In the world of Indigenous business and social impact, many of us entered this space with one goal — to uplift our people, create opportunity, and break the cycles that kept us out of the decision-making rooms for generations.
But lately, a quiet truth has been emerging — one that’s hard to talk about, yet vital if we’re serious about genuine progress. It’s the growing conflict of interest that exists when consultants and advisors — often well-intentioned — hold top positions within the same peak industry bodies meant to represent us all.
The Optics of Influence
When the same few voices control both the advice and the agenda, people start to question whose interests are truly being served.
From the outside looking in, it can appear as though decisions are made behind closed doors — where influence, not integrity, decides outcomes. For many smaller Indigenous businesses, it feels like the doors are open just wide enough for consultation, but not collaboration.
The optics of that — especially when the goal is to empower communities and build self-determination — can be disheartening. It sends a message that inclusion is conditional, and that the same power structures we’ve been trying to reform have simply rebranded themselves under the banner of “empowerment.”
When Empowerment Becomes a Business Model
Empowerment should never be transactional. Yet, somewhere along the way, it’s become a market.
Workshops, audits, “advisory services” — they’re important, but when they become the currency of influence, the purpose is lost. Especially when those providing the advice also control access to recognition, funding, or opportunities within the industry.
In those moments, empowerment stops being about the people — and starts being about profit.
For many genuine community leaders and Indigenous entrepreneurs, it creates yet another barrier. The system begins to reward those who play politics, rather than those who bring heart, authenticity, and lived experience to the table.
The Real Cost: Trust and Momentum
The greatest loss here isn’t financial. It’s trust.
When people see the same names on the same boards, steering the same outcomes, it erodes belief in the process. Grassroots leaders stop engaging. Emerging businesses stop applying. The community quietly withdraws, knowing the game feels rigged before it even begins.
That’s not what our Elders fought for. That’s not what this generation of Indigenous business owners are trying to build.
We’re here to create fair, transparent, community-driven pathways — not maintain closed networks disguised as progress.
Where to From Here?
- Lead with Transparency. Every consultant or advisor who holds a governance role in a peak body should declare any overlapping paid work. Sunlight is the best disinfectant — and clarity restores confidence.
- Separate the Roles. If you’re being paid to influence outcomes, you shouldn’t also be setting the rules. Industry leadership needs independence — not duplication of influence.
- Return Decision-Making to Community. Real empowerment begins when those impacted most have the strongest say. Policy, funding and procurement pathways must centre lived experience, not professional positioning.
Closing Thought
Integrity in leadership isn’t about how many committees you sit on, or how many programs carry your logo. It’s about what you stand for when no one’s watching — and who you’re truly standing for when the decisions are made.
As Indigenous business leaders, we’re not asking for special treatment — just fairness, transparency and respect. Because if empowerment is real, it must begin with honesty.
