better connections with my peers, but
has advanced my growth trajectory tenfold.
3. Respecting Mother Earth
Respecting Mother Earth is one of the most important pillars of Indigenous culture. When I was
growing up, I frequently went hunting, fishing, and
trapping throughout Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories. When I had a successful hunt for
moose or white tail deer, we used all of the animal
and did not waste any of it. I learned that Mother Earth will provide for me and I should not take
this for granted. I was taught to be grateful and respectful of all she gave - knowing not to be greedy
and not to take more than I need. This is analogous
with business and the growing importance of sustainability in all business practices. This value has
also led me to work to solve climate change. Every
year, it seems to be getting worse and worse. If my
founder-market fit can help us find a solution, you
better believe I am going to try. I want to have a
massive impact on the world, and to me, this is the
best way I can do that.
EXTRA CREDIT
Learn more about Chip in an
interview with him and his
mom, AJ Bird, on LaunchPod
GRIT
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