Since 2003, Monica James has focused her commercial banking career on helping Indigenous entrepreneurs realize their dreams and being a voice of reconciliation. As a proud Cree woman from the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation and being raised in northern Manitoba, she understands the unique challenges many rural and remote Indigenous entrepreneurs face.

At BDC, she leads a team of Account Managers from Ontario to Atlantic Canada that are dedicated exclusively to supporting Indigenous entrepreneurs in accessing capital and advisory services to grow, improve and optimize their business. She is also the Indigenous Lead with the Diversity and Inclusion team at BDC.

After completing a Bachelor of Commerce (Honors) from the Asper School of Business (Winnipeg, Manitoba), she started her career with BDC. One of her first milestones was a founding member of the Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce, the first in Canada.

She values giving back to the community and serves on the Board of Mother Earth Recycling, an Indigenous social enterprise focused on creating meaningful jobs and opportunities for at-risk individuals.

Monica is driven by purpose. The purpose to help Indigenous entrepreneurs succeed and building trusting relationships with clients and Aboriginal service providers.