Jennifer Harper Archives - Pow Wow Pitch https://www.powwowpitch.org/tag/jennifer-harper/ Fri, 05 Nov 2021 18:49:42 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.2 https://www.powwowpitch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-favicon-1-32x32.png Jennifer Harper Archives - Pow Wow Pitch https://www.powwowpitch.org/tag/jennifer-harper/ 32 32 Jennifer Harper wins the Entrepreneur Icon Award https://www.powwowpitch.org/jennifer-harper-entrepreneurial-icon/ Fri, 05 Nov 2021 14:25:38 +0000 https://www.powwowpitch.org/?p=235871 “Cheekbone Beauty would like to be a role model for Indigenous youth, leading with love and being courageously curious,” said Jennifer Harper. “We are proud of the innovation we are working on. The steps we are taking will have lasting effects on the beauty industry. We hope to help provide a place where Indigenous youth can also see their potential in STEM, using Indigenous wisdom and teachings to build better.”

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November 4, 2021 | Tonight, Pow Wow Pitch, a non-profit organization supporting and celebrating Indigenous entrepreneurs, announced Jennifer Harper, Co-Founder and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty, as a winner of the Entrepreneur Icon Award at the inaugural Indigenous Entrepreneurship Awards, which celebrate excellence and outstanding achievement and impact in Indigenous entrepreneurship. 

Jennifer Harper has been making a name for Cheekbone Beauty in the beauty industry for several years, gaining popularity after being on the hit CBC show Dragons Den. 

Throughout her life, Jennifer struggled to accept her Indigenous roots. She was estranged from her Indigenous family for much of her childhood and adult life. However, after learning about her grandmother’s experience in residential schools, she understood how her family was affected by generational trauma. This drove her to understand and overcome her struggle with alcoholism.

Through Cheekbone Beauty, Jennifer reimagines beauty products, ensuring they are cruelty-free and starting with raw ingredients – from products to packaging.

Cheekbone Beauty recently launched a scholarship program for Indigenous youth and released a new product line with SEPHORA. Through Cheekbone Beauty, Jennifer is helping Indigenous youth see themselves in a beauty brand while helping to bring Indigenous values to the beauty industry.

“Cheekbone Beauty would like to be a role model for Indigenous youth, leading with love and being courageously curious,” said Jennifer Harper. “We are proud of the innovation we are working on. The steps we are taking will have lasting effects on the beauty industry. We hope to help provide a place where Indigenous youth can also see their potential in STEM, using Indigenous wisdom and teachings to build better.”

“It is an honour for us to celebrate and recognize excellence and outstanding impact in Indigenous entrepreneurship,” said Sunshine Tenasco, Founder of Pow Wow Pitch. “Jennifer is forging new paths for others to follow and building a legacy of impact, sustainability and equality. Jennifer is truly an Indigenous entrepreneurial icon.”

To watch Jennifer’s feature, click here. To watch the full Awards show, click here.

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]]> Harlan Wade Kingfisher, Smudge the Blades, Wins 2021 Pow Wow Pitch https://www.powwowpitch.org/2021-pow-wow-pitch-results/ Thu, 21 Oct 2021 00:40:00 +0000 https://www.powwowpitch.org/?p=235728 The First Place Prize of $25,000 presented by RBC went to Harlan Wade Kingfisher, Founder & CEO of Smudge The Blades, from Sturgeon Lake First Nation, Saskatchewan. Smudge The Blades is an Indigenous brand and hockey apparel company that provides hockey scholarships to Indigenous youth. 

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Indigenous entrepreneurs from Saskachewan, BC, Nunavut and Ontario take home top prizes

Ottawa, ON – October 20, 2021 | Today, Pow Wow Pitch, Canada’s premier pitch competition for emerging Indigenous entrepreneurs, announced Harlan Wade Kingfisher, Founder and CEO of Smudge The Blades as the 2021 Winner of the competition and the recipient of the Grand Prize of $25,000. 

Following a qualifying Semi-Final Round this evening, Canada’s top 29 Indigenous entrepreneurs, from 1,642 applications, went head-to-head pitching their businesses to an esteemed panel of Judges as part of the 2021 Pow Wow Pitch in partnership with RBC, Shopify and Facebook.

Hosted by Sunshine Tenasco, the creator of Pow Wow Pitch, the showdown featured entrepreneurs from nations across Turtle Island like the Mi’kmaq, Mohawk and Algonquin, Cree, Inuit, Metis and Squamish. 

