Our 2025 Story
10 years of Heart and Community in Indigenous Entrepreneurship
What a milestone! This year marks a full decade of Pow Wow Pitch, ten years of ideas, courage, and community. Since our first Pow Wow Pitch, we have grown not only in size, but in spirit. We welcomed new team members who bring passion and heart to our work, a Board of Directors who established a clear vision, strengthening our foundation to support Indigenous entrepreneurs in turning their ideas, hard work, and dreams into thriving businesses.
Across these ten years, we’ve listened to inspiring pitches, witnessed remarkable journeys, and lifted each other up in ways that continue to shape who we are. Every entrepreneur, mentor, partner, volunteer, and team member has contributed to building a community rooted in generosity, support, and shared purpose.
As I reflect on how far we’ve come, I am deeply grateful to everyone who has joined us on this journey. I am proud of the community we are building together! It feels like we are just gaining momentum, and I am so excited for the next chapter. Together, we will continue empowering Indigenous entrepreneurs across Turtle Island, ensuring they have the support, confidence, and resources to build thriving businesses.
Here’s to the next decade of unstoppable Indigenous entrepreneurs turning bold ideas, heart, passion, and determination into thriving businesses, with a community of cheerleaders walking alongside them!
Sunshine Quem Tenasco
Founder & Chair, Pow Wow Pitch
Honouring Growth and Celebrating Our Community
This is heart work! I began my Pow Wow Pitch journey 10 years ago as a cheerleader on the sidelines, watching Sunshine launch the very first Pitch at the Ottawa Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival. Today, I’m honoured to lead this incredible organization and build on the foundation she created.
This year marks a milestone as we put our first-ever strategic plan into action, guiding our growth and expanding opportunities for Indigenous entrepreneurs across Turtle Island. It reflects our commitment to providing the resources, mentorship, and the community needed to turn ideas into thriving businesses.
I am continually inspired by the courage, creativity, and self-determination of Indigenous entrepreneurs, and deeply grateful to our partners, mentors, and judges who share their time and knowledge so generously. Every pitch, mentorship session, webinar, and connection strengthens our community.
Mīgwech to everyone who shared their time, voice, and heart. This is our 2025 Story, a reflection of the programs we delivered, the connections we strengthened, and the achievements of every entrepreneur who stepped forward with vision and courage.
As we move into our next chapter, I’m excited to continue growing this community and supporting entrepreneurs as they bring their ideas to life.
Naomi Sarazin
Executive Director, Pow Wow Pitch
Programs with Heart
At the heart of Pow Wow Pitch is a simple belief: when Indigenous entrepreneurs are supported with culturally safe spaces, mentorship, resources, and visibility, they can transform their ideas into thriving businesses that uplift their families and communities. Each of our programs reflects this commitment.
This year, we strengthened this work by welcoming Keisha Perrin as our new Programs Coordinator. Keisha plays a key role in grounding our programs in lived experience, cultural knowledge, and community connection, ensuring our work remains centred on the entrepreneurs we support.
In honour of our 10 year anniversary, we celebrated by giving back to entrepreneurs across Turtle Island. With a generous donation from Mastercard, we distributed 10 laptops and 10 phones at each live Pow Wow Pitch event to boost digital capacity, and gifted 10 Pow Wow Pitch Boxes during the Grand Finale and Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards watch party, marking a decade of supporting Indigenous entrepreneurship.
Our continued partnerships with our co-presenting partners RBC and Mastercard have been instrumental in expanding our support for Indigenous entrepreneurs across Turtle Island. Their contributions, together with those of our partners, alumni, judges, and mentors, enabled us to deliver meaningful programming throughout the year. Through our core programs, the Pow Wow Pitch Competition, Indigenous Startup Program, Tech 4 Youth Program, Pow Wow Pitch Box Program, and Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards, we supported entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey, providing mentorship, resources, and opportunities to grow their businesses and celebrate their achievements.
Pow Wow Pitch Competition
Pow Wow Pitch welcomed hundreds of Indigenous entrepreneurs to its virtual and live events at the Manito Ahbee Festival, Kamloopa Powwow, and Elsipogtog Powwow, awarding more than $100,000 in cash prizes.
