Alum drives economic growth for Mi’kmaq community

In high school, Michael Peters (International Business ’14) discovered his passion for building and growing businesses – a drive that would take him from teen entrepreneur to CEO of Glooscap Ventures.

“My father was a major influence,” says Michael, a Mi’kmaq member of Glooscap First Nation. “He was an entrepreneur who experienced both successes and failures, but he always got back up and kept going.”

Born and raised in the Annapolis Valley, Michael got his start working in his father’s company, Mi’kmaq Wholesalers, during high school. Noticing a local demand for bagged ice, he launched Mi’kmaq Ice, later expanding into bottled water and acquiring King Ice.

When his father entered politics, Michael purchased parts of the family business and founded Peters Beverages, distributing drinks and managing vending operations across mainland Nova Scotia.

The business of lifelong learning

With two businesses in his portfolio before completing high school, Michael went on to study International Business at NSCC.

“NSCC gave me the foundation and confidence to continue the entrepreneurial path, even though I wasn’t entirely sure where I wanted to go next. It ended up being the starting point for everything that followed,” he explains.

In 2015, Michael became an Economic Development Officer with Glooscap Ventures, was promoted to Vice President of Corporate Development within four years and two years after that was appointed CEO. Running his businesses while also working full-time proved too much, so during that time he sold his businesses.

Michael also earned a Bachelor of Commerce in 2018 through the college-to-university pathway program and completed an Executive MBA in 2023 at Saint Mary’s University.

“Lifelong learning has always been important to me,” he says, noting that he also pursues continuous learning courses.

Creating opportunity, shaping futures

As CEO, Michael drives economic growth and opportunity for Glooscap First Nation. He has also helped several other Mi’kmaw communities start or strengthen their economic development corporations.

“I’m passionate about helping my community of Glooscap First Nation advance through economic development; creating employment, generating own-source revenue, and building long-term prosperity,” he says.

“Within Glooscap, I’ve supported community members in training for careers in renewables, fisheries, and business. This includes training, scholarship and providing advice pro-bono.”

Key milestones include developing the Market @ Glooscap Landing, growing Glooscap Energy from a small 2017 initiative into one of Nova Scotia’s largest energy developers, signing its first wind-project agreements, and leading the acquisition of Pure Casinos in Alberta.

Michael also volunteers extensively and has helped build initiatives such as the Sovereign Wealth Fund, the Tax Authority, and the Community Foundation, and supports training and scholarships for careers in renewables, fisheries, and business.

“I volunteer on the NSCC Board of Governors because I strongly believe in the power of education for our communities,” says Michael, who also serves on the Mi’kmaq–Canada–Nova Scotia Tripartite Economic Development Committee.

“One of my priorities has always been capacity building for Mi’kmaq economic development,” he says.