August 2026
ABM Member Update
Upcoming opportunities, new Members and ways to strengthen your engagement across the ABM Community.
Hello ABMers,
Here is your August Member Update, with upcoming opportunities to connect, ways to strengthen the Community, software and engagement tips, and an introduction to our newest Members.
Upcoming Connectors and Other Online Opportunities to Connect
Remaining in August
9:00–11:00 a.m.
9:00–11:00 a.m.
2:30–3:00 p.m.
September
9:00–11:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
9:00–11:00 a.m.
9:00–11:00 a.m.
9:00–11:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
9:00–11:00 a.m.
9:00–11:00 a.m.
Please register for at least one Connector every month for the duration of your membership.
Registering makes you visible and accessible to other ABMers. It allows them to request meetings with you and gives us the time needed to identify connections, invite relevant guests and create opportunities that would not otherwise emerge.
If you are interested in a Connector but uncertain whether you will be available, register. It is better to register and cancel if necessary than not to be registered at all. Just let us know as early as possible if your plans change.
If you are already registered for at least one Online Connector each month, thank you.
Strengthen the ABM Community
Make Trusted Introductions
Every Member helps shape the future of ABM. Every new Member adds to the opportunities available for exploration.
We are asking each ABMer to strengthen the Community by introducing two decision-makers whose values, curiosity and approach to business align with the work we are doing together.
At the top of the left-hand navigation bar in each Hub, you will find a link called Strengthen the ABM Community. It opens a simple form that lets you send a personal, pre-written and editable email invitation to someone in your network who you think would be a good fit for ABM.
Katrin receives a copy of your invitation and takes it from there.
Read who we are looking forAnnual Community Gathering Update
The 2026 ABM Annual Community Gathering will take place November 24–26 in qathet/Powell River, and we hope to see you there. If you have not yet registered, please do. We also invite you to bring the next generation of your family or community. One youth registration is included in every full registration.
Learn moreIf you represent an Indigenous government or development corporation, registration for a delegation of up to four people is free.
The Gathering will include curated one-on-one meetings, dialogue circles, Sphere meetings, shared meals and plenty of time to connect with other ABMers.
During this meeting, we will review the ACG agenda and discuss the topics and leads for the dialogue circles. Please join us and help shape the conversations we will have when the ABM Community gathers in November.
Software Tip of the Month
Find contact information, make notes and export your Connector recap.
After an Online Connector, you can find the contact information for everyone you met in the Hub. Select PDF Export toward the bottom of the left-hand navigation bar. The export contains your appointment schedule and the contact information for the people you met.
In My Grid, you will find a purple Notes button next to each appointment. Select it to make notes. Your notes will be included with the contact information in your Connector recap.
ABM Engagement Tip
Avoid declinations and help create a reliable experience for every participant.
We are all busy. That is precisely why ABM Online Connectors are scheduled up to a year in advance and supported by a process designed to eliminate the back-and-forth and hassle of arranging meetings individually.
Katrin is always available to help ABMers manage and reorganize their schedules. In return, the process depends on every participant providing accurate availability and treating scheduled interactions as commitments, not casual options. That shared responsibility is part of the culture that sets the ABM Community apart.
Open appointment slots signal that an ABMer is available to meet. When registering, ABMers should block any slots when they know they will be unavailable. If their availability changes, they should update it as soon as possible and respond promptly to pending meeting requests.
It is particularly frustrating when a meeting request remains pending for an extended period and is then declined at the last minute.
Sending an email address and suggesting a meeting outside of ABM may feel like a reasonable alternative to the ABMer declining the meeting. For the person who was declined, it does not address the fact that they could have used that appointment slot for a more productive interaction with someone who was available and prepared to participate.
Watch: Blocking Appointment SlotsMember star ratings reflect engagement and reliability
Excellent engagement
Good engagement
Hit-and-miss engagement
Unrated guest or poor engagement
Avoidable declinations disrupt curation, create gaps and make participation less reliable. Accurate availability helps make every Connector a strong experience for everyone.
