By Rajitha Sivakumaran
T
he word Animikii (pronounced ah-nih-mih-key) means thun-
derbird in Ojibwe. The thunderbird is a very powerful and
respected being in many Indigenous cultures, and when
its enormous wings beat, thunder is produced. Jeff Ward, founder of
technology company Animikii Inc., has a very special relationship with
the thunderbird. When he was a child, he was given the name Animikii
Gwewinzenhs (Thunderbird Boy). Accordingly, he chose this name for his
company when he founded it 13 years ago.
Born and raised in Manitoba,Ward is of mixed heritage, Ojibwe, Métis, English
and Ukrainian, but he grew up in an Indigenous environment.This is why Animikii
Inc., which specializes in web and software development, is proudly Indigenous-
owned, with the sole mission of positively impacting Indigenous people through
technology. Headquartered on the Coast Salish territory of British Columbia, the
Animikii team’s mandate centres on empowering Indigenous organizations through
technology. Its impressive clientele includes the Government of Canada, the Province
of British Columbia, Cando, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and
the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered IndigenousWomen and Girls. In 2010,
Animikii was recognized as Aboriginal Business of the Year by the B.C. Achievement
Foundation.
FEBRUARY 2017
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business elite canada
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