The first JSF Indigenous Student Excellence Scholar excels and gives back at TMU

Cody Anthony is on his way to becoming the first Johnson Scholarship Foundation (JSF) Scholar to graduate from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). He is one of five Indigenous students at TMU whose academic and career dreams have become tangible and achievable, thanks to support from the JSF.

“I’m so grateful for the Johnson Scholarship Foundation award. It gave me peace of mind, so instead of worrying about meeting basic life necessities, I got to focus my attention on Indigenous initiatives and community impact,” he said. “It has prepared me for a lifetime of community work, which is exciting.”

Anthony identifies as a mixed urban Indigenous person, whose father is Dene with roots from the Deh Gah Got’ie Kue First Nation in the Northwest Territories. In 2024, he will graduate from TMU’s Ted Rogers School of Management (TRSM) with a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours in Business Management. His particular interest is in pre-colonial Indigenous entrepreneurship and modern economic reconciliation. Anthony will also graduate with a minor in politics. 

“A lot of people don’t know the history of business or commerce between First Nations groups before colonization in what we now call Canada. I had the opportunity to work with the Indigenous Advisor at TRSM, Michael Mihalicz, to help develop an e-learning module called ‘Indigenous Entrepreneurship: A community-driven approach to new venture creation,’” said Anthony. For this project, he gathered archaeological transcripts and evidence of trade amongst First Nations before 1941. “We did business differently, which was really cool. Gift giving was important, as was equity amongst relationships and partnerships. And leadership meant caring for one another.”

Mihalicz, the Indigenous Advisor in the Office of the Dean and an assistant professor in the Department of Entrepreneurship and Strategy, said, “Cody moves fast and efficiently, and I was really impressed.” 

Twice a TMU alumnus himself, Mihalicz added, “Cody has some incredible ideas and is committed to creating space for Indigenous Knowledges to exist within TRSM. He is also committed to bridging the cultural divide between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples at TMU through community-building activities that bring everyone together in a way that maintains the integrity of our identities and voices. One really big initiative that he founded was the inaugural Reconciliation in Business conference in 2022.”

The conference was spearheaded by the Ted Rogers Indigenous in Business student group, which Anthony also founded. His vision for the conference included uniting Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in Toronto to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Call to Action 92 by accelerating the fight for Indigenous economic sovereignty and self-determination, and against the economic injustices Indigenous communities face, by closing the socioeconomic gap, and by unlocking the emerging C$100 billion annual Indigenous economy.

Mentorship at the heart of the JSF Indigenous scholar experience

Anthony credits mentorship opportunities as being key to his success at TMU. “I’ve had a lot of amazing people support me in the journey. I could always depend on Michael Mihalicz,” he said.

Mihalicz first met Anthony through the Indigenous Student Welcoming Committee, where TRSM advisors reach out to welcome all incoming Indigenous students. Mihalicz introduced Anthony to Sana Mulji, senior advisor for external stakeholder engagement and strategic partnerships. Mulji recruited Anthony to join the Indigenous Initiatives team, which works to integrate Indigenous art, curriculum, Knowledges and world views at TRSM, and she was key in helping Anthony run Reconciliation in Business 2022.

“Sana was imperative to my whole student experience, and she has helped my personal development so much,” said Anthony. 

He also credits fellow student Haida Siddiqui, vice president of speaker relations of TEDxTorontoMetU, for her mentorship and guidance in producing his yet to be released TEDx Talk, titled “The Future is Indigenous,” which connects his personal experiences with the history of entrepreneurship and trends towards prosperity for Indigenous groups. 

“Haida is an incredible student and helped me craft the perfect Ted talk,” Anthony said, adding that there are others who served as invaluable peer mentors throughout his academic career.

“I had the opportunity every single day to go out there and meet new people and be part of different projects, and have a huge network of incredible people who are going to support me down the line,” he said. “I wouldn’t have been able to get that without the scholarship.”

Anthony is in the process of launching IndigenousTV, a digital media company designed to promote positive Indigenous stories about youth, representation and pop culture. He also has one more semester of school left before graduating. After that, he’s planning a career in advocacy, Indigenous entrepreneurship, economic development and, eventually, politics. “I’m really interested in supporting Indigenous youth and speaking up for the voiceless.” 

Anthony’s advice for Indigenous students who follow in his footsteps: “Be yourself. Don’t be afraid to bring your Indigeneity to Toronto Metropolitan University.”