“There's a lot of demand for smart, young, talented Indigenous people in all kinds of industries right now. If you can build an online brand, then that's gold,” advises Michael Cimino. He is Ojibwe, a member of Wikwemikong First Nation on Manitoulin Island, five hours north of Toronto where he was born and raised. Cimino is an undergraduate student at York University in the Bachelor of Business Administration program, specializing in Finance. He previously worked in finance and accounting and in his free time, he likes to read about history, economics, philosophy, and exercise.

Ever since high school, Cimino has been interested in economics, entrepreneurship and personal finance. Courses like accounting, economics, and organizational behaviour interested him the most and he counted himself fortunate to have been able to take a course on personal finance before he graduated in 2018. Everything he learned and the teachers he learned from inspired him to pursue post-secondary studies in business, an adventure that unexpectedly included online learning during the pandemic. Virtual learning ended up being a really good fit in the end but it was an adjustment at first.

When it comes to Indigenous youth moving from smaller communities to larger centres to go to school, Cimino suggests taking advantage of all available urban Indigenous community resources which can help with tuition, books, transportation, mental health supports, dentistry, and cultural activities. He also suggests looking at on-campus resources like the Indigenous student centre which might feel intimidating initially but can be very helpful for integration into a new community.

Studying in one of the country’s top business programs, there are very few other Indigenous students studying with him and admissions were highly competitive. Being one of the only Indigenous people in the room in his education journey felt isolating and it’s a reality that was present in his professional life as well, with few Indigenous colleagues at the companies where he’s worked. The lack of representation left him responsible for advocating for the needs of his community, something he found problematic because he didn’t feel able to do so effectively given the diversity of needs and experiences. To overcome the challenges he’s faced, Cimino connected with community resources and did his best to try to help increase Indigenous representation wherever he goes.

If he could advise his younger self, Cimino would suggest starting building relationships and networking early.

“The ability to network and build relationships will do wonders for you, not just in school, but in the rest of your life,” he affirms, noting networking significantly transformed the opportunities available to him and his resume as a result.

The other advice he would give himself would be, “Don't be afraid to take risks.” He knows now that not every outreach attempt will get a favourable response or a response of any kind and to be prepared for failure. As an introvert, Cimino tailors his networking to his comfort, reaching out individually on LinkedIn or by email rather than attending large-scale networking events. He suggests building relationships with recruiters and advisors who are focused on Indigenous talent.

To maintain his wellness, Cimino has taken advantage of on-campus mental health services to get him through grief and loss. Exercising at the gym and practicing martial arts has been helpful as has having a philosophical belief system that helps him better cope with life. Moving from religion to philosophy helped him make sense of the world and find stability.

When it comes to motivation, Cimino looks to the next generation and the generations that will follow. As someone who has looked to improve the spaces he’s entered that have not been familiar to many Indigenous people, he’s been motivated to inspire future Indigenous leaders. He believes it’s important to cultivate resources and platforms for the next generation of Indigenous post-secondary learners and employees and building that foundation is something he’s passionate about.

For young Indigenous people considering studying business, Cimino suggests studying math in high school and completing the requirements of the business school they would like to attend. He suggests getting involved with relevant clubs that focus on things like investing or other business-related topics. Pivoting to take prerequisites is easier in high school than university so he suggests getting started early and taking advantage of any courses available through distance learning if your high school doesn’t have what you need.  

Knowing there's a lot of demand for smart, young, talented Indigenous people in all kinds of industries right now, Michael Cimino is hard at work building his brand. Networking one-on-one with intention, he’s creating opportunities that are as good as gold and a future that’s just as bright. Studying at a top business school, he’s got a career in finance ahead of him that adds up to a sure way to inspire a new generation of Indigenous leaders.

Thank you to Alison Tedford for writing this article!