Today, Pow Wow Pitch, North America’s premier pitch competition for emerging Indigenous entrepreneurs, announced CIRA, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, is joining their effort as a Seed Sponsor and providing up to 1,000 .CA domains to Indigenous entrepreneurs. 

Pow Wow Pitch launched seven years ago as a grassroots pitch contest for vendors at the Ottawa Summer Solstice Pow Wow. The move of the pitch competition online due to pandemic lockdowns led to the growth of the competition to engage Indigenous entrepreneurs across Canada. 

“As Indigenous entrepreneurs start and grow businesses, getting their products and businesses online helps them grow by reaching new customers,” said Sunshine Tenasco, Founder of Pow Wow Pitch. “By providing every Indigenous entrepreneur across Turtle Island with a .CA, this partnership is saving Pow Wow Pitchers time and money, providing them with an essential tool to do business, and empowering them to know that there is a real community of supporters cheering them on.” 

This year, the Pitch competition opens up to Indigenous entrepreneurs across Turtle Island. It has expanded with an Indigenous Startup Program, a Podcast Series and Awards. 

“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.” 

CIRA plans to support Pow Wow Pitch by providing .CA domains to all Indigenous Pow Wow Pitchers and by partnering on webinars, contributing mentors to pitchers, adjudicating the competition, and contributing prize dollars for winning entrepreneurs. 

To learn more about the partnership between Pow Wow Pitch and CIRA, visit www.powwowpitch.org/CIRA. 

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