Indigenous Representation Advocate & CEO of Redcloud Studios
Jennifer is an actress, producer, director, and CEO of Redcloud Studios. As a result of her recognition in the Canadian film and television industry, Jennifer shifted her career to focus on producing in her attempt to address the lack of Indigenous representation in the industry. She co-founded Big Soul Productions, Canada’s first Indigenous-owned and operated production company, and later launched her current company, Redcloud Studios. In combination with her personal story and motivational words, Jennifer Podemski empowers her audience through a lens of advocacy and stories.
Jennifer Podemski | Award of Excellence Acceptance Speech
Welcome to Shine Network
Jennifer Podemski & Sarain Fox | Future History' returns to continue the conversation around Indigenous issues | CTV Your Morning
In this talk, Jennifer Podemski explores the importance of building bridges between cultures and communities. Drawing on her own experiences as an Indigenous woman navigating the entertainment industry, Jennifer shares insights into the power of storytelling to bring people together, challenge stereotypes, and promote understanding.
Key takeaways from this talk can include:
The importance of listening to diverse voices and perspectives
The power of storytelling to bridge cultural divides and create empathy
Building cultural awareness and competence
The role of allyship in building bridges between cultures
Strategies for promoting cross-cultural communication and understanding
Creating Pathways to Success
Jennifer Podemski shares her insights into what it takes to succeed in a competitive industry while staying true to your values and identity. Drawing on her own experiences as an Indigenous woman in the entertainment industry, Jennifer shares practical advice and strategies for creating your own pathways to success.
Key takeaways from this talk include:
The importance of defining success on your own terms
Strategies for staying true to your values and identity while navigating a competitive industry
The role of mentorship and community in creating pathways to success
Tips for breaking down barriers, building resilience and overcoming obstacles on the road to success
Indigenous Excellence
Empowerment
Cultural Humility
Speaker Biography
Jennifer Podemski brings a unique and authentic perspective to her speaking engagements, drawing on her own experiences as an Indigenous woman in the entertainment industry to inspire and empower audiences. With her passion for storytelling and commitment to building bridges, Jennifer is an engaging and thoughtful speaker who leaves a lasting impact on her audiences.
Her latest project, Little Bird, is a ground-breaking new series—available on Crave, APTN and on PBS this fall —that explores themes of trauma, loss, and resilience. The series has garnered lots of media coverage and acclaim for its unique storytelling of Indigenous history. Her messaging to audiences includes: “When you’re introduced to something new, that you were unaware of, I hope that people maybe change even a little bit for the better, towards making things better together. I also really kept the Indigenous audience in mind. The journey that Esther is on is very specific to a survivor of the Sixties Scoop, but it also relates to everybody in the world who struggles with who they are, and where they come from, and what it means to be a family.”
Jennifer Podemski, who has a background of both Anishinaabe (First Nation) and Ashkenazi (Jewish) descent, began her professional acting career at the age of 17 and her breakthrough role was in the film Dance Me Outside, where she portrayed the character of Sadie. This performance received great critical acclaim and solidified her place in Canada’s film and television industry. Her success as an actress has earned her nominations for several Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Actress and Best Screenplay.
With her recognition, Jennifer shifted her career focus into producing, co-founding Big Soul Productions production company and later launching her own production company, Redcloud Studios. Big Soul Productions produced a wide range of documentaries, television series and short films, including the award-winning series, Moccasin Flats. Now—a creator, producer, writer, and director through her company Redcloud Studios— Jennifer’s recent credits include documentary series, Future History, for which she received the 2020 Canadian Screen Award for Best Factual Director.
Jennifer is the recipient of the Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal for her work in the Indigenous community, The Birks Diamond Tribute Award, the Nell Shipman Showrunner Award, The 2018 ACTRA Award of Excellence and The Weengushk Film Institute’s 2021 Award of Excellence.
To continue her vision to amplify the voices of Indigenous women, she launched The Shine Network in 2020, a non-profit digital platform designed to offer professional development opportunities for Indigenous women content creators.
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