The entrepreneurs pitched to an esteemed panel of Judges who scored and selected the winners. The 2021 Judges included the 2020 Pow Wow Pitch Winner Lynn-Marie Angus, Co-Founder and CEO of Sister’s Sage; Pow Wow Pitch Alumni and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty, Jennifer Harper; former CBC Dragon and Chairman and CEO of Prairie Merchant, W. Brett Wilson; National Co-Chair of RBC Royal Eagles, Jessica Shute; and, Indigenous Entrepreneurship Program Manager at Shopify, Kyle St-Amour Brennan. 

The First Place Prize of $25,000 presented by RBC went to Harlan Wade Kingfisher, Founder & CEO of Smudge The Blades, from Sturgeon Lake First Nation, Saskatchewan. Smudge The Blades is an Indigenous brand and hockey apparel company that provides hockey scholarships to Indigenous youth. 

“I applied to Pow Wow Pitch because I was inspired after watching last year's Finalists pitch and thought it would be the right platform and community to support us to grow,” said Harlan Kingfisher. “Through Pow Wow Pitch, I have been able to connect with so many inspiring individuals in our community, and I have gained so much knowledge from the mentors, judges and trainers. It's amazing to see how creative, giving, and hardworking Indigenous entrepreneurs are across Turtle Island. Winning $25,000 means that we can take our online business to the next level faster and in time for the holiday season. With more growth, we can donate even more to Indigenous youth and hockey programs.” 

The Second Place Prize of $10,000 presented by  Facebook went to Ecko Aleck, Founder & Artist at Sacred Matriarch Creative, from the Nlaka'pamux Nation and Pentlatch, British Columbia. Sacred Matriarch Creative provides safe spaces for sharing sacred stories and fostering creativity.

“I am honoured to be among this wave of Indigenous excellence in all fields,” said Ecko Aleck. “I applied to the Pow Wow Pitch as the next natural step in helping my business spread its wings. Winning the $10,000 Prize will help Sacred Matriarch Creative to ground our internal structures in preparation for the next stages of expansion and spread the wealth by sending gratitude honorariums to our Sacred Creators Youth Council.”

The Third Place Prize of $5,000 presented by Shopify went to Bernice Clarke, Inuit Owner and Founder of Uasau Soap Inc. from Iqaluit. Uasau Soap provides sustainably sourced Indigenous soaps made with traditional Inuit practices. 

“It was important for me to showcase my business amongst people I know were safe to openly express who I am and how Uasau operates,” said Bernice Clarke. “Far too often, Indigenous people aren't given the same opportunities and respect outside the indigenous community. So I  appreciate the love and support. Pushing your boundaries is part of growing and is necessary.”

The winner of the Alumni Prize of $5,000, a prize pooled together by Pow Wow Pitch Alumni who have benefited from the program and community, went to Kendall White, Founder and CEO of Baamaapii Boxes from the Temagami First Nation. Baamaapii Boxes is a social enterprise subscription box service featuring Indigenous-made products. Funds raised support providing youth with mental health kits and donations to the Canadian Mental Health Association for suicide prevention efforts.

“I applied for Pow Wow Pitch at the last minute because was worried the idea I had wouldn't come across as developed enough, but I knew I had the passion and a need to make a change,” said Kendall White. “I've been told ‘no’ a million times before, and I believe ‘strength of character’ is built from those moments. I am excited to use the prize funds to expand the selection and access to Baamaapii Boxes and am equally as excited to be part of the Pow Wow Wow Pitch Alumni Community.” 

“This year, Pow Wow Pitch scaled across Turtle Island, and I have been blown away by the passion, resilience, impact and comradery of all of the semi-finalists, finalists and winners,” said Sunshine Tenasco, Founder of Pow Wow Pitch. “Congratulations to Harlan, Ecko, Bernice and Kendall! Each of you displays the promise, vision and impact of Canada’s Indigenous entrepreneurs, and I know that you all have bright futures ahead.”

"Congratulations to all of the Pow Wow Pitch winners!" says Dale Sturges, National Director for Indigenous Financial Services at RBC. "Indigenous entrepreneurs are at the forefront of innovation with creativity and ideas ready to change the world. It's an honour for us at RBC to be part of Pow Wow Pitch each year, and we are so proud of all the participants."

“Congratulations to all of the entrepreneurs and the winners of the Pow Wow Pitch competition!” said Garrick Tiplady, Vice President and Country Director, Facebook & Instagram Canada. “We’re honoured to be a part of the Pow Wow Pitch competition and play a role in supporting these incredibly innovative entrepreneurs as they start and scale their businesses.”

“Indigenous entrepreneurship is a movement,” said Kyle St-Amour-Brennan, Indigenous Entrepreneurship Program Manager at Shopify and Finale Judge. “A paradigm-shifting wave that is poised to establish Indigenous entrepreneurs and their communities from coast to coast to coast in collective empowerment that centers social, environmental, and cultural well-being with commerce being a fundamental catalyst. Pow Wow Pitch is truly one of the most incredible exhibitions of the richness of innovation in the global Indigenous entrepreneurial landscape.”

