PARTNER SUPPORT

Thank you for supporting the 2026 Pow Wow Pitch program! This page servces as your central hub for all partner information and coordination throughout the 2026 Pow Wow Pitch season. It is updated in real time as new details are confirmed, ensuring you always have access to the latest milestones, schedules, and program updates.

PART 1 - COMMUNICATIONS

E-newsletter Deadlines

Partners are welcome to submit content for inclusion in our monthly eNewsletter, with more than 40,000 subscribers. Content should include:

• Short title, 8 to 12 words recommended

• Body copy, maximum 75 words

• One call to action link

• Optional contact information if you would like it displayed

• One image in either square or full width banner format

  • Full width banner: 8.5 inches wide by 3 to 5.5 inches high

  • Square placement: approximately 5.5 inches by 5.5 inches

Partners may submit content at any time using the Partner Content Submission Form or email destiny@powwowpitch.org with any content by the dates below.

PART 2 - PARTNER VISIBILITY & RECOGNITION

ACTION 1: Logos & Brand Guidelines

Please check out our Partners Page and confirm your logo is correct. If you are a new partner, please email your logo, brand guidelines, website link, social media links and boilerplate by March 27, 2026.

ACTION 2: Partner Webpages

Partners with this benefit in their agreement are invited to have a dedicated page on our website, highlighting your support for Indigenous entrepreneurs and celebrating your role in the Pow Wow Pitch community. 

If you had a Partner Page in 2025, please take a moment to review it and send any updates or revisions to us by email.

If you do not yet have a partner page and are eligible for one, please provide your content via email. Allow up to two weeks for implementation. Partner Pages typically include your logo, website link, social media handles, and a brief summary of how your organization supports and serves Indigenous entrepreneurs. You are also welcome to include Indigenous-focused stories, resources, or calls to action that are relevant to Pow Wow Pitch entrepreneurs.

Pow Wow Pitch actively promoted Partner Pages throughout the programming season via our newsletter and social channels, giving your organization visibility within our community.

Please send all updates or new content to destiny@powwowpitch.org by March 27, 2026. 

ACTION 3: Partner Announcements

We love to kick off our Pow Wow Pitch season by celebrating our partners! All eligible partners receive a Partner Announcement, which includes a feature on our website and a dedicated social media post recognizing your support. Pow Wow Pitch will draft the announcement for your review and create the social copy and artwork.

Announcements are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Please review your announcement and confirm your release date by sending approvals to Naomi Sarazin.

Podcast

Co-presenting partners are invited to feature a Podcast Advertisement at the top of the Pow Wow Pitch Podcast, giving your company prominent visibility with our audience. All episodes for the year are recorded and produced in January and February. Episodes are released montly on the first Wednesday of each month, from March 4 to December 2, 2026.

PART 3 - PROGRAMMING

This Year, Pow Wow Pitch will release 13 Virtual Semi-Finals and host 3 In-Person Pow Wow Pitch events, leading to a Grand Finale Pow Wow Pitch on October 21, 2026. We have an exciting season ahead and rely on your support to help up build a fantastic lineup of Judges and Mentors and offer over $100,000 in cash prizes to celebrate and empower Indigenous entrepreneurs. The year will be capped off with the 6th Annual Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards and the Pow Wow Pitch Box.

Registered Judges and Mentors will receive a briefing email by June 8. In July, Judge and Mentor profiles will be added to the website. 

Judge Registration  | Judge Briefing (Deadline June 1, 2026) 

Mentor Registration | Mentor Briefing (Deadline June 1, 2026) 

3.1.    Virtual Pow Wow Pitch - Judge Overview

Judges listen to and evaluate the pitches presented by entrepreneurs.

Co-presenting partners are invited to hold one (1) judge seat per semi-final category and the Grand Finale. Friend partners are allocated a total number of judge seats as outlined in your partnership agreement. Whenever possible, we encourage participation by Indigenous professionals with sector-specific expertise to provide valuable insights and support for our entrepreneurs. 

