2023 Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards
November 9, 2023 | Pow Wow Pitch, North America’s premier pitch competition for emerging Indigenous entrepreneurs, co-presented by RBC, Shopify, and Mastercard in partnership with Export Development Canada and the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, presented Sarain Fox from Batchawana First Nation with the Shopify Entrepreneurial Spirit Award at the Third Annual Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards.
Sarain was presented the Shopify Entrepreneurial Spirit Award by Kyle Brennan Shàqinippinesì, Build Native Program Manager at Shopify.
Sarain Fox, the founder of Land Back Studios and member of Batchawana First Nation, Sarain Fox’s work spans entrepreneurship, filmmaking, broadcasting, and activism.
Her documentary “Inendi” raised awareness for Elder protection during the pandemic, exemplifying her drive for societal change.
With appearances on platforms like Vogue, CBC, and The New York Times, and partnerships with brands such as Sephora and Nike N7, Sarain’s influence is far-reaching.
She’s shaped narratives in her award-winning series ‘RISE’ and ‘Cut-off’, using storytelling to spark dialogue and action, becoming an essential voice for Indigenous rights and representation.
Sarain’s commitment to her community and cultural heritage in her entrepreneurial journey honors the very essence of the Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards and makes Sarain a most deserving winner of the Shopify Entrepreneurial Spirit Award.
“This means so much to me because it took me decades to be able to claim storytelling as a career path,” said Sarain. “To me the art of storytelling and entrepreneurship started in the world of theater and seeing what could happen when you have the power to tell your own stories. Through my platform at Sarain Fox and my production studio, our goal is to create meaningful representation through all sectors. This award means so much because it not only recognizes recent work over the last few years, but decades worth of work that myself and so many Indigenous people have been doing to create space, meaningful dialogue, and to create activists.”
“It is an honour for us to celebrate and recognize excellence and outstanding impact in Indigenous entrepreneurship and activism,” said Sunshine Tenasco, Founder of Pow Wow Pitch. “Congratulations, Sarain, we are so proud of your work and courage to inspire the next generation of Indigenous excellence to be fierce and proud of who they are. You truly embody the essence of an Indigenous Entrepreneurial Spirit.”
To watch Sarain’s feature, click here. To watch the full Awards show, click here.