110. Community, Culture & Complex Change: Denise Williams on What It Really Takes to Lead

In this powerful conversation, we sit down with Denise Williams, a systems thinker, Coast Salish leader, and former CEO of the First Nations Technology Council, to talk about what it really takes to lead, especially when you're the first, the only, or the one expected to hold it all together.

From growing up in Haida Gwaii to becoming CEO at just 27, Denise shares her journey of building bridges between tech, tradition, and truth. We talk about digital sovereignty, being mixed-race in a world that boxes identity, and the unexpected loneliness that can accompany leadership.

If you’ve ever felt like you didn’t quite belong or have been shoulder-tapped to lead when you didn’t feel ready, this episode is for you.

🔍 In this episode:

• What it means to belong when you feel like you belong nowhere

• The weight (and clarity) of being a leader without a roadmap

• Why digital equity for Indigenous communities matters for everyone

• Navigating burnout, boundaries & big systems as a values-driven human

• What to do when you’re leading alone—and how to build a practice that sustains you

  
  

💡 “Maybe we don't belong in a box—maybe we belong everywhere.”

🎧 Watch now on TELUS Optik TV, Stream+, or the Storyhive YouTube channel.

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