Team
A partnership of ICE + FIREDOG
ISG Managing Partners
Michael Fox
Michael is a Managing Partner of ISG and the President/CEO of Indigenous Community Engagement (ICE) – one of Canada’s leading national Indigenous firms specializing in community consultation, facilitation/negotiations, capacity building, & enterprise development.
Michael brings a wealth of experience in structuring projects and financing for both industry and Indigenous clients. He obtained an honours degree in Political Science with a focus on Aboriginal Law & Resource Development and has an MBA with a specialization in Social Enterprise.
He is a Certified Professional Facilitator, a certified Change Management Practitioner, and a certified Professional Aboriginal Economic Developer.
He is the Co-Chair of the Indigenous Affairs Committee for the PDAC and is the Co-Chair for the Jury Panel for the Progressive Aboriginal Relations program at the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, where he was a board member for 6 years.
Michael is a believer in higher education and has taught university courses to share his professional experiences with the next generation of Indigenous business leaders.
Michael is originally from Weenusk First Nation.
Stephanie Ash
Stephanie is a Managing Partner in ISG and has 26 years of communications, relationship strategy and project management experience. She is the Founder and CEO of Firedog Communications; an award-winning communications agency in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Stephanie came to Canada from the UK in 2001 and was hailed as an ‘innovative and influential trailblazer’ by Canadian Marketing Magazine. In 2005, she was named as one of Canada’s Top Ten in the publication’s Marketing One’s To Watch Awards. In 2014, she was a Top 3 finalist for Canadian Woman Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2017, she was a top 3 finalist by Canadian Association of Marketing Professionals (CAMP) for Best Integrated Marketing Campaign of the Year. In Northern Ontario, Stephanie has won numerous awards including Northern Ontario Business Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce Business Award, Northwestern Ontario Visionary Awards Top 20 Under 40, Northern Ontario Young Influential Woman of the Year, Thunder Bay Citizen of Exceptional Achievement 2019, and she was awarded Thunder Bay Business Person of the Year 2020.
Stephanie is extensively involved in volunteer initiatives throughout the province. In 2019, she received a Citizen of Outstanding Achievement Award from the City of Thunder Bay. Over the past 20 years, Stephanie has gained a reputation as a trusted Project Manager, Indigenous Relations and PR Consultant for a variety of Indigenous and industry clients.
Meet the ISG Team
Our managing partners bring together a talented team of strategists, advisors, community builders, trainers, communicators and marketers. Our people have strong connections to community values and extensive experiences working with Indigenous communities.
Sarah Nelson
Sarah is an Ojibwe Anishinaabe kwe (woman) from Animiiki Wekwedong, otherwise known as Thunder Bay, Ontario and the Migizi (Eagle) clan. On her mother’s side, her family is from Couchiching and Lac Seul First Nations. Sarah is skilled at developing and implementing strategic plans, programs and evaluation of projects and organizations. She is a Co-Founder and Advisor for the Indigenous Youth & Community Futures Fund at the Laidlaw Foundation, a fund that supports grassroots Indigenous youth-led cultural and language revitalization projects, and volunteer Director of Thunder Bay non-profit, Shkoday,
Sarah has received training in non-hierarchical facilitation and decolonial research frameworks and methodologies with the 4Rs Youth Movement and Media Arts Network of Ontario, and is experienced in community-based research projects. For group facilitation techniques, she is trained and practised in Art of Hosting as well as Path & Maps, Person Centred Approaches to Community Planning. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Learning from Lakehead University.
Wendy Aaltomaa, RGD
After completing the three-year Graphic Design program at Sault College in Sault Ste. Marie, Wendy returned home to Thunder Bay and began her career as a graphic designer.
For over twenty years, she has been fortunate to work with leading advertising and creative agencies, and her experience includes a wide variety of graphic design projects for Indigenous and non-Indigenous brands and communities.
Her portfolio includes logo design, corporate visual strategy, and creative for print and digital media. For over 13 years, Wendy has been a standing member of the Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario (RGD).
Carolina Montrose
Carolina Montrose is a strategy and results-driven digital marketing professional with 15 years of digital marketing and public relations industry experience. She has a proven track record of increasing website traffic and conversions through SEM, social media, email marketing, content strategy and influencer marketing.
She is also a graphic designer, event producer and experienced in website development.
Marian Tibor-McMohan
Marian Tibor-McMahon brings over 13 years of diverse and extensive communication, engagement and socio-economic experience to the team. Marian’s principal area of work includes developing and executing Indigenous and public engagement programs, designing and implementing social surveys and interviews, designing and facilitating focus group sessions and workshops, developing inclusion plans, conducting social research and analysis, and liaising with multi-disciplinary project and client teams and stakeholders in the mining, transportation, and power sectors. Marian focuses on communicating and engaging with involved public and Indigenous communities to better understand their interests and priorities as they relate to a project. She provides advisory services as well as communication and engagement design and implementation, stakeholder mapping, communication materials, tracking of records of consultation, and reporting. She is an effective communicator who develops strategic and innovative engagement solutions to achieve meaningful project outcomes by working collaboratively with communities and clients.
Brian Abraham
Brian is a digital marketing manager who brings over 8 years of experience to the team. Brian’s passion is to work with clients to help them develop effective campaigns that drive engagement online through social media platforms. His experience includes managing and leading teams, designing and executing marketing strategies, collaborating with other departments, analyzing results and reporting. He also has a background in web development and Search Engine Optimization.
In 2018, his team was recognized for their expertise in social media marketing by winning the Social Media for Social Awareness awards at Digixx 2018 while working on GoAir Airlines’ #LiveSmart campaign. Prior to moving to Canada, Brian managed India’s highest followed social media business page for Reliance mobile, where he was responsible for managing all social channels — Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn — which had over 5 million followers across these platforms. His past projects include managing social media marketing efforts for top brands including Procter & Gamble.
Kaylee Lambert
A writer by trade, Kaylee Lambert has worked in a variety of fields, honing various styles of writing – both personal and corporate. After being educated with a Masters in Journalism and Communications, she has worked for online publications like The Huffington Post Canada.
Kaylee spent a number of years working as the Senior Writer and Content Producer at WE Day – a worldwide charity event celebrating hundreds of thousands of youth and educators who have dedicated themselves to creating social change. From speech and script writing to video producing to live event execution, she’s dipped her toes in all facets of live event planning and broadcast production.
About ICE
ICE is one of the leading national Indigenous firms specializing in community engagement & research, capacity building, and community development. ICE is a 100% Aboriginal-owned firm which has played pivotal roles in Indigenous business and community development initiatives across Canada. Our approach is grounded in our community-based understanding of indigenous business goals, protocols, local governance, project management, and regulatory contexts.
ICE brings its deep experience, working knowledge, and wide expertise in Indigenous community relations, business and community economic development to all our ISG projects. The team has specialized training for facilitation of focus groups, workshops, and public participation. We are certified with the Professional Facilitators Program as well as the Certificate in Public Participation by the International Association of Public Participation.
About Firedog Communications
Firedog Communications Inc. is a full-service communications and marketing agency. Founded in 2003, Firedog has since grown into a regional and national award-winning company that services Indigenous businesses, organizations and communities, as well as industry.
We combine science and creativity to help clients define who they really are and then best tell their story. We offer culturally driven approaches and trusted experience, and an integrated service model. As a team, we support clients with brand, marketing, communications, PR, media, social and web solutions.
We are certified social media marketers and crisis managers.