Digital services, platform fees, and creative assets can be some of the most significant expenditures for any business. Because of that, Shopify has leaned in to contribute an increase to the Pow Wow Pitch finale prize. Through Shopify, All 29 finalists will have access to a one-year free subscription to the Shopify platform to power their online, in-person, and digital eCommerce needs with additional and ongoing support to help onboard them through their Shopify Indigenous Team. As well as, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finalists will have access to $10,000, $5,000, and $2,000 respectively in an additional capital fund to help fund their entrepreneurial endeavours.

To watch the Grand Finale, click here.

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To book an interview with Pow Wow Pitch Founder Sunshine Tenaco, Harlan Wade Kingfisher, Ecko Aleck, Bernice Clarke, or Kendall White, please contact hello@powwowpitch.org.

About Pow Wow Pitch 

Pow Wow Pitch is an entrepreneurship program for emerging Indigenous entrepreneurs, which provides a safe, supportive, collaborative, empowering and culturally supportive environment that addresses the unique challenges of Indigenous entrepreneurs and aspiring Indigenous entrepreneurs. Pow Wow Pitch enhances, develops and accelerates the growth for current and aspiring Indigenous entrepreneurs in a sustainable way through programs and resources. Community leadership through volunteerism is promoted with respect and reciprocity as the foundation of the Pow Wow Pitch. For more information, visit https://www.powwowpitch.org/.

About RBC Indigenous Financial Services Group

For more than 100 years, RBC has been building strong relationships with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities across Canada. We are committed to serving Indigenous governments, communities, organizations, businesses and individuals by creating opportunities for sustainable economic development through access to banking and capital, community and social development, employment, education and training and procurement. RBC also provides donations and grants that support Indigenous interests. More information is available at rbcroyalbank.com/indigenous.

 About Shopify

Shopify is a leading global commerce company, providing trusted tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business of any size. Shopify makes commerce better for everyone with a platform and services engineered for reliability while delivering a better shopping experience for consumers everywhere. Proudly founded in Ottawa, Shopify powers over 1.7 million businesses in more than 175 countries and is trusted by brands such as Manitobah Mukluks, Cheekbone Beauty, Sisters Sage, Herbraids, Tania Larsson, and many more. For more information, visit www.shopify.com. 

About Facebook 

Founded in 2004, Facebook's mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. More than 24 million Canadians use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what's going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them. Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc. 

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]]> It’s Time to Scale Indigenous Businesses https://www.powwowpitch.org/its-time-to-scale-indigenous-businesses/ Wed, 02 Jun 2021 11:00:00 +0000 https://www.powwowpitch.org/?p=1908 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.

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]]> Pow Wow Pitch and Raven Indigenous Capital Partners strike a partnership to speed the flow of resources for Indigenous business growth

Today, Pow Wow Pitch, North America’s premier pitch competition for emerging Indigenous entrepreneurs, announced a partnership with Raven Indigenous Capital Partners to support early-stage Indigenous-owned businesses access growth and impact investment opportunities.

Pow Wow Pitch is uniting and rallying a trusted ecosystem of partners around Indigenous entrepreneurs to accelerate access to the support and resources. 

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.

“As the Indigenous entrepreneurship ecosystem matures, it is important to build and maintain linkages with trusted partners to support the ongoing growth of Indigenous-owned business beyond start-up,” said Sunshine Tenasco, Founder of Pow Wow Pitch. “Our partnership with Raven will help us connect Pow Wow Pitch entrepreneurs with purpose-driven and culturally grounded seed and growth capital.” 

Raven’s Indigenous Impact Fund of $25M invests in innovative, scalable, purpose-driven Indigenous-led and Indigenous-owned enterprises, with a target investment size of $250K to $2M. As part of its first cohort, CheekBone Beauty, founded by Pow Wow Pitch Alumni and Advisory Council Member Jennifer Harper, is one of Raven’s current portfolio companies.

“Our vision for this partnership is to support more businesses like Cheekbone Beauty to move from a start-up with Pow Wow Pitch to scale up with Raven Indigenous Capital Partners,” said Tenasco.

"As entrepreneurs grow their businesses, our challenges and needs change. And for Indigenous entrepreneurs, sometimes the type of support we need can be very specific," said Jennifer Harper, CEO of Cheekbone Beauty. "As a Pow Wow Pitch Alumni and a current part of the Raven Indigenous Capital Partners portfolio, I love that these Indigenous-led organizations are working together to help support Indigenous entrepreneurs from seed to scale."

