Breakthrough Nation With Karen Restoule

A rising figure in Canada’s Indigenous resource and capital markets landscape: Kody Penner, Vice President of Corporate Development at Nations Royalty, a majority Indigenous-owned publicly traded royalty company. With a mix of underground mining and finance and investment experience, he works on royalty-based structures that enable Indigenous Nations to participate in resource development through...

At a time when Canada’s ability to attract capital and deliver major projects increasingly depends on Indigenous participation, Rob Brant sits at the centre of some of the country’s most consequential commercial transactions. A Partner at McCarthy Tétrault and Co-Head of the firm’s Indigenous Projects and Transactions Group, Brant advises on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, and energy an...

Sean Willy runs one of the most consequential Indigenous-owned enterprises in Canada. As President and CEO of Des Nedhe Group, the economic development corporation of English River First Nation, he has applied commercial discipline, long-term ownership thinking, and strong governance to grow Nation-owned businesses across multiple sectors. His work offers a clear case study in how Indigenous enter...

A national voice in natural resource development and Indigenous-led projects: Crystal Smith, former Chief Councillor of the Haisla Nation and past Chair of the First Nations LNG Alliance. Smith led the Haisla through major economic and political change, championed Cedar LNG as a majority Indigenous-owned project, and set a standard for responsible, Nation-driven development. Her governance, diplom...

About Series 1. Series #1 goes deep with people who are redefining what major project development looks like in Canada. You’ll hear from people who have had to work hard for citizen buy-in, build investor confidence, negotiate through political uncertainty – and still deliver results.   They understand that project ownership is the foundation for long-term prosperity and lasting influence – a...

Breakthrough Nation with Karen Restoule spotlights the Canadians whose ambition, discipline, and deep sense of responsibility are reshaping the country. Each episode features leaders getting real work done - on project sites, in labs, around boardroom tables, and across northern and rural regions. These are the people pushing Canada forward. With candid conversations and clear thinking, Breakthrou...