Throughout both our virtual and in-person events, Indigenous entrepreneurs received one-on-one mentorship and participated in bootcamps to strengthen their business skills and refine their pitches. Our program continues to thrive thanks to the dedicated support of our partners and their employee volunteers, who serve as mentors and judges. This year, nearly 100 judges evaluated pitches across our virtual and live Pow Wow Pitch Competition, and over 100 mentors provided guidance to help entrepreneurs refine their ideas, build their businesses, and elevate their pitch presentations.
Across the competition, more than 11,000 people casted votes for the People’s Choice prize awarded to Walter Bia & Marissa Begay. Additionally, over 2,700 viewers tuned in for the Semi-Final episodes and Grand Finale.
Our 18 Finalists received expert mentorship by our partners at Sklar Wilton & Associates in preparation for the Grand Finale, building on personalized feedback from Pitch Coach, Karla Briones Consulting, to refine their presentation and step into the final pitch with confidence.
Every entrepreneur who pitched this year will proudly join our Alumni Network, a vibrant and growing community of over 2000 Indigenous entrepreneurs shaping the future.
Thank you to all of our incredible partners for providing esteemed mentors and judges who made this year such a success. A huge congratulations to the Semi-Finalists, Finalists and Winners, your passion, vision, and creativity is inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs!
| In-Person Events Manito Ahbee Pow Wow Pitch Photo Album | Announcement Kamloopa Pow Wow Pitch Photo Album | Announcement Elsipogtog Pow Wow Pitch Photo Album | Announcement Virtual Semi-Finals Professional Services & Trades Watch Back | Announcement Consumer Products & Retail Watch Back | Announcement Creative Watch Back | Announcement Fashion Watch Back | Announcement Knowledge Services Watch Back | Announcement Food & Drink Watch Back | Announcement | Food & Drink
Grand Finale |
Big Cheers for the 2025 Winners
After months of preparation, pitch-perfect presentations, and fierce but friendly competition, the 2025 winners have been selected by the Pow Wow Pitch Grand Finale Judges!
The First Place Prize of $25,000 presented by RBC was awarded to Kendal Garlow, Co-Founder and CEO of SproutSync Ltd., from Six Nations of the Grand River, Ontario. SproutSync is an Indigenous-led greenhouse automation company dedicated to making food sovereignty practical and achievable. Co-founded by Kendal and her partner, Thomas Sweeney, SproutSync brings together Indigenous food sovereignty research and engineering innovation to create sustainable systems to empower communities to thrive. Watch Kendal’s pitch.
The Second Place Prize of $10,000 presented by Mastercard was awarded to Wendy Landry, Founder of Bebia Cho Foods Co., from Deh Gáh Got’îê First Nation and based in Kelowna, British Columbia. Bebia Cho Foods Co. is a family-owned and operated snack company bringing delicious, nutritious fruit snacks from the Okanagan to families across Turtle Island. Rooted in a mission to reduce food waste, create jobs, and support food security in Northern and isolated Indigenous communities. In her pitch, Wendy Landry shared that she plans to use the funds to invest in packaging and labeling, which are essential steps to making their apple chips more accessible in schools, Indigenous-owned businesses, and beyond. Watch Wendy’s pitch.
The Third Place Prize of $5,000 presented by 2024 Pow Wow Pitch Winner, Dr. Shyra Barberstock of Kebaonish Inc., went to Annie Pillaktuaq, Founder of Art Den by Annie, from Iqaluit, Nunavut. Annie is an accomplished Inuk visual artist and designer who creates abstract cubist paintings and handcrafted accessories, including sealskin jewellery, mukluks, and mittens, rooted in Inuit heritage and storytelling. In her pitch, Annie revealed her ambitious vision to deepen her impact by establishing a creative hub in Ottawa, a welcoming space dedicated to Inuit and Indigenous artists to collaborate, create, and exhibit. Watch Annie’s pitch.
