We had an interview with Steven McCoy, founder and CEO of Gencity Inc., an award-winning consulting firm specializing in marketing, communications, Indigenous partnership building, and economic development. Drawing from his experiences as an Ojibwe entrepreneur and his journey overcoming adversity, Steven shared insights into his innovative approach to business and leadership. Gencity Inc., known for its exceptional client-first
philosophy, has garnered national recognition, including the Indigenous Business of the Year Award in 2021. Steven discussed the challenges of navigating entrepreneurship as an Indigenous leader, the importance of fostering community connections, and his vision of empowering Indigenous businesses to thrive on a global stage.
What inspired you to start Gencity Inc., and how did your experiences as an Indigenous entrepreneur shape your approach to business and leadership?
Like many Indigenous people, I was born into poverty and ever since I was a kid, I always knew I wanted to be a business owner so I didn’t have to be poor anymore. Around the age of 7, I used to put sticker prices on my toys and have my mom and stepdad come into my room and purchase them. And I expected to be paid in real money too!
As an adult, when I first started out in business as a consultant, it was a side gig for me and I was operating under my own name, Steven McCoy – Business Consultant, but in 2018, I wanted to rebrand, expand and attract a larger clientele base. I started looking into cool names for my consulting business but everything I could think of was already taken. That’s when I knew I would have to come up with my own new and unique name that was not so common.
So, I started doing a creative exercise by writing down a bunch of words on a piece of paper that described what a good consultant is and does. As the page started to get filled with words I noticed the beginning of ‘genius’ and the end of ‘lucidity’ started popping off the page and that’s how I came up with the word Gencity Consulting. I have since incorporated into Gencity Inc.
Being an entrepreneur is hard enough but being Indigenous adds another layer of complexity. There is a niche market to be captured being an Indigenous entrepreneur but there’s also the risk of pigeon-holing yourself as a strictly ‘Indigenous only’ to the mass markets due to common stereotypes and general human rationale. It’s a fine line to walk and it has shaped my approach to leadership and business.
What core values and principles guide Gencity Inc., and how have these contributed to building a resilient and impactful business?
It’s important for Gencity to produce quality results on time and as specified in the terms created with the client. Producing results as a business is undeniable and that’s how I built Gencity – through referrals and recommendations by past clients.
Networking is also key both online and in person. You have to be where your target audience is and you have to show up in those realms whether it’s online or in person. When Gencity is looking to secure new clients and partners, networking has produced the top results for me.
Could you share some key challenges you’ve encountered in your journey and how you’ve navigated these obstacles as an Indigenous entrepreneur?
Unfortunately, some of the key challenges I have faced in my journey has come from my own people whether it’s my own First Nation being unsupportive and suppressive of me starting my own business, or fellow Indigenous entrepreneurs attempting to appropriate my intellectual property, something I’ve had to use the court systems in order to protect a registered trademark of mine called IndigenBiz. And there is the ‘crabs in the bucket’ mentality you see from the general community members, even your own family members, especially once you start doing well for yourself. People like to start nasty rumors about you because, as a successful business owner, you become an easy target for regular people to hate on.
It has not been an easy journey and I almost gave up a couple times on pursuing certain projects and businesses due to the pain caused by lateral violence. But when things got bad I reached out to friends and colleagues just to talk, took care of myself physically, ate healthy, asked for guidance and clarity from my spirit guides and most importantly sought professional help from lawyers and legal specialists combined with reading books to understand my rights and formulate a proper course of action to deal with legal matters.
Not only do you have to know regular business law, such as what constitutes defamation, and contract law, but you also have to know your rights as an Indigenous person in Canada and beyond. There are multiple parts and articles to know about such as Treaty Rights, Sections 25 and 35 of the Canadian constitution, the United Nations Declaration on Indigenous People (UNDRIP) and the Indian Act. You also have to stay aware of new developments and court victories for Indigenous people and entrepreneurs, such as R vs. Montour court decision (2023 QCSC 4154), a win for Indigenous businesses by recognizing the collective right to freely determine and pursue economic development.
So, the most important thing is to take care of your mind, body and spirit as you move along on your entrepreneurial journey.
How does Gencity Inc. support the growth of Indigenous entrepreneurship, and what role do you believe networking and mentorship play in empowering Indigenous businesses?
The profits and free time I have gained from Gencity’s success has allowed me to continue promoting and encouraging Indigenous entrepreneurship and business through my online platforms such as LinkedIn and IndigenBiz. In addition, I have been a mentor to Indigenous youth and entrepreneurs through programs like Indspire and Futurpreneur for many years now.
As I mentioned before, networking is the key to success in building and expanding your business and clientele base. You need to be both, online and in-person to be truly successful at business so it’s important to know how to speak in public and be personable.
I had a university student request to undertake her co-op placement with myself and Gencity Inc. because she was familiar with myself and the company and wanted to learn from me about running a business, which was an honour as Gencity was not even on the company vendors list for co-op choices students had to choose from. She is an Indigenous person enrolled in the Community Social and Economic Development Program at Algoma University and she specifically requested Gencity for her placement which speaks volumes to the work I am doing in the community and the reputation that I have built over the years. Gencity Inc. is now on the vendors list for students at the University who wish to do their placement with the company.
Looking to the future, what legacy do you hope Gencity Inc. will create, both within the Indigenous community and the broader business landscape?
I have always envisioned our people and communities as thriving participants in the global business markets, just as we once were before colonial contact. Our people have always been international business traders but, through colonialism, everyone has been led to believe we were just senseless nomads wandering around the bush.
Once you start to travel around the world and visit other Indigenous communities and sacred Indigenous sites and speak with other Indigenous people from around the world, you soon see the clear evidence that we were active participants in an international trading market and that’s what I want to see for our people once again.
If I can help contribute to that vision by being a dynamic business owner, mentor and promoter of Indigenous people in business, then I believe we can get to that point, maybe even within my lifetime. Things do not change overnight but in life, like in business, consistent effort, even in the face of adversity, is what will make the difference between success and failure.
