Every young person deserves to know they belong.
For Theron Morningstar, belonging has often been found through movement: travelling north to spend summers with family, being on the land, stepping onto the ice and joining other Indigenous athletes at tournaments that brought sport and culture together.
Growing up in Kingston, Ontario, those experiences helped Theron remain connected to his family and identity. Hockey gave him opportunities to travel, compete and meet Indigenous youth from communities across the country. He played in the Little Native Hockey League and later represented Team Ontario at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championship. These experiences showed him what becomes possible when Indigenous athletes are surrounded by people who understand where they come from and want to see them succeed.
Sport also connected Theron to his father, Jason Morningstar. Theron speaks openly about the role athletics played in his father’s life and the direction it gave him when he was young.
“Sports saved his life,” Theron says.
That family experience shaped Theron’s understanding of what sport can offer a young person. It can provide direction, relationships, confidence and a sense of belonging during the moments when those things are needed most.
Building the Support He Once Needed
At 17, Theron moved away from home and found himself managing several changes at once. He was adjusting to a new environment while struggling with his cultural identity, academics and athletic performance. Although he had experience and ability as an athlete, he did not always have the network of support he needed.
The experience stayed with him and eventually led Theron to think about other young athletes facing the same uncertainty. He understood how easily a young person could feel disconnected from home, culture, school or sport, particularly when pursuing opportunities away from their community. He also knew what could make a difference: someone to call, a mentor who understood, academic guidance when school became difficult and athletic support that considered the whole person rather than focusing only on performance.
That understanding became the foundation of the Indigenous Athletic Development Circle, which Theron co-founded with his father. IADC provides low-barrier access to athletic development, academic support and mentorship for Indigenous youth. The organization helps young people develop within sport while remaining connected to their identity, community, education and personal well-being.
For Theron, these areas cannot be separated. What happens in the classroom, at home and within a young person’s relationships and sense of self can affect their experience as an athlete. Supporting the athlete means supporting the young person as a whole.
His philosophy reflects what he has witnessed within his family and experienced in his own life:
“Sport is medicine. Movement is medicine.”
Through IADC, that belief is being transformed into practical support. Theron and his team are creating pathways where Indigenous youth can access guidance, build confidence and continue pursuing their goals with people in their corner.
Making the Idea Exist
When Theron applied to the Indigenous Launchpad for Entrepreneurs, IADC was still at the grassroots stage. The purpose was clear, but the organization was continuing to develop its programs, direction and approach.
“We were just starting up, and honestly, I didn’t really know what direction we were going to head,” he recalls. “But I did know we wanted to help as many kids as we can.”
Rather than waiting until everything was perfect, Theron and his father began building from what they already knew. They listened, learned from their experiences and continued adjusting the model to reflect the needs of the young people and communities they hoped to serve.
That process still shapes the advice Theron gives other early-stage entrepreneurs:
“Make your idea exist first. You can always make it better later.”
Launchpad gave Theron an opportunity to strengthen the business knowledge behind that idea. Through self-paced learning, mentorship, pitch preparation and relationships with other Indigenous entrepreneurs, he began building the organizational foundation needed to move IADC beyond its grassroots beginnings.
Launchpad also showed him that building a social enterprise did not have to be an individual journey. The relationships he formed became part of the growing circle around IADC.
Preparing to Step Forward
Theron approached the Launchpad Showcase with the same discipline he had learned through athletics. He often returns to what he calls the Five Ps: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. It became his approach as he prepared to present IADC at the NACCA Indigenous Prosperity Forum.
He practised, refined his message and made sure he was ready. His preparation could be seen in every part of how he presented the organization.
Theron has built a clear and thoughtful brand, from IADC’s website and social media presence to the materials he carried onto the stage. Around his neck, he wore a beaded medallion featuring the IADC logo, created by Teeteesbusybeads, a small business based in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. The number of stripes incorporated into the lanyard also carried significance, reflecting the care and meaning behind every detail.
