Learning Alongside Community

As part of his Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Asper School of Business, Nathan Maertins helped oversee the construction of a recently-opened Supported Independent Living facility on Sagkeeng First Nation, Wiiji Bimoseyang Binesi (Thunderbird Helping Them Walk).

The easy narrative would be to show that he gave back to the community with this project. But he doesn’t quite see it that way.

“I don’t view it as charity,” Maertins says “I feel like I gained as much or more from that experience with Sagkeeng than what I gave.”

“I got to learn more about their community and culture. […] I was able to be on the front lines of developing a $4 million building from start to finish.”

To Maertins, community-based opportunities are an experience in which you can connect with and learn from people you may not have otherwise met.

It’s not guiding the way. It’s walking and learning alongside them.

Wiiji Bimoseyang Binesi (Thunderbird Helping Them Walk)

Maertins had worked in furniture sales for seven years when he decided to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Asper while working full-time.

Visitors at Wiiji Bimoseyang Binesi (Thunderbird Helping Them Walk)

As part of his MBA coursework, he completed an industry project, an elective where students get to apply their classroom knowledge to a real-world venture.

His project was to be a consultant on the construction of a supported independent living complex on Sagkeeng First Nation. The facility, Wiiji Bimoseyang Binesi, is an offshoot of the Sagkeeng Health Centre.

The residents of this facility, who have physical and/or cognitive disabilities, have access to staff at all times and can still be active within their First Nation community.

Keeping its roots in the participants’ home community is the facility’s distinguishing factor.

Often, Indigenous people who need support are “forced to leave their home community, which really just perpetuates some of the colonial and historical wrongs where folks have been forcibly removed from communities in the past,” says Maertins.

Partnership is key

Maertins’ role was to collaborate with the team and create a business plan that covered everything from construction to financials.

The resulting document was used in an application that helped Sagkeeng Health Centre secure $1.9 million in capital funding from Indigenous Services Canada.

Maertins emphasizes that this project was successful because of a “partnership approach” where they were assisted by “lots of different people from the right disciplines,” who gave them a diversity of thought, knowledge and execution.

“When you have the right people, you don’t need to know all the answers going in.” says Maertins.

After facing several uphill battles (see: COVID), Sagkeeng Health Centre held a grand opening for Wiiji Bimoseyang Binesi in May of 2025, and since, they have successfully opened their doors to residents.

Never stop learning

Before business, Maertins’ first experience at UM was in music. He played classical piano and obtained a Bachelor of Music degree. Though they would seem to be opposite fields, he maintains he learned some of his most important skills from music.

“You have to have a lot of focus and dedication to perform at a high level. […] The discipline that you develop through that is beneficial wherever you go,” he says. 

Playing piano, like playing sports, like any kind of skill, involves personal improvement. And Maertins loves business as a career precisely because it offers real ways to get better every day.

“You never stop learning. You always keep growing. And it’s on you to always identify where you need to grow,” Maertins says.

In the MBA program, he felt he made real growth: “I think the MBA has been really helpful from the standpoint of giving me more tools in the toolbox.”

He now works as a consultant for MNP, one of Canada’s leading accounting firms, where he helps businesses bring their visions to life by managing projects and preparing essential documents, including business reports.

But he emphasizes that just because he’s found success, just because he’s gained so much experience and education, doesn’t mean he hasn’t taken his eyes off future growth.

“I wouldn’t say I’ve arrived anywhere yet.”

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The Asper MBA program is designed to meet the market-driven needs of today’s industry professionals. With one of the most flexible and adaptable programs in Canada, the Asper MBA program is designed to help students build their leadership skills in any field. Take the first step in transforming your career today, and learn more here.

Brett Maclaren