Fireside Chat Part 1: With Niki Marie Eckardt

Fireside Chat Part 1:

With Niki Marie Eckardt

Meet Niki Marie Eckardt; CEO and VC Fund Manager of NetSource Capital, and CEO of Net Source Inc., is a highly skilled entrepreneur and consultant with more than 30 years of experience mentoring business start-ups, management and executive teams. Based in Calgary, Alberta, Niki is a leader in securing venture capital financing for tech entrepreneurs throughout North America, the UK and Europe. She’s been directly involved with over 275 start-ups, scaling multiple companies and taking exceptional businesses to unicorn status. Her clients work with a dedicated team of consultants, mentors and

coaches from initial fundraising to exit, past MVP phase for full-scale enterprises. Part of the Canadian Blockchain Consortium, Niki also has an exceptional knowledge of investment opportunities, macro-economic environments and global political strategies. Niki’s clients and partners are positioned for outstanding success.

Part 1: Labels Do Not Define Us.

Niki, took time out her day to talk to me about labels, life, ones self, and changing society.

Transgender is a term we use to label people who transition from one gender to another. Learning about people, their history, their experiences will help society grow and be better. It will help society unlearn the wrong, correct what we are doing and allow a safe space (eventually) for everyone, and equality.

“To get to this point will be a hard journey and it starts with people owning who they are, taking responsibility for themselves and their actions first.” explains Niki. When I asked Niki to define transgender she stated, “It’s a medical condition.” The way we look at things in society and the problems that we have within all communities, is as Niki states “A societal problem.”

“I do not define myself by being transgender.” Said Niki “and advise I would give to the younger generation is “do not let transgender define you.” Niki became aware that she was different around 6yrs old but couldn’t place how or why. She was just an innocent child. As puberty started, she knew that something was different about her, but still didn’t know what. Puberty is an awkward time for anyone, now add in a medical condition that no one understands yet…that no one talks about… that is not accepted in society.

At age 7, Niki experienced electric shock treatment in conversion therapy (now banned in Canada…very very recently) When asked about this, Niki replied, “this happened because there was a huge misunderstanding of what her medical condition was.”

Propaganda drives societal thinking, in all communities. Education, being able to learn and listen changes what drives societal problems. But we must be able to learn openly.

“Allow openness and understanding.” States Niki. “Change is extremely difficult, and we need to live our lives to relate to individuals. We need to work in and with society. We need to accept and not judge.”

Niki had to try to determine in her own mind what was next, imagine how hard that is when society was telling her she was wrong. “This is not a choice; it is a medical condition!”

Niki, doesn’t need to explain herself to anyone, she doesn’t need to play victim, and most importantly she does NOT need validation from anyone. “A lot of people are by products of their parents or society who dictate who we need to be. I believe in and accept myself. The only person I need validation from is myself. Understanding and accepting myself led to and continues to give me inner peace.”

“Once you realize you only need validation from yourself all the pressures are released.”

Let’s all participate in society, in listening, working ..as Niki states “ I don’t judge anyone. I am apart of society, work in and with society and contribute to society ethically and morally. We can all so this and should.”

“Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to

negotiate.” JFK