UVic Alumni Guest Speaker Series: Lunch and Learn

A Conversation with Kear Porttris and Sk'ing lúudas Natasha Parrish

You're invited to watch a meaningful virtual conversation with UVic Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Kear Porttris and Sk'ing lúudas Natasha Parrish, co-founders of Indigenous Roots Coffee Company. At the heart of Indigenous Roots Coffee Co. is a commitment to building community and celebrating diverse cultures.

Each of their unique coffee blends support an Indigenous initiative, creating opportunities for reconciliation and building meaningful relationships with every cup. Natasha and Kear will share their personal experiences of building community and honouring their cultures through art, relationships and integrating Indigenous worldviews into their company at the grassroots level. Their goal is to create a space for Indigenous people to showcase the important work they are doing, allowing more people to join in celebrating Indigenous joy, ingenuity, resilience and success.


About the speakers:

Kear Porttris, BEng ’17, MASc ’20, 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient
Kear is a Métis-Chinese professional with a background in civil engineering, and has spent many years working alongside Indigenous communities. He is deeply passionate about economic, social and cultural revitalization for Indigenous Peoples. A 2023 UVic Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, Kear is also the founder of Porttris Consulting Group. He has extensive experience in building partnerships between industry and Indigenous communities. He served on the board of the Métis Nation of Greater Victoria until the fall of 2024, where he advocated for Métis people throughout lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ territories

Sk'ing lúudas Natasha Parrish, BA ’12, Dipl’ 14, GCert ’20, MA ‘20 
Natasha is Kyaanuuslii Haida through her mother and maternal grandmothers, and English through her father. She was born and raised in Teechamitsa Lekwungen Territory. She has a strong background in Indigenous education, policy development, and Indigenizing professional development for non-Indigenous people. Natasha holds a Bachelor of Arts in History, a Postgraduate Degree in Secondary Teaching and a Master of Arts in Indigenous Nationhood. Her family has been involved in the coffee business for over 30 years, and Natasha is deeply passionate about the positive social impact that a cup of coffee can create.

Register to watch the recording now!

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