Business women's success highlighted

Page 22

Aboriginal entrepreneur and business woman Leslie Loukianow is sharing her success story, taking part in a project designed to show young girls that opportunities exist for women to have careers in science and technology.

Loukianow's story is part of Against the Odds, a video highlighting the achievements of three Canadian women from diverse cultures and backgrounds who have founded successful businesses in the fields of science and technology.

Loukianow is the founder of two successful consulting firms - Loukianow-Miller, a 100 per cent First Nations owned Internet consulting company, and National Business Services, an Aboriginal consulting firm that helps non-Aboriginal businesses and government work with and be more sensitive to Aboriginal businesses. The firm also helps Aboriginal businesses to better work with government and non-Aboriginal businesses.

In the video, Loukianow tells how her determination to succeed helped her overcome the discrimination she encountered in the school system, where the teachers expected little of her because she was Native. A high school drop-out at the age of 17, she returned to school two years later, completing Grades 10, 11 and 12 at the local community college within three months, scoring between 99 and 100 per cent on her final exams. She studied business administration, and ran a small craft company before deciding to make the jump to an Internet-based business.

"I wanted to do something in business," Loukianow said in the video. "I wanted to make a change. I wanted to be an Aboriginal woman in business. I wanted to be successful at it. That was the goal. And to be part of the change. That's the goal."

In addition to the video, the Against the Odds project also features an interactive website - www.NRGen.com/against_the_odds - where young girls can access clips from the video, as well as chat with mentors, explore non-traditional fields and develop their business skills.

The Against the Odds video will premiere on APTN Oct. 26 at 10:30 p.m.