Bear & BisonIndigenous ETA
The partners

Two Indigenous operators. One mission.

Sean McCormick

Sean McCormick

MANAGING PARTNER
Red River Métis (MMF)

Founder of Manitobah Mukluks, one of Canada's fastest-growing footwear brands and one of the largest exits in Canada's Indigenous entrepreneurial history. Sean began selling leather and fur to Indigenous artisans as a high school student in Winnipeg, then built Manitobah into an internationally recognized lifestyle brand rooted in community, sustainability, and traditional craft. Sean was formerly a General Partner (now, Venture Partner) at Raven Indigenous Capital Partners, where he led the venture firm's Platform strategy and portfolio management for the fund's investments.

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Althea Wishloff

Althea Wishloff

FOUNDING PARTNER
Gitxsan First Nation

General Partner at Raven Indigenous Capital Partners, the first venture capital fund focused on investing in Indigenous-led companies. Althea was the first Indigenous woman named a General Partner at a venture capital fund. Before Raven, she held operating and investing roles, building and selling a digital health company, and holding various investment roles across venture capital and asset management. Althea is also a Director on the National Indigenous Economic Development Board, a group of Indigenous individuals who provide guidance to the Canadian Federal Government.

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The advisors

A council of business leaders, cultural advisors, and active Indigenous community members.

Providing invaluable guidance and oversight to Bear & Bison across investment, governance, law, and community.

Stephen Nairne

Stephen Nairne

INVESTMENT COMMITTEE

Co-founder and Managing Partner at Raven Indigenous Capital Partners, Stephen is an internationally experienced executive who has spent his career building impact investment and social finance tools that alleviate poverty and empower communities across Canada and Sub-Saharan Africa. He brings deep experience sourcing, structuring, and managing impact investments in frontier markets, along with sharp instincts for country and project risk. A strategic thinker and clear communicator, Stephen sits on Bear & Bison's Investment Committee and serves as an Independent Director on the Board of yáqʷa Development Corporation, Haisla Nation's economic development corporation, where he supports strong governance and sustainable economic growth.

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Monika Bear Robe

Monika Bear Robe

ADVISOR
Fort McKay First Nation

A Partner in the Indigenous Consulting Practice at MNP, Monika brings a rich blend of legal, business, and governance expertise. Her career has been dedicated to helping Indigenous communities achieve economic prosperity through strategic acquisitions, equity transactions, governance and investment policy development, and economic development corporation director training. She has negotiated 30+ transactions for Indigenous Nations across various sectors in Canada, with in-depth experience in consortiums pursuing equity ownership in major energy infrastructure projects. Monika holds a JD in Aboriginal Law and was called to the bar in British Columbia. She earned an MBA in Indigenous Business Leadership and completed the CVCA-ICD Private Capital Governance program.

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Skawenniio Barnes

Skawenniio Barnes

ADVISOR
Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk), Kahnawà:ke

A Kahnawake Mohawk corporate lawyer, Skawenniio brings private equity, M&A, and governance experience together with a focus on how capital, community, and long-term value creation intersect. A Partner at Finn Dixon & Herling LLP, her legal practice focuses on advising private and growth equity investors, asset managers, founders, and high-growth companies on mergers and acquisitions, minority investments, and strategic transactions, including work with funds investing in Indigenous-owned businesses. She is actively engaged in initiatives that advance Indigenous leadership development, including through her board service with the Indigenous Leadership Circle and the Institute of American Indian Arts Foundation. She holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School, an M.P.P. from Harvard Kennedy School, and a B.A. from Yale University.

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Geordie Hungerford

Geordie Hungerford

ADVISOR
Gwich'in First Nation

An Indigenous finance and investment executive, lawyer, and board member, Geordie has spent his career building organizations and driving change across financial markets, entrepreneurship, and economic reconciliation. A Stanford MBA, he has worked as a securities lawyer, technology investment banker, and consultant, with a particular focus on sustainability and Arctic economic development. Geordie brings broad experience in corporate advisory, investment funds, and government relations, including extensive work in China and Silicon Valley.

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