Welcome Our New Members
Brad Racette | Waabnoong Bemjiwang Association of First Nations
Originally from southeastern Saskatchewan within Treaty 4 Territory, Brad Racette is a Métis professional who serves as the Regional Energy Champion for the Waabnoong Bemjiwang Association of First Nations. With more than 30 years of experience in healthcare, project management and Indigenous engagement, he now focuses on advancing Indigenous-led renewable energy initiatives and energy sovereignty.
Brad holds an MSc in International Management from the University of Sheffield, where his research explored Indigenous knowledge, governance and community wellbeing in the green energy transition.
Waabnoong Bemjiwang Association of First Nations is a non-profit tribal council that supports the First Nations of Dokis, Henvey Inlet, Magnetawan, Wahnapitae, Nipissing and Wasauksing and advances their shared economic, health, education, social, cultural and recreational interests.
Michelle Handley | Candrone
Michelle is a Cree–Métis professional with more than 40 years of experience working alongside Indigenous governments, organizations and communities across the Northwest Territories. Her career has included economic development, tourism, aviation, telecommunications and strategic partnerships, always with an emphasis on respectful relationships and lasting community benefit.
As Business Development Executive, Indigenous Markets at Candrone, Michelle works with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities across Canada to develop drone solutions for emergency response, land stewardship, infrastructure, environmental monitoring and knowledge keeping. She is passionate about Indigenous data sovereignty, local capacity building and ensuring that technology supports community priorities, culture and long-term self-determination.
Candrone provides drone technology, equipment, training and support to organizations using remotely piloted aircraft systems for surveying, inspection, monitoring and other specialized applications.
Manuel Avila, Adriana Rocha and Meeka Morgan | 2 Rivers Remix
Please welcome Manuel Avila, Adriana Rocha and Meeka Morgan of 2 Rivers Remix.
2 Rivers Remix is an Indigenous-led organization that creates opportunities for contemporary Indigenous musicians and artists through its annual festival and other cultural programming grounded in Indigenous artistic expression, community and relationship-building.
Scott Colvin | Challenger Geomatics
Scott grew up in and around Calgary and earned a degree in Geomatics Engineering from the University of Calgary. During more than 20 years in the field, he has led projects ranging from topographic and legal surveys to construction layouts for major infrastructure projects across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. What he most enjoys now is developing people, sharing his experience, mentoring others and helping his team grow.
After 14 years in Saskatchewan, Scott and his family have returned to the Calgary area, where they enjoy exploring Kananaskis and the Rockies. He volunteers as a soccer coach with Cochrane Wolves FC and spends plenty of time with his three children and two Miniature Schnauzers, his “other almost children.”
Scott is also an aviation enthusiast who earned his private pilot’s licence while still in high school. He hopes to return to recreational flying once his children are grown.
Challenger Geomatics provides surveying, mapping and geomatics services throughout Western and Northern Canada, supporting infrastructure, land development, energy, environmental and other complex projects, including work in remote communities and territories.
Jessica Porter | EcoHazMat
Please welcome Jessica Porter of EcoHazMat.
EcoHazMat provides hazardous-material assessment, management and remediation services that help organizations protect people, communities and the environment while addressing potentially dangerous materials responsibly.
Shane Jensen | New Quest Consulting
Please welcome Shane Jensen of New Quest Consulting. Shane brings consulting experience focused on helping organizations navigate complex projects, strengthen their capacity and move opportunities from planning into action.
New Quest Consulting helps organizations work through complex challenges, strengthen their internal capacity and move projects and opportunities from planning into implementation.
Jennifer Boger and Karen Olsen | Atomic 47 Labs
Jennifer designs AI and analytics systems centred on transparency, trust and human outcomes. A Professional Engineer and academic researcher with more than two decades of experience and over 175 publications, she has held leadership roles with national AI standards bodies. Her work focuses on turning advanced research into dependable solutions for complex, regulated environments while supporting the responsible adoption of AI.
Jennifer believes sustainable technology must begin and end with the people who use it. Beyond her work, she is passionate about family, friends, hiking, mountain biking, sailing, travelling and food. Jennifer is joined by Karen Olsen at Atomic 47 Labs.
Atomic 47 Labs brings together technology, innovation and human-centred problem-solving to help organizations develop practical and dependable responses to complex challenges.