Vanessa Lesperance (she/her) is a heart-centered mixed heritage Red River Metis woman who is reclaiming her Metis roots. The proud descendant of voyageurs and ancestors who were part of the Red River Resistance. Originally from Treaty 1, she now resides on Coast Salish territory.

Vanessa is the co-founder of Decolonize and Rize providing services that combine reconciliation and well-being – because to commit to any change making work our holistic well-being needs to be attended to. She is a decolonial facilitator, speaker, and connector. Vanessa holds a graduate degree in business from SFU and a masters degree in leadership from Royal Roads University with a focus on decolonizing business through workplace spirituality. She has worked with Indigenous entrepreneurs (women and youth) from across Turtle Island and has co-designed an online resource and a micro credential course on decolonizing business for Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. Vanessa also works with the Indigenomics Institute to support Indigenous economic prosperity and teaches a Power & Privilege course at the Justice Institute of BC and is an instructor in their Centre of Leadership.