Interview with Annie Korver

March 26th, 2021 | Sandra Sutter

This interview is part of CFAR’s monthly interview series.

Rise Consulting is led by the graceful strength of Annie Korver, who is a cherished volunteer and member of CFAR.   Her consultancy was created in 2013 coming out of her Executive MBA program experience at the Haskayne School or Business at the University of Calgary.  Rise, reflecting the  “rising presence of Indigenous peoples in Canada, focuses on the creation of shared value,”  which Annie approaches by building from within and on top of values that exist – an approach which has brought her and the businesses she works with great success.

 

As a current member with CFAR, how would you describe your role and involvement with the organization?

“I am a huge advocate in community and our ability to work together to build up what we are doing.  Competition happens between corporations, but those of us who work for community within those organizations are one group, and we’re working toward the same objective, which is reconciliation.”  Annie loves volunteering as a more engaged way to attend CFAR functions and the opportunity to meet, socialize and build relationships with our members.

 

Where do you find your professional work and your involvement with CFAR comingle?

 

Annie expresses how the CFAR mission statement aligns so well with the work she does.  Her work is about the rising presence of indigenous peoples through the creation of shared valued between Indigenous and corporate communities which is supported well by the mandate of CFAR is to provide leadership in this space.  Beyond this support through alignment, Annie expresses her appreciation of organized gathering, and the opportunity to get together with aligned people to create community.

 

What do you see as the most important considerations when bringing together Indigenous and non-Indigenous parties, between communities and industry? 

Annie shares that the purpose of Rise is led by values, those values being extending kindness, listening with two ears, being honest, speaking with one mouth, and being respectful.  Each of these speak to the value of trust; trust is required to successfully engage Indigenous and non-Indigenous parties, it is required in any meaningful relationship. Annie acknowledges that “trust takes time to build, it forms stable relationships and it bridges the unknown and the known.  With community and relationships being paramount, and courage being critical, it’s important to know that we have agency to have courage and do what’s right, and to move toward reconciliation in a respectful way.”

 

You have been engaged with the Indigenous Community-Industry Relations Certificate, and the Indigenous Community Engagement Citation offered through University of Alberta, what is the unique value you feel these programs deliver?

As an advocate of lifelong learning, she sees a great opportunity to participate in advancing  our understanding of Indigenous ways of knowing that support our work as practitioners in the space of Indigenous relations, connection, and with the creation of shared value.