Every year, Edify magazine shares it’s Top 40 Under 40 – a group of Edmontonians who are making an impact on our city. This year, five MacEwan alumni made the cut, including Shani Gwin. She graduated from MacEwan’s Public Relations program in 2010, and is now the founder and managing partner of pipikwan pêhtâkwan, formerly Gwin Communications, an Indigenous public relations agency that specializes in elevating Indigenous voices, projects and issues across Canada.

We caught up with her recently to discuss her career, her passions and her time at MacEwan.

What moment or memory from your time at MacEwan stands out to you the most?

I made some really great connections with the other students. We worked together to support each other and many of us are still connected now. There’s a community you become part of that’s special – I really value the relationships I made during the program.

What lesson did you learn at MacEwan that you still carry with you today?

The Public Relations program really cemented the value of leaning into other people’s strengths and making room for everyone on the team to apply their skills in group work. When you enter the working world, it’s important to identify individual strengths to build a team to create the most successful project for the client. Building on people’s strengths not only helps individuals flourish, it also leads to a higher quality product for the client.

How did your MacEwan experience help get you to where you are now?

The Public Relations program was a crash course – it felt like a very focused year of preparing me for the working world. When I started my career, I was able to absorb and appreciate teachings from my mentors with ease. I think because I had such a great start with MacEwan, I was ready and willing to take on what they could share to help me grow and shape my career.

Why are you passionate about your current work?

I believe there are so many stories and truths that have not been shared in mainstream media or to the general public in a way that marginalized communities feel they have control over. Our agency works primarily with Indigenous communities to ensure they have ownership of their information and stories, while also advising them of best practices and strategies to reach their intended audiences effectively. It’s important for people of colour and Indigenous Peoples to be in these careers – our lens is needed to best advise our communities that we are a part of. We know the audience, the way they talk and the barriers and history to this point. It’s not the same when people in public relations are not from these communities – they don’t always understand or know. Our work will help future generations of allies learn, and together we can influence and change the systems placed before us.

What would you say has been your greatest achievement so far?