Strategic leadership for inclusive economic transformation

Meet Acote.

Acote is a strategic consulting firm that helps organizations, financial service providers, governments, and economic development institutions build equitable, resilient, and trusted systems.

We translate community insight, inclusive design, and reconciliation into strategies that strengthen trust, remove systemic barriers, and expand access to opportunity and wellbeing.

Inclusive economies begin with inclusive systems. We help institutions align internal culture and policy with external strategy so they are positioned to meet the opportunities of an inclusive economic future.

We partner with institutions ready to move beyond statements and compliance toward meaningful, measurable action.

A note from our founder.

Taansii.

It took me more than five years to find the right name for my company. For a long time, we were known as Pestun Consulting Inc., a placeholder while I waited for a name that felt true and would come when it was ready.

Then, one night, as I was falling asleep, I found myself thinking of my grandmother, Agnes Cote. Her presence was strong as I thought about her teachings, and her quiet strength. And in that moment, the name arrived, clear, grounding, and familiar.

Acote.

Acote is more than a reflection of my grandmother’s name; it is a legacy. It honours my grandmother’s resilience, her deep sense of relationship, and her unwavering belief in the responsibility we hold to one another.

In French, à côté means “next to,” which is a reflection of how I have always worked. Throughout my career, I have walked beside people and organizations committed to building a more inclusive economy. I’ve learned that change does not come from leading or from following, but from standing alongside others—with trust, humility, and shared purpose.

Acote continues that journey. As an advisory firm, we bring insight, cultural understanding, and strategic guidance as we walk beside organizations working to advance economic inclusion.

This is the spirit of Acote.

Our purpose, mission
and vision.

Our purpose

Acote exists to bridge the gap between institutional decision-making and community realities. We empower organizations to move beyond compliance toward authentic action, shifting systems, removing barriers, and creating inclusive economies and workplaces where everyone can fully participate and prosper.

Our Mission

To help organizations design inclusive strategies, systems, and workplaces that expand access to opportunity, strengthen community trust, and support equitable economic participation for people, businesses and communities.

Our Vision

An economy grounded in equity, reconciliation, and shared prosperity where every person and community has the conditions to thrive.

Our values.

  • We meet partners where they are and walk beside them with humility, curiosity, and shared purpose. Meaningful change happens through relationship, not hierarchy.

  • Trust is the foundation of every system we help shape. We build it through integrity, transparency, cultural understanding, and a commitment to showing up with care.

  • Equity is not a statement—it is a commitment to removing systemic barriers and designing strategies that create real, measurable change for people and communities.

  • We honour the responsibilities we hold to one another, to the land, and to future generations. Our work is guided by reconciliation, truth, and the leadership of Indigenous peoples.

  • We centre lived experience and community knowledge in every project. Our strategies reflect the realities of those most impacted, ensuring solutions are relevant, respectful, and effective.

  • We design systems that are equitable, resilient, and responsive. Our approach blends inclusive design, systems thinking, and strategic insight to build solutions that last.

  • We believe in clear goals, transparent progress, and continuous learning. Accountability strengthens trust—and turns intention into sustained action.

  • We work toward an economy where everyone has the conditions to thrive. Inclusive systems create shared prosperity, stronger communities, and a more equitable future for all.

Shannon Pestun is an award-winning Indigenous entrepreneur and finance leader recognized for her contributions to inclusive entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and economic reconciliation in Canada. Her work to dismantle systemic barriers in the financial sector has made her one of the country’s most trusted voices to government, industry, and civil society on advancing truth and reconciliation.

A sought-after strategic advisor, Shannon’s insights and policy recommendations have informed national and international dialogue, including consultations with federal ministries and senior leaders across Canada’s financial ecosystem. Her expertise spans public policy, finance, governance, and Indigenous economic development, positioning her as a respected leader in shaping strategies that strengthen Canada’s financial systems.

As CEO of Acote Inc., an Indigenous-owned firm, Shannon partners with governments, financial institutions, economic development organizations, and post-secondary institutions to accelerate inclusive and equitable economic growth.

Meet Shannon.