Elaine Alec

Elaine Alec is a storyteller, facilitator, and CEO of Naqsmist Storytellers Inc. She is an expert in Indigenous planning processes and has extensive experience working with Indigenous governance and decision-making. Alec is the author of "Calling My Spirit Back," a memoir about her experiences growing up as an Indigenous girl in Canada and the impacts of colonization, which also provides Indigenous knowledge and teachings on how to cultivate safe spaces for diversity and inclusion. She has also authored "Coming of Age: Overcoming Trauma to Achieve Self-Determination." Alec is from the Syilx (Okanagan) and Secwepemc (Shuswap) Nations and is a member of the Penticton Indian Band. She has spent over two decades promoting healing and wellness in communities across Canada and has become a nationally-recognized thought leader in Indigenous planning processes. Alec was named the winner of BCBusiness Magazine's 2023 Women of the Year Award for Equity and Inclusion Champion.