Greg Hopf

Greg Hopf

Kelowna, British Columbia
Indigenous Tourism, Entrepreneurship, and Storytelling, First Nation Relationship Expert
Greg Hopf is a Dene Indigenous tourism leader and Indigenous youth advocate who is passionate about building vibrant and thriving Indigenous communities. Greg Hopf shares stories and cultural traditions in an authentic and meaningful way, while working towards reconciliation through his philosophy of ‘Living in Two Worlds’.
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Health & Wellness
  • Mental Health
  • Peak Performance
  • Personal Growth
  • Resilience & Adversity
  • Business Management
  • Awareness Days
  • Campus & University Speakers
  • Community Engagement Events
  • Conference
  • Economic Development
  • Education & Teachers
  • First Nation Motivational Speakers
  • Infrastructure & Urban Planning

GREG HOPF BIOGRAPHY

Greg Hopf is a Dene Indigenous tourism leader and Indigenous youth advocate who is passionate about building vibrant and thriving Indigenous communities, sharing stories and cultural traditions in an authentic and meaningful way, and working towards reconciliation through his philosophy of ‘Living in Two Worlds’. Greg Hopf was born and raised in Denendeh (Northwest Territories) and was fortunate to have the opportunity to live with his Aunt Celine and Uncle Jim Antoine in the tiny Dene community of Liidlii Kue (Ft. Simpson) where Greg Hopf learnt his Dene culture and value system, and built a strong connection to the land, the animals, and the spirits. These Dene values and stories brought him out on the land hunting, trapping, fishing and harvesting with his Liidlii Kue family. To this day Greg Hopf is still practicing his traditional way of life with his wife Sharon and his kids Keaton and Presley Hopf in the Okanagan Valley. Greg Hopf takes tremendous pride in passing his culture to his children, while professionally working towards building the capacity and a positive legacy in all Indigenous communities, and educating non-Indigenous peoples in a respectful and authentic way.

Greg is an accomplished and engaging speaker. He takes you on a journey through lived experiences, sharing inspirational and truth telling stories to create a memorable and insightful connection with the specific subject matter or audience. Beyond completing his post-secondary education in Alberta, Greg is a certified Master Facilitator in Indigenous Cross-Cultural Awareness, facilitator in Indigenous Racism and completed Aboriginal Coaching Modules.

Past speaking engagements include:

  • International Indigenous Tourism Conference
  • Porsche Cars Canada
  • Accelerate Okanagan Annual General Meeting
  • University of Queensland – Australia
  • University of British Columbia

In 2017, Greg Hopf joined forces with his now business partner Frank Antoine to launch an Indigenous tourism company called Moccasin Trails. Together they grew the business into an award-winning tourism company.  Through the leadership and management of Frank and Greg, Moccasin Trails have had the following awards and recognitions bestowed:

  • 2019 All Nations Trust Company – Tourism Business Award Winner
  • 2019 Start Up Canada Awards – National Indigenous Entrepreneur Finalist Nominee
  • 2019 International Indigenous Tourism Awards – Customer Service Award Finalist Nominee
  • Finalist in the 2021 Kelowna Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards

In addition to the tourism business, Greg is the co-founder of Moccasin Trails Consulting, which is focused on economic development, tourism development, partnership building between Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations, delivering inspiring keynote presentations, and facilitated training and workshops. Greg’s work is deeply rooted in Indigenous values, cultures, teachings, and beliefs where there is an innate understanding of the opportunities and challenges for Indigenous communities. Prior to starting Moccasin Trails, Greg successfully managed a hunting and fishing lodge in the NWT; built the Aboriginal Sport Circle of the NWT for over ten years; developed an Indigenous cultural tourism strategy for the Thompson Okanagan region; and lead the successful bid to host the International Indigenous Tourism Conference (IITC) in Kelowna 2019.

Videos

Podcasts

Coming Soon!

Greg Hopf Topic Presentations

introduction into indigenous culture

  • Virtual PresentationKeynote PresentationWorkshop SessionHalf Day TrainingFull Day Training
  • Greg brings audiences on a journey of awareness and education to introduction what Indigenous culture is and means to him. He shares the trials and triumphs, tribal lands, ancestral travel and trade roots and the tribal systems of family relationships and beliefs. Greg introduces individuals to the ancestral paths his people walked, how they gathered, how they eat, why and when they celebrated. Despite the impacts of colonialism many of these beliefs systems, traditions and values are still very much alive today. From languages to food, celebrations to ceremonies, stories to legends, Greg takes you on a journey from what he has learned and what was passed down to him by his Elders.  He shares a journey of understanding our relationship with Mother Earth, the animals, its ecosystems and the traditional practices and belief systems of his people. Greg will give audiences an authentic first-hand experience brought to him through his elders, community, and the research he has done as a consultant, tour guide and a successful business owner. He shares the stories that were passed down orally from generations to generation, and how communities are rebuilding their history through these stories.

