Innovator of the Week: Rod Stagg is Cultivating a New Generation of Indigenous Tradespeople – Avenue Calgary
October 21, 2024
The founder and CEO of Cougar Technical Services Ltd. secured a $1.59 million investment from Prairies Economic Development Canada to grow its collaboration with Indigenous Incubator Inc.
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September 20th isn’t just Rod Stagg’s parent’s anniversary. In 2022, it also became the day he formed Indigenous Incubator Inc. The founder says he made a pact with his father and his own two sons to empower young Indigenous entrepreneurs and tradespeople throughout Canada.
“My father and my two boys, Joel and Jeremy, signed a family pact that this is something that we were going to do for Canada,” says Stagg. “That this was going to be our mission, to do what was right and to develop a system that would help our Indigenous youth get trained, educated [and] apprenticed in the trades.”
Part of the incubator’s mission is to promote the long-term sustainability of Indigenous-led enterprises. Participating in the incubator includes mentorship from seasoned Indigenous business owners who transfer knowledge and expertise to Indigenous youth. The hope is that this will help youth leverage their skills into also becoming business owners in the future.