The Alumni Choice Prize of $5,000 was presented on behalf of Pow Wow Pitch Alumni by Darion Ducharme of Teqare, to Debbie Courchene, Founder of IndigE-girl Comedy, from Sagkeeng First Nation and based in Vancouver, British Columbia. IndigE-girl Comedy is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to empowering Indigenous women, queer, and non-binary voices in the stand-up comedy industry. Through mentorship workshops, open mics, and showcases, IndigE-girl Comedy creates a safe and supportive community where performers can explore storytelling, reclaim space, and use humour as medicine. Debbie shared in her pitch that she plans to invest in marketing, production equipment, and the capacity to support more Indigenous creatives. Watch Debbie’s pitch.
Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards
The Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards celebrate excellence in Indigenous entrepreneurship, recognizing leaders for their perseverance, growth, impact, and example. This year, we received hundreds of applications and nominations for the Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards, highlighting the remarkable achievements of Indigenous entrepreneurs across Canada.
At the 5th Annual Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards, we announced eight Award recipients from various Nations. The Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards were co-presented by RBC and Mastercard, and in partnership with Sklar Wilton & Associates, Altis Recruitment, and Export Development Canada
The award nominees, applicants, and recipients were honoured by a special opening by Woodland Dancer, Misko McGregor from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg and Aamjiwnaang First Nation. Each of the Award recipients received an Official Pin designed and hand-created by Melody Markle, Anishinaabe beadwork artist from Long Point First Nation; and a limited edition print of the artwork ‘Cervidae’ by Anishinaabe Onyota’a:aka Artist, Tsista Kennedy, which features a plaque with their name and recognition. Over 300 viewers tuned in live for the Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards Digital Gala. Watch the 2025 Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards to hear the incredible stories of this year’s Award recipients, and read the full story for all the details.
Congratulations to the 2025 Award Recipients
Dallas Arcand, Founder of Kakio Productions Inc., a member of Alexander First Nation and based in Edmonton, Alberta, received the Pow Wow Pitch Grassroots Award, presented by Naomi Sarazin, Executive Director of Pow Wow Pitch. Watch the recognition.
Nova Courchene, Founder of Oshkagoojin, a member of Sagkeeng First Nation and based in Winnipeg, Manitoba received the RBC Rising Star Award, presented by Trisha Hayter, Director of Market Activation at RBC Origins. Watch the recognition.
Tanya Tourangeau, Founder of Tonya T Consulting, a member of Salt River First Nation and based in Edmonton, Alberta, received the RBC Entrepreneurial Icon Award, presented by Trisha Hayter, Director of Market Activation at RBC Origins. Watch the recognition.
Christopher Dedam, President of Sesweg Software Solutions, a member of Listuguj First Nation and based in Fredericton, New Brunswick received the Mastercard Game Changer Award, presented by Jennifer M. Sloan, Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Stakeholder Engagement at Mastercard. Watch the recognition.
Dr. Kiera Brant-Birioukov, Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Ridge Road Training & Consulting Inc., a member of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, and based in Toronto, Ontario, received the Mastercard Game Changer Award, presented by Jennifer M. Sloan, Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Stakeholder Engagement at Mastercard. Watch the recognition.
Bee Bird, Founder & Creative Director of Bee Productions Inc., a member of Montreal Lake Cree Nation and based in Regina, Saskatchewan, received the Sklar Wilton & Associates Legacy Award, presented by Libier Gomez, Managing Director at Sklar Wilton & Associates. Watch the recognition.
Natasha Lariviere, Founder of Endaayaan Awejaa, a member of Nipissing First Nation and based in Sturgeon Falls, Ontario, received the Altis Community Builder Award, presented by Kathryn Tremblay, Co-Founder and Owner of Altis Recruitment. Watch the recognition.
Alissa Assu, Co-Owner of RavenSong Soaps and Candle, a member of Wet’suwet’en First Nation and Nisga’a Nation, and based in Campbell River, British Columbia, received the EDC Export Award, presented by Donna St. Louis, National Lead of Indigenous Exports at Export Development Canada. Watch the recognition.
