This year’s Box features beautiful art by Indigenous Artist Chief Lady Bird. The piece selected for the Box’s design is bright, floral and represents growth, nurturing and a celebration of culture and the land.
Between June 21st and July 15th, Indigenous entrepreneurs can submit a 1-minute video business pitch as their entry into the Pow Wow Pitch Competition. Indigenous (Inuit, Métis or First Nations) people living anywhere on Turtle Island of any age or gender with an idea or business at any stage and in any industry can apply.
Indigenous entrepreneurs and Indigenous-owned businesses across Turtle Island can apply or nominate others for their entrepreneurial perseverance, growth, impact and example as true Indigenous icons of our generation.
As part of Pow Wow Pitch’s concerted effort to rally Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations to build a circle of support for Indigenous entrepreneurs, today’s announcement with Mitacs brings access to resources and support.
Pow Wow Pitch features the poems on a limited and exclusive collection of T-Shirts and wristbands available on the Pow Wow Pitch Shop. The Shop launched today to raise funds to create an Indigenous Entrepreneur Seed Fund to provide early-stage Indigenous entrepreneurs with micro-grants to start a business and take that next step on their entrepreneurial journey.
Invest Ottawa is building on its relationship with Sunshine to extend its support to Pow Wow Pitch as an Indigneous-led community-driven initiative.
“The power of the internet to empower entrepreneurship has never been clearer,” said David Fowler, general manager, .CA, CIRA. “CIRA is proud to support Indigenous entrepreneurs through Pow Wow Pitch, and we work every day to help reduce the barriers to internet access in rural and Indigenous communities, and provide tools to support small businesses across Canada.”
“With Canada Post’s support, we are launching education tools to help Indigenous makers, creators, artists and entrepreneurs across Turtle Island build and optimize their shipping and logistics processes to grow.”
The partnership between BDC and Pow Wow Pitch involves education on accessing financing and capital, engaging BDC employees as mentors, adjudicating the pitch competition, and contributing prize dollars for winning entrepreneurs.
“I am launching the Pow Wow Pitch Podcast to grow the reach of Indigenous entrepreneurial wisdom, connected to our rich culture and deep roots as Indigenous people. I wanted to create a platform to share stories, lessons, stumbles, and the love and passion of Indigenous entrepreneurs.
RBC Vice President Commercial Markets, Winnipeg, Aaron Martyniw will join the Pow Wow Pitch Advisory Board and support Pow Wow Pitch by providing webinars, engaging its employees as mentors, adjudicating the pitch competition, and contributing prize dollars for winning entrepreneurs.
Pow Wow Pitch and Square share the belief that everyone should have the ability to participate and thrive in the economy. Square’s tools empower and enrich entrepreneurs and shorten the distance between having an idea and making a living from it.
Both Indigenous-led organizations, Pow Wow Pitch and Raven Indigenous Capital Partners, honour the Seven Sacred Teachings, operate from the perspective of an Indigenous worldview, follow traditional Indigenous protocols, work for the wellbeing of people and the planet, and acknowledge shared responsibility to the next generations.
Shannin Metatawabin will join the Pow Wow Pitch Advisory Board supporting the growth ambitions of the Indigenous-led grassroots initiative. NACCA will support Pow Wow Pitch by partnering on webinars, engaging employees as mentors and adjudicators, and contributing prize dollars for winning entrepreneurs.
Pow Wow Pitch, North America’s premier pitch competition for emerging Indigenous entrepreneurs, announced Shopify’s expanding support as the e-commerce giant becomes a co-presenting sponsor for the 2021 Indigenous-led program.