Barb Rallison

Born and raised in Moh’kinstsis from mixed ancestry, I’ve had the privilege to live, study, work and raise a family on Treaty 7 territory. The prairies largely defined my childhood as my parents are both from a small community in northern Saskatchewan on Treaty 6 territory. My dad’s family homesteaded in the region and my mom’s family is of Metis heritage. I have much to learn about my heritage and strive to bring curiosity to exploring the rich history of Metis People in what is now known as Canada. Family is of deep importance to me. I am the proud mother of a teenage son and step-mom to three other young adults. I am also a daughter, a wife, a sister and an aunty.

As the Associate Director at the Institute for Community Prosperity, I have the privilege and honour to support our team in a variety of capacities including overseeing several of our student-oriented and community-oriented social innovation and systems leadership initiatives. I have a particular interest in exploring how economic tools can be used to bring about a more equitable and sustainable future for all. My career has spanned a variety of roles in the social economy as an entrepreneur, a network-convenor, an educator and a facilitator. In addition to my roles at MRU, I am one of the founding members and board chair of Local Investing YYC, an impact investment cooperative that mobilizes community wealth to invest in locally owned businesses making a difference for people and the planet. I also serve on the board of CCEDNet, the Canadian Community Economic Development Network.