Pow Wow Pitch Box
This year's curated Pow Wow Pitch Box included a collection of fourteen products spanning stationery, accessories, apparel, home goods, and food products, along with innovative digital experiences. Highlighting Indigenous talent, the Pow Wow Pitch Box showcases the creativity of renowned artists: Angela Gillette’s ‘Sisterhood’ digital graphic is featured on the outside of the box, and Tenille K. Campbell’s ‘What If’ poem appears on the inside, offering words of inspiration for Indigenous entrepreneurs. Together, these pieces celebrate culture, creativity, and the entrepreneurial spirit.
The 2025 Pow Wow Pitch Box, co-presented by RBC and Mastercard, celebrated Indigenous entrepreneurship in style. This year, we proudly procured 180 units of products from Pow Wow Pitch Alumni, providing direct support to their businesses while introducing their unique creations to new customers. Beyond supporting growth, the program demonstrates how collaboration can uplift, showcase, and honour Indigenous businesses, shining a spotlight on their creativity and vision.
Alumni Leading the Way Forward
The Alumni Network is a thriving community of Indigenous entrepreneurs who have participated in Pow Wow Pitch programming, coming together to empower the next generation of Indigenous entrepreneurs. In 2025, alumni showed remarkable dedication by volunteering their time as guest speakers, mentors, and judges, and contributing resources to support the success of our programming. We see you and appreciate you, your generosity and leadership continue to enrich our community, create opportunities, foster connections, and inspire others to contribute to the growth of Indigenous entrepreneurship across Turtle Island.
Alumni Engaged Initiatives:
- Mastercard invited Pow Wow Pitch Alumni to a Toronto Football Club Indigenous Heritage Game.
- Alumni, Amanda Bernard of Shawish Market joined Pow Wow Pitch Founder, Sunshine Tenasco, at the Mastercard Fireside Chat in recognition of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
- Altis Recruitment published separate articles highlighting two Pow Wow Pitch alumni, shining a spotlight on their businesses, achievements, and community-building efforts:
- Serving Up Purpose in a Cup, featuring Dr. Shyra Barberstock of Kebaonish Inc.
- Rebel with a Cause, featuring Sean Rayland-Boubar of Red Rebel Armour
- Alumni and local entrepreneurs to Ottawa attended a Mentorship & Networking event at Invest Ottawa, where Radio Canada conducted 5 interviews with Alumni. Listen here.
- Alumni artist special collaboration with Angela Gillette for the 2025 Pow Wow Pitch Box artwork and a limited-edition product from White Corn Wear.
- Seven Alumni were featured on the Pow Wow Pitch Podcast and Tuesday Tips, if you missed their episodes, be sure to the check them out:
- Create to Be Seen with Priscilla Boulay, Artist & Operator of Inuvialuit Carvers
- Speak Your Language with Kariza Manychief, Founder of Night Owl Games
- Believe It’s Possible with Darion Ducharme, Founder of Teqare
- Love More with Dr. Andrew Dutcher, Founder of Big Hearted Parenting
- Progress Over Perfection with Dante Biss-Grayson, Founder of Sky Eagle Collection
- Trust the Journey with Anthony Wingham, Co-Founder of Nuez Acres
- Live Your Passion with Dr. Shyra Barberstock, Co-Founder of Kebaonish Inc.
- Alumni play a central role in Pow Wow Pitch programming, serving as judges and mentors across both in-person and the virtual Pitch Competitions.
- Trisha Pitura, Co-Founder of MINI TIPI, and Darion Ducharme of Teqare shared their insights and experiences as speakers at the Bootcamps, inspiring entrepreneurs and offering insights to help them grow their businesses.
- A dedicated Alumni judges panel including Trisha Pitura of MINI TIPI, Jordan Smith of Renterii, Erica Daniels of Kejic Productions, Lisa Vicare of Algonquin Acres, and Angela Gillette of White Corn Wear, supported the selection of the Alumni Choice Prize for the Semi-Finals, which was awarded to Jackie DeCouteau-Gill of Kokums Helper Society.