living in two worlds

  • Virtual PresentationKeynote PresentationWorkshop SessionHalf Day TrainingFull Day Training
  • Indigenous people today live in two parallel worlds where Indigenous and western worldviews can be conflicting. Through understanding Indigenous ways of living and the role of intercultural communication people can pull these two parallel worlds together and learn from one and other. Greg touches on what does living a holistic life look like and what elements (cultural, physical, spiritual, emotional) are needed to live the best life possible. You will learn from stories Greg will share on how he navigates living in two worlds, from being on the land harvesting food for his family one day, and the next being in a corporate boardroom giving a presentation to CEO’s and corporate executives in a big city.

the power of indigenous tourism

  • Virtual PresentationKeynote PresentationWorkshop SessionHalf Day TrainingFull Day Training
  • Through his lived experience in running an award-winning tourism business to working at a destination management organization in the Thompson Okanagan region, Greg will share his insights on how to successfully develop Indigenous tourism. Tourism is a positive tool for reconciliation that brings people from different backgrounds together to learn about Indigenous cultures, histories, and stories throughout authentic experiences. Indigenous tourism is a promising approach to sustainable development, a way for Indigenous communities to support culture and language, generate revenue, create meaningful jobs, increase access to healthcare and education, and conserve natural resources. Greg shares his experience and stories related to the power of sharing stories, history, and culture through experiential tourism and how communities and Indigenous entrepreneurs can build a lasting legacy through tourism.

the power of sport

  • Virtual PresentationKeynote PresentationWorkshop SessionHalf Day TrainingFull Day Training
  • Greg got involved in sport as a child and played most sports growing up, before falling in love with competitive hockey that took him travelling around the world. Through his experience playing sport, coaching and setting up Indigenous youth programming, Greg truly built an understanding of the power of Indigenous sport, holistic approaches to coaching and the opportunity of building meaningful relationships, leadership skills and confidence through sport.  Sport is a true tool for reconciliation and the positive ripple effects it has on children that ripples through communities. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has specific calls to action around Indigenous sport (87-91) from recognising Indigenous athletes in the history books to ensuring territorial protocols are followed in sporting events to creating inclusive policies that promote physical activity and reduce barriers to sports participation. Greg will share his lived experience of building programs that have a powerful Indigenous component and how they have resulted in team success in medaling at major international multisport games and national championships.  He will share his lessons on building long lasting grassroots community programs and the positive effects that continue to change the lives of Indigenous children in isolated communities.

truth then reconciliation or practicing reconciliation everyday

  • Virtual PresentationKeynote PresentationWorkshop SessionHalf Day TrainingFull Day Training
  • How much do you actually understand about Indigenous peoples, current issues and reconciliation? We must learn how to practice reconciliation in our everyday lives – within ourselves, families, communities, governments, places of worship, schools, and our workplace. To do so constructively we must remain committed to the work of establishing and maintaining respectful relationships, to action, building bridges and learning how to be an ally. Greg will build awareness on how to practice reconciliation through first-hand knowledge and experience, and people will leave with a clear understanding of what they can do to support truth and reconciliation in Canada.

creating strong indigenous partnerships

  • Virtual PresentationKeynote PresentationWorkshop SessionHalf Day TrainingFull Day Training
  • Creating Indigenous partnerships based on trust, integrity, honesty, and respect is the key to working with any community. Greg will share examples successful partnerships to achieve community projects or initiatives, and how meaningful partnerships between Nations and municipalities, corporations and/or non-for-profit organizations benefits the entire community. Greg highlights the importance of learning about the Indigenous history and culture, how to manage risk, how to tackle the fear of doing or saying the wrong thing and the art of taking time to cultivate relationships.

building resilient indigenous youth

  • Virtual PresentationKeynote PresentationWorkshop SessionHalf Day TrainingFull Day Training
  • Greg’s personal story of his youth and upbringing has many twists and turns, he shares his personal tragedies and triumphs with such passion and emotion for his audiences. The trauma he lived and witnessed was experienced first-hand, suicides, deaths and addictions, quickly changed his life, and he knew if he did not change, he would become another Indigenous statistic. Competitive sports became his escape, and he quickly realized he wanted to make this his career.  He figured if he found a way out, then he could share his learnings with other youth to help them on their journeys. Greg’s role as Executive Director with the Aboriginal Sport Circle was entirely around youth empowerment through strategic planning and programming, he was able to positively influence and create meaningful change in the lives of youth at risk. Many youth that were a part of the program went to build lives of their own anchored in the values and principles they gained through the Aboriginal Sport Circle.

other speaker topics

  • Virtual PresentationKeynote PresentationWorkshop SessionHalf Day TrainingFull Day Training
    • Partnering for Sustainable Economic Opportunities in Canada
    • First Nation Governance
    • Residential School Awareness
    • Impacts of Colonialism
    • Shared Realities: What it’s like growing up as an Indigenous person in Canada

Testimonials

Greg has shown that through hard work and perseverance he has taken his company and has built it to an award winning business, his story is one, our stakeholders can look to for motivation

Keith Henry

B.ED President and CEO
Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada

Greg’s approach and mindfulness in building strong key relationships with our indigenous communities has made us a leader in the tourism industry, the value that has brought us is immeasurable and priceless

Henry Tso

Chief Financial Officer and Acting Chief Executive Officer
Indigenous Tourism Association of British Columbia

Articles & Media

Kamloops’ newest winery tour follows an ancestral Indigenous path

SBC

View

Indigenous-led tourism operation is looking to grow consulting side of business

SBC

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Books

Coming Soon!

