Reconciliation cannot live in a promise alone. A Victoria entrepreneur is using technology to help turn commitments into action, creating a new AI platform that connects Canadians with Indigenous-led projects, resources and practical ways to make a difference. “It is a technology designed specifically to convert folks who have good intentions for reconciliation into actually taking impact in under five minutes,” said Laurel Anne Stark, founder of BRIDGE Impact AI. The platform gives users quick ways to build their knowledge, support Indigenous youth led initiatives and create a personalized plan based on their interests, available time and desired outcomes. One of its key features is an AI Reconciliation Advisor, a chatbot that answers questions about reconciliation and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action. Stark said the advisor draws only from Indigenous-approved sources, rather than the broad range of information used by many general purpose AI systems. “If it doesn’t have an answer, it will actually tell you that instead of make things up,” she said. The advisor is still being developed. The concept grew from Stark’s work with Indigenous communities through her agency, Remarkable Communication. When she asked members of her Indigenous board of advisors how she could give back, she said they pointed her toward youth, particularly through arts and athletics. That led to the Remarkable Givers Foundation and, eventually, a request that changed the scope of her work. An Indigenous youth basketball team on Vancouver Island needed help getting to an Indigenous basketball tournament at the University of Victoria. The players needed equipment, including shoes and sports bras. Stark reached out to contacts in Victoria’s technology community and said they raised nearly $3,000 for the team. The experience showed her there was a way to connect people directly with grassroots projects without requiring a personal introduction. “Anybody could fund an Indigenous youth led project if they wanted to and not have to know me or email me or anything like that,” Stark said. BRIDGE Impact AI is Indigenous led and governed by an all-Indigenous board. The company says its technology was developed according to Indigenous data sovereignty principles and with guidance from Indigenous community leaders. For organizations, the platform includes an assessment tool and an impact dashboard designed to help track progress. Stark said the timing comes at a moment when she believes Canadians have an opportunity to think about what reconciliation means in their own communities. “I’m really proud to stand in solidarity with Indigenous communities,” she said. “I think that reconciliation is more important now than ever.”
