Our Team

Trista Pewapisconias

Director of Indigenous Relations

Trista is a wiz at making connections. She is a relationship builder that helps our clients envision what they want to accomplish, and then guides them through the process of creating a co-op that can make it happen. She puts clients at ease by breaking down what a co-op is and helping them realize that reaching their goal isn’t as complex as they initially thought.

Trista loves meeting new people and finding a common interest in supporting communities, and helping them make an impact where it matters most.

How she got here

Originally from Little Pine First Nation, Trista has a Master of Business Administration from the Edwards School of Business at the University of Saskatchewan, and has acquired training in Project Management, Building on Abundance in Indigenous Communities, and Indigenous Women in Community Leadership. She worked in marketing for SaskTel and SIGA and wrote business plans for start-ups before joining Co-operatives First.

In her free time, you can find her…

  • Painting, sanding, and fixing things as her household’s designated handy woman

Fun facts

  • She wrote a page of the phonebook that was published for almost 10 years

Favourites

  • Place: at a cabin, around a campfire with good people, laughter, and a great cup of coffee
  • Music: pre-90s country
  • Book: Stuff White People Like by Christian Lander (a great conversation starter!)
Back

“Heather and the team at Co-operatives First are top-notch. Not only their knowledge but their understanding of the project. They have truly helped us along every step of the way. Their timely response and knowledge of the steps are extraordinary. They are forthcoming with information. This is one of the most knowledgeable and friendliest teams I have ever had the pleasure of working with.”

Weyburn Theatre

“Co-operatives First made the process of establishing our Artisan Co-operative a very clear and easy process. The expanse of available tools and resources provided by Co-operatives First answers many questions and lightens the workload. Greatly appreciate having the connections made with Trista and Kyle, they keep the co-operative moving forward.”

Nehiyawaskiy Indigenous Peoples Art Co-op

“Our experience working with the Co-operatives First team was absolutely fabulous. The staff was accommodating, knowledgeable and patient. It was truly a breath of fresh air to have such a wealth of skill and resources available to a non-profit. They were invaluable to our successful launch!”

Heart Linked Community Services Cooperative

“Working with Co-operatives First was fantastic! We are still new to the cooperative world, and we relied heavily on their advice and expertise when drafting our rules/bylaws, and our memorandum of association. The team has experience with many different cooperative models, so they provided advice on what has and hasn’t worked for other cooperatives. We wouldn’t have been able to incorporate without their help!”

Ananda Cooperative

“We have had a very positive experience with everyone at Co-operatives First. They have helped us in multiple ways. Right from the first step in knowing how to incorporate, how to set our business and offering ideas for us to help steer us in the right direction plus allowing us to really make our own decisions. If our decisions go off track, they have gently guided us back to where we needed to be. The Co-operatives first guys are always eager to answer questions, and give ideas to us that got us off the ground.”

South East Butcher Block