How to book Greg Hopf for an event?

Greg Hopf keynote speaker is an expert presenter and has a wide range of experience speaking to a wide variety of audiences and organizations. Greg Hopf delivers keynotes, workshops & training sessions. They may also host or emcee events. Hire Greg Hopf from Kelowna, British Columbia for your event to inspire the audience to take action and make change in their work and their lives. Your workplace will benefit from our keynote speaker and their keynote talks and speeches will shift the mindsets or behaviours for the audience members in Canada. 

Interested in booking Greg Hopf for an event?

Are you looking to hire Greg Hopf for your event? Greg Hopf Kelowna, British Columbia is a dynamic and engaging speaker that offers audiences researched content paired with expertise and a dynamic speaking ability. Greg Hopf is also a Canadian corporate consultant and coach and facilitates workshops and training sessions for a corporate audience. Greg Hopf is an expert keynote presenter and speaks on wide variety of topics. Hiring a great speaker for your event is important and working with a thought leader like Greg Hopf from Speakers Canada’s roster will engage audiences into the content of the presentation to bring awareness and a fresh perspective for their approach to their work and their lives. Book Greg Hopf to educate, motivate and activate the audience through an interactive and entertaining presentation at corporate meetings and gatherings.

Known as a popular key note speaker in Canada, Greg Hopf creates life changing experiences for the participants with practical insights and strategic advice they can implement right after the session. Working with a one our leading expert speaker like Greg Hopf from Kelowna, British Columbia offers organizations a fresh perspective to assist the people of the organization. No matter if it is a government, association, or business crowd, Greg Hopf is a perfect speaker for your event. Through unique practical insights for trending topics and years experience speaking to different organizations, Greg Hopf focuses on changing individuals to make better decisions at work and their lives. No matter if you are holding an in person or virtual event, having an influential speaker such as Greg Hopf will engage, motivate, and activate the audience to make a change in their lives and inspire action for results to meet organizational goals. Your workforce will benefit from Greg Hopf’s presentations and speeches, with measurable results set to shift the people of the organization and core direction of the company. Book Greg Hopf speaker for your annual general meeting, conference, summit, or convention in Canada.

How much does it cost to hire Greg Hopf for a keynote presentation or virtual event?

Greg Hopf is an expert professional key note speaker with a lot of experience speaking and delivering engaging talks to organizations and audiences in Canada. Each of Speaker Bureau Canada’s talent have different ways to assess their fees, and Greg Hopf speaker fee ranges depending on the size of the audience, event format (in person or virtual), event location, and if the organization booking them is a non profit, association, government department/government agency or business/corporation. The speakers we work with are flexible with their fees, and it is important for us to learn more about your event before we approach them, as it is our role to work for you, and to help you find a speaker within budget. 

Please contact Speakers Bureau of Canada and provide us with your event details so that we can contact Greg Hopf to check availability or confirm the pricing and associated costs to hire a great speaker like Greg Hopf for your event. As Greg Hopf's agent and as a Canadian top speaker bureau and talent agency for speakers, we are able to propose each event opportunity from each host organization’s behalf to try to help you get in touch with Greg Hopf and confirm them for your in person or online meeting/event. We can also provide and advise on the booking process and potentially negotiate their fee. Speakers Canada is a client focused speaker agency, and we work for you in finding good speakers for your team meetings and booking processes.

Greg Hopf Disclaimer
Speakers Bureau Canada assists companies and event planning teams seeking to hire talent like Greg Hopf for speaking engagements, virtual meetings, conference appearances, training sessions and workshops facilitations. Our Canadian speakers bureau does not claim to exclusively represent Greg Hopf, however they are represented by Speakers Canada, and we work with them closely for their Canadian speaking opportunities and bookings. As Canada’s top speaker bureau, we represent Canadian motivational keynote speakers and professional guest speakers that will be available on your upcoming events date and location that are withing the budget. Our talented bureau speaker booking agency can help find business speakers or celebrity speakers that aligns with each organization, audience, event theme and the topic themes you hope for the speaker to address in their presentation. 

When SBC receives a request to book Greg Hopf we provide you with their speaker fees, travel costs and check their schedules. We work closely with the host organization’s event planning team and the speaker to handle the logistics and to relay or negotiate associated costs. Our talented team members then will work with our talent directly or their agent/manager/assistant to confirm the Canadian speaker fee and travel expenses, so that event planning teams can receive an official quote for the speaker appearing at the event. Speaker fees and travel costs vary per speaker and our role is to contact Greg Hopf about your event, after we have connected with the event organizers to learn all the event details and/or conference program. Each booking request is unique since session durations and audience sizes can vary which may affect the speaker’s fees. If you are looking to hire Greg Hopf, we recommend filling out the booking request form so a booking agent from Speakers Bureau Canada can get in touch with our talent to help you coordinate with your team to engage the speaker for a successful event.

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