- Dr. Shyra Barberstock of Kebaonish Inc. and Darion Ducharme of Teqare joined the Grand Finale judges panel to help select all the 2025 Pow Wow Pitch Winners. The 2025 Alumni Choice Prize was awarded to Debbie Courchene of IndigE-girl Comedy.
Growth Empowered by Partnerships
Pow Wow Pitch proudly partners with Aritzia, Best Buy Canada and Invest Ottawa to deliver grants and initiatives that empower Indigenous entrepreneurs to create a positive change for themselves, their families, communities, and future generations.
For the fourth consecutive year, we partnered with Aritzia, the Everyday Luxury retailer, to award grants to Indigenous entrepreneurs. This year we awarded 13 Aritzia Indigenous Grants to Indigenous women and two-spirit entrepreneurs, celebrating their achievements and helping them grow their businesses. Reflecting Aritzia’s commitment to advancing reconciliation, the grants demonstrate a shared dedication to fostering a thriving Indigenous entrepreneurial community.
Building on four years of partnership with Best Buy Canada, we continued the Tech-4-Youth Program, providing technology to Indigenous entrepreneurs under 21. This year we distributed digital tools including phones, laptops, and cameras to help them develop digital skills, grow their businesses, and gain confidence as emerging leaders. Best Buy Canada remains committed to bridging the digital divide and creating inclusive opportunities for Indigenous youth nationwide.
Our longstanding partnership with Invest Ottawa evolves year-after-year. This year we co-hosted the first-ever Mentorship & Networking event bringing together entrepreneurs, mentors, and community supporters for an inspiring evening of connection and celebration. The event featured mentorship, speed mingling, and Indigenous Entrepreneur Bingo. In honour of our 10th anniversary, we celebrated with giveaways, providing 25 laptops and 10 phones courtesy of Mastercard to support emerging entrepreneurs.
These partnerships reflect our shared commitment to supporting Indigenous entrepreneurs with the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.
Celebrating Entrepreneurs Stories
At Pow Wow Pitch, storytelling and knowledge sharing are at the heart of community building. Through valued partnerships, we continue to amplify Indigenous voices and expand our reach through spotlight stories, partner interviews, the 6th season of the Pow Wow Pitch Podcast, and our social media series Motivation Mondays and Tuesday Tips. These platforms give Alumni the opportunity to share their thoughtful guidance and practical business insights, fostering a supportive community and inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs.
This year, our partner Jelly Marketing helped expand our presence on Facebook and Instagram, key platforms for building community, celebrating success stories, and connecting with Indigenous entrepreneurs and supporters. Together we strengthened media connections, leading to a Grand Finale Winner being featured in a Montreal Guardian press release.
Pow Wow Pitch alumni also gained significant media visibility, with over 10 features across television, radio, print, and digital outlets, ranging from brief mentions to full stories and multi-part series. Additionally, we published 10 new spotlight stories highlighting the experiences, achievements, and lessons learned from our 2025 alumni.
If you haven’t yet had the chance, we invite you to explore these spotlight stories below and discover the incredible journeys of our Pow Wow Pitch community.
Semi-Finalist Spotlight Stories:
| Leanne Jones | Our stories are unique Nadia Bogayevsky | Grow Through Relationships Caroline Fletcher | Healing Through Art Christine Marie | Take the first step Glenda Biggs | Comfort in every step | Erin Belch | Brewing up connection Jamie Stevenson | Believe in yourself Alyssa Kaiswatum | Reclaiming our roots T.Jay Henhawk | Our creativity has power Cora Kavyaktok | Be your ancestors’ wildest dreams |
Mīgwech to Our Partners
At Pow Wow Pitch, we know that none of this work would be possible without the generosity, dedication, and support of our partners. We are profoundly grateful to all who support the Pow Wow Pitch mission, offering Indigenous entrepreneurs resources, mentorship, and the platform they need to grow, connect, and thrive.
We deeply value the relationships and connections we build with each of our partners, and we could not do this important work without you. Our partners go the extra mile, bringing expertise, leadership, and volunteer time to create a lasting positive change to Indigenous entrepreneurship. Your commitment helps turn vision into reality, and together, we are nurturing a community where Indigenous entrepreneurs can flourish.