Welcome to the Pow Wow Pitch Podcast, a show empowering Indigenous entrepreneurs.
On this Podcast, Host Sunshine Quem Tenasco, a Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg entrepreneur, author, and founder of Pow Wow Pitch, interviews some of the most successful Indigenous entrepreneurs, makers, and creators to share their stories, learnings, and wisdom to lift us all.
The Pow Wow Pitch Podcast is a production of Pow Wow Pitch and is co-presented by RBC and Mastercard.
Pow Wow Pitch Podcast E66 – Choose Love First with Dr. Kiera Brant-Birioukov
“It really came back to a decision of love. Love for myself, my boundaries, my family, and my community.” On this episode of the Pow Wow Pitch Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Kiera Brant-Birioukov, co-founder of Ridge Road Training and Consulting and 2025 Indigenous Entrepreneur Award recipient. Kiera shares her transition from academia to Indigenous entrepreneurship, reflecting on what it meant to step away from a rigid professional identity in order to prioritize family, integrity, and creative freedom. She discusses making Indigenous education accessible through online learning, including reimagining land acknowledgments as meaningful practice rather than scripts. Grounded in reciprocity and giving back, Kiera’s journey is rooted in love, legacy, and reclaiming the responsibility of sharing knowledge in ways that truly serve community.
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“It really came back to a decision of love. Love for myself, my boundaries, my family, and my community.” On this episode of the Pow Wow Pitch Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Kiera Brant-Birioukov, co-founder of Ridge Road Training and Consulting and 2025 Indigenous Entrepreneur Award recipient. Kiera shares her transition from academia to Indigenous entrepreneurship, reflecting on what it meant to step away from a rigid professional identity in order to prioritize family, integrity, and creative freedom. She discusses making Indigenous education accessible through online learning, including reimagining land acknowledgments as meaningful practice rather than scripts. Grounded in reciprocity and giving back, Kiera’s journey is rooted in love, legacy, and reclaiming the responsibility of sharing knowledge in ways that truly serve community. [...]
November 4, 2026
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“If I’m going to spend all this time and energy trying to learn any language, I should probably learn my own first.” On this episode of the Pow Wow Pitch Podcast, we’re joined by K’odi Taylor, founder of First-ory and a 2025 Pow Wow Pitch finalist. K’odi shares how his personal journey through mental health challenges and an ADHD diagnosis led him to create innovative language revitalization tools for Indigenous communities. He introduces his recordable language pen, designed to help learners hear and practice proper pronunciation through audio stickers attached to books and resources. From pitching his prototype on a 35-day road trip to grounding his work in lived experience, K’odi’s story highlights how personal healing, persistence, and entrepreneurship can help carry Indigenous languages forward for future generations. [...]
October 6, 2026
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“We don’t need other people to tell our stories for us.” On this episode of the Pow Wow Pitch Podcast, we’re joined by Cora Kavyaktok, founder of Inuk Gold, a brand where Inuit identity, culture, and artwork are brought into professional spaces. She also speaks about her role in the Inuit Tattoo Revitalization Project and her Gold Series photography, both of which reclaim culture and celebrate Indigenous beauty. In this episode, Cora reflects on healing, representation, and the importance of Indigenous peoples telling their own stories with pride and intention. [...]
September 1, 2026
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“Home is home base; that is where your whole life grows from.” On this episode of the Pow Wow Pitch Podcast, we’re joined by Logan Ashley, founder of Goodway Homes. Logan shares his transition from commercial pilot to building sustainable, high-performance homes designed to last for generations. He discusses modular and pre-fabricated construction, net-zero design, and innovative building methods that prioritize durability, efficiency, and wellness. Logan also reflects on the challenges of building on-reserve and how ancestral teachings guide his commitment to ethical, community-centered housing rooted in long-term impact. [...]
August 4, 2026
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“Storytelling has always been medicine to our people.” On this episode of the Pow Wow Pitch Podcast, we’re joined by Tessa Belanger, founder of Pass the Sage. Tessa shares how a community-led storytelling project grew into a creative healing platform offering reflection journals and writing workshops rooted in safety, consent, and lived experience. What began as a space for people to share their truths has evolved into a circle of care where stories are honoured. She reflects on her journey from first-time author to entrepreneur, the responsibility of giving back to the community, and why storytelling creates space for processing hardship and reclaiming voice. Grounded in care and community, Tessa’s work reminds us that creativity is not about perfection, it’s about connection, collective growth, and healing together. [...]
July 7, 2026
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“The advice we would give to those just starting out, is to plan ahead.” On this episode of the Pow Wow Pitch Podcast, we’re joined by Jennifer and Drew Tenasco, twin sisters and founders of Tendesi Air Fresheners. Jennifer and Drew share how they combined art, retail experience, and powwow connections to turn a simple idea into a growing brand carried across multiple provinces. They reflect on the importance of long-term planning, honest feedback, and working in clearly defined roles as siblings and business partners. From early powwow booths to placing second at Pow Wow Pitch, their story highlights patience, community support, and building a business with intention, care, and sustainability at its core. [...]
June 2, 2026
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“This idea is very personal to me. This idea is so close to home.” On this episode of the Pow Wow Pitch Podcast, we’re joined by Kendal Garlow, 2025 Pow Wow Pitch Winner and Founder of SproutSync. Kendal shares how her startup is making greenhouse technology more accessible to Indigenous communities through automated monitoring systems designed to work without reliable internet. She reflects on the importance of food sovereignty and the challenge of building scalable technology without putting communities at risk, reimagining innovation as a supportive system rooted in care, sustainability, and collective growth. [...]
May 5, 2026
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“If you can be self-aware, that’s the best gift in the world.” On this episode of the Pow Wow Pitch Podcast, we’re joined by Donavan Robinson, Founder of Pop CoLab. Donavan shares his journey from graphic designer to building a business centered on strategic play and workplace transformation. He reflects on how a late ADHD diagnosis reshaped his understanding of productivity and why people thrive when they’re supported by the right environment. Drawing on play research and lived experience, Donavan explains how embracing neurodiversity, psychological safety, and different play styles can unlock creativity, trust, and collaboration. At its core, this conversation invites leaders to rethink rigid work cultures and learn how to play together better. [...]
March 31, 2026
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“This work can’t continue without you. So, please remember that you are the work.” On this episode of the Pow Wow Pitch Podcast, we’re joined by Robyn Soulier-Ritchot, Founder of Eagle Medicine Coaching & Consulting, and a 2025 Pow Wow Pitch semi-finalist. Robyn shares how her journey through sobriety, motherhood, and lived experience shaped her calling to support Indigenous youth and purpose-driven leaders. She reflects on transforming past struggles into medicine, the importance of emotional balance in leadership, and why wellness must be treated as a strategy rather than a luxury. Through honest conversations about burnout, compassion, and authenticity, Robyn reminds us that sustainable leadership begins by leading from within. [...]
March 4, 2026
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“Follow your dreams and go for what you’ve always wanted to become. My late uncle Ronnie, a talented artist and one of my biggest supporters, always told me, ‘Just do it, Priscilla,’ and that advice has stuck with me ever since.” On this episode of the Pow Wow Pitch Podcast, we’re joined by Priscilla Boulay, Founder of Inuvialuit Carvers. Priscilla shares her journey as an artist and entrepreneur, reflecting on her family’s deep roots in carving and the importance of passing down Inuvialuit traditions. She explores the role of art in cultural preservation, the challenges and rewards of growing an Indigenous art business, and her vision for inspiring future generations through creativity. [...]
December 2, 2025
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