Tyler is from the Membertou First Nation. During his youth, Tyler lived on the Sipeknek’katik First Nation, and considers both Membertou and Sipekne’katik his home Communities.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology from Saint Mary’s University and A Master of Arts in Sociology from the University of Guelph. His graduate research was focused on identity-construction, cultural and authenticity, and decolonization.

Tyler previously worked for Membertou as their Communications Liaison as well as a number of student roles such as the Aboriginal Student Advisor, Graduate Student Teaching Assistant, as well as completing three consecutive internships with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Additionally, Tyler is the former Manager of Research and Analytics at Orenda Software Solutions, an artificial intelligence company that uses social media to measure public perception. Orenda was a regional winner in the Innovacorp I-3 start-up competition in 2015, and later accepted into the IBM Innovation Space, the FinTech Sandbox in Boston, and the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto. Tyler worked for the start-up for five years developing his knowledge of strategic planning, innovation, and taking on various projects related to machine-learning.

Tyler has also volunteered with Digital Mi’kmaq, a curriculum enrichment program designed to introduce and encourage Mi’kmaq students to pursue STEM programs in post-secondary education and related careers.