ISABEL OKANESE grew up in an acreage outside of Edmonton.  In 2019, as a Spiritual Business Owner, Isabel foresaw the transformative impact of AI on her industry. Determined to stay ahead, Isabel actively pursued opportunities to enhance her tech skillset that could help her innovate and grow her business. While conducting online research, Isabel discovered the Indigenous Friends Association (IFA) IndigiTAL program and enrolled. The program helped her enhance her art skills, rekindling her passion for painting after 25 years and teaching her how to create digital art using tablets. Upon completion of IndigiTAL, Isabel was still pursuing opportunities to further develop her tech skills when she received an email newsletter from the IFA in 2022 discussing a program called IndigiTECH.  Inspired by its focus on teaching tech skills, Isabel signed up. 

IndigiTECH played a significant role in helping Isabel develop her skills in Web development, User Experience (UX) Design, and Business Marketing. Her interest in UX design was sparked through her work with Figma, where she enjoyed learning how UX focuses on user well-being. Collaborating with Jumping Elephants further enhanced her understanding of UX design through the creation of various mock projects, improving her interview skills, and strengthening her teamwork abilities. 

She also learned HTML, CSS, and Javascript programming languages through modules from Lighthouse Labs. These skills were applied to a website project, where each class focused on creating a webpage relevant to the class lesson. Her role for this project included designing a logo and creating four web pages: an opening landing page, a contact information page, an art portfolio page, and an about me page.

Upon completion of IndigiTECH, Isabel began an internship at Tsawout First Nation as a Communications Intern. Her primary responsibilities included designing email newsletters, coordinating with internal stakeholders for their newsletter needs, and publishing social media content. Additionally, she worked on messaging and creating visual designs for ads featured in the newsletters and on Facebook. Isabel particularly valued working on communication documents like the newsletter, seeing it as a skill she could use as a business owner. 

The impact of IFA's programs on Isabel was profound. It helped her reconnect with technology, transitioning from not owning a computer to confidently operating a laptop and art tablet. Motivated by this experience, she continued learning independently, enrolling in ComIT, a program offering digital skills training to Indigenous learners. Additionally, Isabel developed a keen interest in AI technology. She is passionate about furthering her AI knowledge to enhance her business operations. 

Today, Isabel is dedicated to deepening her understanding of coding. She plans to take more courses to enhance her React, Python, C++, and Ruby skills. Together with a friend, Isabel would like to use social media and YouTube to help unhoused people learn different coding skills. She hopes to empower them to acquire new skills and improve their lives by being able to participate in programs similar to those she experienced.