How ABM began
ABM was co-founded in 2012 by L. Maynard Harry (KWAST-en-ayu) and Katrin Harry as Aboriginal Business Match, later renamed Advanced Business Match and now referred to as ABM.
What shapes us
Rooted in Tla’amin
Maynard is a Tla’amin Nation member and also Principal of Indigenous Insight. Katrin was born in Germany and immigrated to Canada in 1992. Together, they bring their distinct histories, experiences and perspectives to their stewardship of ABM. Their backgrounds bring a wider range of insight, imagination and practical judgment to the way ABM grows and responds to its Community.
A broader conversation
Over the years, as the ABM Community matured and evolved, it became clear that a focus on business alone was insufficient. Conversations called for deeper thought and the development of critical perspectives to understand our responsibilities to one another, to Indigenous sovereignty, to the communities and territories in which we live and work, and what we can and cannot do in the name of business.
What shapes ABM today
What shapes ABM today is the result of this ongoing dialogue. It continues to challenge our assumptions and change how we understand our work. This makes ABM unique and participation more complex and demanding than in conventional business networks.
Purpose
We uphold the community we have created as a stronghold for honest and uncensored dialogue about the complex dynamics of business, money, and their effects on human relationships, culture, and the planet.
Through this dialogue, we evolve how we do business in service of a livable planet.
Vision
Prosperous people on a livable planet.
Foundations
We honour the strength of Indigenous peoples who have fought and continue to fight for their sovereignty and the right to sustain communities grounded in integrity, honesty and reciprocity.
We recognize the sophistication and diversity of Indigenous knowledge systems.
We understand community, rooted in shared responsibility and collective wellbeing, as the strongest form of resistance to a world that rewards wealth accumulation and self-interest.
We recognize colonialism’s continuing role in the destruction of land, communities and relationships, and in the climate crisis that threatens a livable planet.
How We Relate
We uphold friendship as a powerful driver of change. ABM is therefore a community of people who have a personal investment in one another’s wellbeing.
We support one another and hold ourselves accountable for our responsibilities to the communities and territories in which we live and work.
We engage in courageous dialogue to challenge our assumptions, deepen our understanding, shift our perspectives and push each other to better leadership.
How We Act
Together, we:
Build relationships through consistent participation, creating opportunities for learning, dialogue, partnership, personal growth and friendship.
Examine the systems within which we do business, including how they concentrate wealth, perpetuate colonial relationships and limit responsible action.
Bring our knowledge, experience, resources and relationships together to solve problems, strengthen initiatives and develop concrete opportunities.
Actively oppose colonial coercion, dispossession and the destruction of Indigenous cultures and communities.
Treat truth and reconciliation as an ongoing commitment expressed through our relationships, decisions and actions.
Individual Commitment
Each decision-maker who participates in ABM:
Participates actively and generously, exploring possibilities for friendship, collaboration, mentorship, partnership and knowledge exchange.
Takes responsibility for their ongoing learning about colonialism, Indigenous sovereignty and the consequences of business decisions.
Respects Indigenous peoples’ right to define their own priorities and futures, and considers how their actions can support or undermine those rights.
Earns their place in the Community by being open, generous, informed, active and accountable.
Gives relationships the time, care and consistency they require.
Looks beyond self-interest and contributes to the Community’s vitality through reciprocity, humility and love.