More than part of his presentation, the medallion represented culture, family, and community, as well as the people standing behind Theron and the vision he was carrying forward. When he stepped onto the stage, he did not do so alone. Even with that preparation and support, presenting in front of hundreds of people required courage.
Theron spoke about the experiences that shaped IADC, the barriers Indigenous youth face and the future he believes can be created through athletics, mentorship and education. He was inviting others to understand the need, see the potential and become part of what IADC could grow into.
When he finished, the response stayed with him. People approached to shake his hand, tell him they connected with his presentation and offer their encouragement. He looked around the room and saw fellow founders, partners and supporters who believed in what he and his father were building.
“It felt like there were 600 of my friends around me,” he says. “I don’t think I’ve ever stepped into a room of 600 people and felt that welcome before.”
For someone whose work is rooted in helping young people feel supported and included, the moment carried particular meaning. Theron had created IADC so young athletes would know they had people in their corner. At the Showcase, he experienced that same sense of connection for himself.
The relationships continued after the event. People reached out through LinkedIn, new conversations began and Theron later met with Indigenous Financial Institutions in Ottawa. Those connections helped widen the circle around IADC and introduced the organization to potential partners who understand the importance of investing in Indigenous youth.
A Vision That Reaches Across the Country
Theron’s goal is ambitious. Within the next ten years, he wants the Indigenous Athletic Development Circle to be active in every province and territory.
Across Canada, Indigenous youth can encounter barriers that limit their ability to participate, develop as athletes and remain connected to the support systems they need. Some leave their communities to pursue sport and find themselves separated from family and culture. Others may never receive the opportunity to participate at all.
Theron wants IADC to help close those gaps by building relationships with First Nations, schools, Indigenous organizations, funders, athletic programs and community partners. Each partnership can create another pathway for a young person to receive support, remain connected and see a future for themselves within sport and beyond it.
“We’re here for the children and the youth,” he says. “We know our programming can definitely save lives, like it did my father.”
The goal is not growth for its own sake. It is about reaching the young person struggling in school, the athlete pursuing an opportunity away from home or the family searching for support they can trust.
For Theron, each new relationship creates another opportunity for an Indigenous young person to know they are not alone.
About the Founder
Bring Indigenous Athletic Development Circle to Your Community
Indigenous Athletic Development Circle works with Indigenous youth through an approach that recognizes the connections between athletics, education, mentorship, identity and community.
First Nations, schools, Indigenous organizations, recreation programs, athletic partners and community leaders interested in supporting Indigenous youth are invited to connect with IADC.
IADC’s work includes:
- Low-barrier athletic support and development
- Academic guidance and mentorship
- Leadership and personal development
- Support for Indigenous youth navigating sport
- Partnerships with First Nations, schools and Indigenous organizations
- Programming that strengthens confidence, identity and connection
Through every program and partnership, the goal remains the same: to ensure Indigenous youth have people in their corner and pathways that allow them to grow.
Learn more: www.iadc.ai
Continue The Journey
Every entrepreneur has a story, and every story has thepower to inspire the next.
🎥 Watch Theron’s Founder Story and hear, in his own words, how he is using sport and movement to create opportunities for healing, belonging and stronger communities.
📖 Read more Founder Stories on the IPF Blog and discover how Indigenous entrepreneurs acrossthe country are building businesses rooted in purpose, creativity, and
community.
🚀 Ready to begin your own entrepreneurial journey? Launchpad enters its national rollout at a time of growing interest from communities, Nations, and ecosystem partners. IPF is exploring new collaborations with organizations that share its commitment to strengthening Indigenous-led entrepreneurship.
Opportunities exist to support future cohorts participants, mentorship cohorts, sector-specific streams, and expanded community reach across Canada. The Launchpad Founder Stories Video Series was created by the Indigenous Prosperity Foundation in collaboration with Double Barrel Studios.
Partnership inquiries may be directed to launchpad@indigenousfoundation.ca