2024 NIDC Speakers
Cadmus Delorme
CEO & Founder of OneHoop Indigenous Advisory Services
Read About Cadmus Delorme
Cadmus Delorme, a Cree and Saulteaux, is the former Chief of Cowessess First Nation in Southern Saskatchewan. Cadmus graduated from Cowessess Community Education Centre in 2000. He later moved to Regina to pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Certificate in Hospitality, Tourism and Gaming Entertainment Management from the First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv), and a Master of Public Administration from the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy. He has also received an ICD.D. designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and its affiliate institution, Kenneth Levene Graduate School of Business.
Under Cadmus's leadership, Cowessess First Nation prioritized economic self-sustainability and progressed renewable energy, agriculture, and land use efficiency initiatives to create current and future business opportunities.
Cadmus is the Chair of the Residential Schools Document Advisory Committee and the University of Regina Board of Directors, serves on the Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation Board of Directors and is a 2023 Banff Forum delegate. Through his work as a volunteer and committed athlete, Cadmus has a number of achievements including a First Nation Sport Award (2009). He was a member of Team Saskatchewan's Golf team (2009-2012), Vice President of the FNUC (First Nations University of Canada) Student Association, Mid-Amateur Saskatchewan Golf Champion (2011), Champion at Waskesiu Lobstick Open and Match Play Golf (2011), President of the FNUC Student Association (2011), Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal recipient (2012), and Neechie Gear Clothing Role Model (2013).
In 2012, Cadmus received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, recognizing his student leadership and the hospitality he showed to Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, when they visited FNUniv. He was also named one of CBC Saskatchewan’s Future 40, which celebrates the province’s new generation of leaders, builders and change-makers under the age of 40.
In 2021, Cadmus faced one of his hardest moments as Chief when the Saulteaux and Cree First Nation made international headlines with the discovery of potentially 751 unmarked graves near the former Marieval Indian Residential School. Shortly after, Cowessess made headlines again as the first First Nations community to sign an agreement with Ottawa that returns jurisdiction over children in care to the community. Federal legislation overhauling Indigenous child welfare was passed in 2019 and came into force last year.
Thomas Benjoe
Partner at OneHoop Indigenous Advisory Services
Read About Thomas Benjoe
Thomas Benjoe is an Indigenous Business Leader and Entrepreneur from Muscowpetung First Nation. He is currently a partner at OneHoop. Through his leadership, he has grown several multi-million dollar investments across multiple sectors using his unique business models. Those investments were often made with limited resources and capital, and in one such investment he started, scaled, and sold Saskatchewan’s first Indigenous tech company for a 1,150% return. Thomas also leads several strategies in Indigenous Engagement, Procurement, Indigenous HR, and Investments. Through the strategies he has built, he has helped to unlock many new opportunities for Indigenous businesses to thrive and Indigenous talent to be built sustainably.
Thomas currently serves on the Board of Directors at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Directors of Economic Development Regina, the SIIT Indigenous Innovation Advisory Council, and is a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders Indigenous Task Group. He is a past Chair of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce.
Thomas recently received the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal for contributions to Business & Commerce, was a finalist for the 2023 CANDO Economic Developer of the Year Award, and was recognized in The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business Magazine as a Top 50 Changemaker in Canada. He was also recognized as one of the Top 10 Most Influential Economic Developers by Treaty 4 News.
Tom served as the 2019/20 United Way “Community Champion,” is the recipient of the Crowning Achievement Young Alumni Award from the University of Regina (2017), was recognized by CBC's "Future 40" (2013), received the Red Cross' "Young Humanitarian of the Year" (2009), and was a "Top Performer" Convention Winner, which recognizes the top 1% of RBC employees (2015).
Jada Yee
Partner at OneHoop Indigenous Advisory Services
Read About Jada Yee
Jada Yee is a OneHoop partner and a proud member of the Wood Mountain Lakota Sioux Nation. He also has Chinese-Canadian heritage. Jada has a wide range of backgrounds, having spent over 20 years in various mid-senior level leadership roles within the casino gaming industry, as well as being a VP of Operations and Director of Business Development at FHQ Developments, Manager at SaskGaming & Casino Regina, and General Manager of an Indigenous Metal Fabrication facility.
In his spare time, Jada volunteers on numerous Indigenous and Non-Indigenous boards. He has been an active member for the past 5 years on the Regina Police Service Board of Police Commissioners, where he currently sits as Chair. In October 2021, Jada was elected to the National Board of the Canadian Association for Police Governance, where he represents Saskatchewan. He was awarded the Queen's Jubilee medal for his contributions to bridging the gap in Reconciliation.
Jada was also awarded the Presidential Leadership Award from SaskGaming and has been invited to present his research at the Annual Gaming and Problem Gambling Retreat on two separate occasions regarding Problem Gaming/Addictions and Indigenous communities. This led to Jada being recognized in 2017 as one of the Top 40 Under 40 in the global gaming community, making him the lone Canadian acknowledged at that time. In June 2022, Jada was selected as a leader in Canada and had the opportunity to tour Canada and present his findings to the Governor General of Canada, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon.
Jada is a proud alumnus of First Nations University with a BAdmin and obtained his MAdmin in 2020. He also teaches at the First Nations University in their School of Business.