• Judge Registration deadline: June 1, 2026
• Judge Orientation with Sunshine Tenasco: Choose one session to attend during registration:
  • July 14 at 2:00 - 3:00 p..m ET
  • July 15 at 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. ET
• Semi-Final Pitch Recordings: You will receive a calendar invitation for your assigned semi-final category in July.
• Judging Sessions: Attend and evaluate pitches in your assigned category during the semi-final period.

3.2.    Virtual Pow Wow Pitch - Mentor Overview

Mentors will be matched with up to three (3) Indigenous entrepreneurs and will spend one hour with in a 1-1 online mentorship session, providing guidance and advice to help them refine their pitch. Mentorship sessions can be scheduled at a mutually convenient time between July 20 - 31, ensuring they feel ready to pitch at the semi-finals starting August 4, 2026.

• Mentor Registration deadline: June 1, 2026
• Mentor Orientation with Sunshine Tenasco: in your registration choose one session to attend:
  • July 14 at 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. ET
  • July 15 at 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET
    
• Mentor Match: You will be notified of your mentee(s) on July 13, 2026
• 1-1 Mentorship Session: Schedule a time to meet with your entrepreneurs between July 20 - 31, 2026.

3.3.    Indigenous Entrepreneur Startup Program - Bootcamp Webinars

On June 10 and June 24, Pow Wow Pitch will collaborate with the Co-presenting Partners and eligible Friend Partners to host webinars for Pow Wow Pitch applicants and alumni.  The sessions offer a meaningful opportunity to share insights and resources with Indgienous entrepreneurs across our network.

All webinars will be recorded and made available for on-demand access to the Pow Wow Pitch alumni community.

3.4.     Finalist Bootcamp & Mentorship

Finalist Bootcamp

The Finalist Bootcamp will take place on September 22, from 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET, in collaboration with our Co-presenting and select Friend partners, as outlined in your partnership agreement. This session supports finalists as they strengthen and refine their pitches ahead of the Grand Finale. 

Finalist Mentorship

Finalists will participate in dedicated mentorship sessions with Skar Wilton between September 23 - 30, preparing for their final pitches on October 1, 2026.

3.5.    In-Person Pow Wow Pitch Events

Partner Participation as Judges & Mentors

Several partnership agreements include opportunities to serve as Judges and Mentors at in-person Pow Wow Pitch events across Canada.

To coordinate participation at a specific in-person event, please connect with Naomi to confirm your location(s) and Judge and Mentor role(s), in alignment with your agreement. 

3.6.    Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards

The Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards are co-presented by RBC and Mastercard, in partnership with Sklar Wilton and Altis Recruitment.

Pow Wow Pitch will shortlist Award nominations and applications, then share them with our Partners. Partners will have the opportunity to submit their preferences for which entrepreneur they wish to present an award to. An embargoed list of entrepreneur names and profiles will be sent on July 16, with preferences due on July 28, 2026.

Please provide the name of your presenter by June 8. Once confirmed, we will onboard your presenter and coordinate their Award presentation recording.

Partners are also invited to have a video advertisement play before their presentation. All ads are due by September 25, 2026.

Video Ad Requirments

We invite Award partners to provide a short video to play before their presentation. The video should share a general message about how your organization supports entrepreneurs.

• Length: 20-30 seconds
• Resolution: 1920 X 1080
• Format: .mov or .mp4

The video should focus on your organization's values and commitment to supporting Indigenous entrepreneurs, rather than promoting a specific product or service.

If you already have content that fits these criteria, please feel free to send it to Naomi. For inspiration, you can see an example of a general focused message from UPS here. 

3.7    Pow Wow Pitch Box

Each partner receives a set number of Pow Wow Pitch Boxes as part of their partnership agreement. If you would like to purchase additional boxes, please let Naomi know by July 24, as quantities are limited to what we can procure in advance.

These curated boxes, with a retail value of over $250, offer an experience that showcases the creativitiy and innovation of Indigenous entrepreneurs. The products featured in the 2026 Pow Wow Pitch Box will be announced in June.

To purchase additional boxes and arrange shipping, please provide the following details: