Growing up, Jessica had no idea how deeply her life was shaped by the systems around her—as a young Indigenous girl, she just knew how to survive. That all changed the day her brother was killed by police. His death shattered her world and forced her to confront the painful realities of injustice, identity, and silence. In the midst of grief, she stepped into community advocacy—and for the first time, began to understand the strength of her voice and the depth of her roots.

As she learned more about her First Nations identity and the systemic disadvantages she had inherited, she also began to see something else: possibility. She was being exposed to opportunities she never knew existed. And with every door that opened, she became more determined to hold that door open for others. Jessica realized that helping people use their voice—to be seen, heard, and taken seriously—was not just something she was good at. It was her calling.

Her story is a masterclass in resilience. Jessica has walked through fire—overcoming violence, poverty, single motherhood, and the kind of trauma that breaks most people. With nothing but grit, vision, and a calling to lead, she built a business from scratch and transformed her life into a platform for others to rise. Today, she’s known for helping her clients go from invisible to unforgettable—from “not good enough” to booked, paid, and in demand.

Whether she’s on stage or coaching behind the scenes, Jessica ignites a shift in every room she enters. Her clients walk away with speaker confidence, clarity in their message, and the kind of presence that turns heads and opens doors. They stop hiding, start showing up, and finally take the lead in their own lives—and in their industries.

When Jessica speaks, people don’t just listen. They remember.
They rise.
They reclaim their voice.

Recognitions

Jessica Dumas is the host of The Confidence and Communication Podcast and Speaking Up with Jessica Dumas on NCI FM. She is a professional speaker and speaker coach from Keeseekoowenin First Nation in Treaty 2, coaching women entrepreneurs use their voice confidently, to take up space in the board room and get paid to speak on stage!

Jessica has been recognized for her professional expertise, she is a recipient of the Manitoba 150 Women Trailblazer Nellie McClung Foundation Award for 2021, Ace Burpees Most Fascinating Manitobans (2019), the 2017 Future Leaders of Manitoba and CBC’s Top 40 Manitobans under 40 (2015). She has a 2017 TEDx talk called The Journey to a Woman’s Identity, as well as a live recorded talk by Disrupt HR and Creative Manitoba. Jessica’s volunteer contributions have gained her wide respect across Manitoba and Canada. She has served as Chairperson for both the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and the Indigenous Chamber of Commerce and continues to sit on numerous committees and boards at the executive level. She is a powerful role model and advocate for women’s empowerment, leading others to overcome challenges by developing personal strengths, vision and self-confidence.

She has spoken at universities, business networking events, Chambers of Commerces, National museums, school divisions, national companies, national summits and has even spoken to government officials.

Jessica holds certificates in Advanced Business Design Facilitation from the University of Toronto and Rotman School of Management Executive Programs. She also completed the Advanced Program in Management, Leadership & Strategy from the University of Manitoba, Asper School of Business. Her Coaching is certified through the Certified Coaches Federation. She best utilizes her training in workshop facilitation skills and facilitation fundamentals. Her certificate training also extends to Restorative Justice, Communication Skills and Customer Service.

Jessica is proud to share her stories of overcoming, raising her three sons as a single divorced parent with ‘only a high school education’. She loves her city, Winnipeg (Manitoba, Canada), and will tell you that she has seen the best and the worst of Winnipeg. In 2005, she lost her brother to a police shooting and in 2019, she became the First Indigenous woman to Chair the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. Her passion is to encourage others who also have personal challenges to overcome, in pursuit of a dream that no one can see, but you. She believes that the very obstacles that you think are designed to hold you back, are the very strengths that will change your life, and if you have a message burning inside you, there is an audience waiting to hear it!

Connect with her on Instagram and Youtube @jessicadumas.ca

What people are saying about Jessica at the mic:

We entrusted Jessica to emcee the world’s largest International Indigenous Tourism Conference in Winnipeg for the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC).  Her presence and skills contributed to ITAC hosting the best conference that we have ever delivered in 10 years.

Jessica’s personality and abilities kept the conference on time while adding that Indigenous cultural awareness and laughter.  She was effective working with our large conference event team as well as trying to keep over 1000 delegates engaged by her comments and facilitation.

Jessica proved that she is also a world leader to facilitate events and her professionalism and execution throughout the 3 days was exceptional.  I highly recommend Jessica to any organization or company who wants effective facilitation leadership while respecting Indigenous values.

KEITH HENRY, PRESIDENT AND CEO, INDIGENOUS TOURISM ASSOCIATION OF CANADA

Jessica hosted our signature conference in 2021, and gifted everyone in attendance with her incredible blend of charm and professionalism as an emcee. A role she carried off flawlessly and comes from years of experience as a professional speaker and caring human being.

KELLY FOURNEL, CEO TECH MANITOBA

Woliwon, Jessica Everyone involved with our organization speaks very highly of you, we can see why.   You bring a tremendous amount of professionalism, positive energy and authenticity to our sessions with First Nations.  We are grateful to have you as a part of our team, even if it’s only once or twice per year.

MEKO NICHOLAS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FIRST NATIONS LAND MANAGEMENT RESOURCE CENTRE

I have known Jessica for about 15 years and have watched as she has grown into a WHO’s Who of Winnipeg Women. Jessica spoke for me at SHEday 2018 and was profiled in the spring edition of the Winnipeg Free Press Women “Who’s Who”. Since this time, I have witnessed Jessica continue to rise on the scene of women in leadership, women taking action to build success of other women. Last I experienced her presentation was at the November 2022 Indigenomics SHE. Jessica was excellent, engaging and had so many valuable tips to share in her presentations. Jessica’s social media Instagram and her Confidence and Communication Podcast demonstrate her communication skill and ability to build audience interest.

MJ BROWNSCOMBE, FOUNDER CEO SHEANALYTICS

Jessica is an exceptional emcee, facilitator, and keynote speaker. I’ve had the privilege of seeing some world-class keynote speakers all over the world – including Bryan Dodge, Margaret Atwood, Nicholas Vujicic, Robin Sharma, and Michelle Obama – and Jessica absolutely belongs in this class of A-listers. Jessica leads others to overcome challenges by developing personal strengths, vision and self-confidence, and she does so with wonderful energy, charisma, and humour. She’s a true force of nature, and I consider myself lucky to have worked with her, and to have been in the audience when she spoke.

CHRISTIAN ROBIN, INTRAPRENEUR, STRATEGIST