 The partnership between Raven Capital and Pow Wow Pitch involves education on accessing growth capital, engaging its employees as mentors, adjudicating the pitch competition, and contributing prize dollars for winning entrepreneurs. 

“We’re thrilled to be in partnership with Pow Wow Pitch,” said Jeffrey Cyr, Managing Partner of Raven Indigenous Capital Partners. “Our relationship will allow emerging Indigenous entrepreneurs to access the right support at the right time from organizations they trust. We are hopeful that this nascent support network will help Indigenous entrepreneurs achieve the success and impact we know they’re capable of.”   

To learn more about the partnership between Pow Wow Pitch and Raven Indigenous Capital Partners, visit powwowpitch.org/raven-capital-partners.

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]]> New Look, New Team, New Collaborations & Bigger Impact https://www.powwowpitch.org/new-look-new-team-new-collaborations-bigger-impact/ Tue, 25 May 2021 11:00:00 +0000 https://www.powwowpitch.org/?p=612 Throughout the month of June, Pow Wow Pitch will announce new partnerships with industry leaders, new collaborations with Indigenous artists and businesses, drop its first podcasts, and announce the opening of applications for the 2021 Pow Wow Pitch and Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards.

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]]> Pow Wow Pitch scales Turtle Island to spotlight Indigenous entrepreneurs

2021 marks a year of massive growth for Pow Wow Pitch as it scales its Pitch Competition and programming for Indigenous entrepreneurs across Turtle Island. 

Pow Wow Pitch Founder, Sunshine Tenasco, Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg entrepreneur started Pow Wow Pitch seven years ago to build a supportive community of Indigneous entrepreneurs. 

“I started Pow Wow Pitch because I believe entrepreneurship is the path to self-sufficiency,” said Founder Sunshine Tenasco. “Being on Dragon’s Den changed my life. When Brett Wilson and Arlene Dickenson invested and believed in me, it gave me the courage to continue my entrepreneurship journey. I hope Pow Wow Pitch helps to give that gift to someone else.”

Last year, Pow Wow cancellations due to pandemic closures meant that Pow Wow Pitch had to move online, which enabled Indigenous entrepreneurs from across Canada to participate. With the success of the move to digital, this year Pow Wow Pitch is now open to any Indigenous entrepreneur across Turtle Island to cover Canada and the United States. 

The 2021 Program includes a Pow Wow Pitch Competition with the largest cash prizes yet; a Pow Wow Pitch Box program to market and distribute Indigenous-owned products; an Indigenous Startup Program to provide free mentorship, training, resources and exposure to Indigenous entrepreneurs; the Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards to celebrate Indigenous entrepreneurial icons, and, a new Pow Wow Pitch Podcast featuring unfiltered conversations of impact, healing, and reconciliation through entrepreneurship. 

To stand and scale the programs, partnerships and production, Tenasco, brought onto the Team, longtime collaborators and co-founders of Startup Canada, Victoria Lennox, M.S.M. as Executive Producer and Cyprian Szalankiewicz, M.S.M. as Creative Producer. 

“I have spent my career building sustainable impact organizations and initiatives that encourage, support and celebrate entrepreneurship and which unite and strengthen business ecosystems,” said Victoria Lennox. “I am thrilled to support Sunshine in her vision and to lead this phase of Pow Wow Pitch establishment and growth to realize our complete vision of building a thriving global Indigenous entrepreneurship platform, no less recognized than the Dragon’s Den.”

To mark this new chapter, Pow Wow Pitch launched a new brand and website look this week.

“I have always been so inspired by the entrepreneurs that pitch at Pow Wow Pitch,” said Creative Producer Cyprian Szalankiewicz. “The new Pow Wow Pitch brand puts Indigenous entrepreneurs at the centre of our work and celebrates them as bringing that ‘wow factor’, surrounded by a circle representing a spotlight and a community of trust and support.” 

To support the strategic growth and direction of Pow Wow Pitch, a new Advisory Council will support the Team to build scalable and sustainable growth plans and partnerships. Advisory Board Members include Pow Wow Pitch Alumni and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty Jennifer Harper, CEO of NACCA Shannin Metatawabin, Diversity, Inclusion and Youth Deputy Minister, Gina Wilson, Shopify Global Indigenous Programs Lead David Pereira, and RBC Vice President of Commercial Markets Winnipeg, Aaron Martyniw.

“I am so proud to see how far Pow Wow Pitch has come,” said Gina Wilson. “I look forward to contributing advice to help guide this initiative to support more Indigenous vendors and entrepreneurs to succeed.”

“Pow Wow Pitch marked an important milestone for the beginnings of Cheekbone Beauty,” said Jennifer Harper. “The mentorship and exposure I received, the friendships I formed, and the community of support that rallied around me and continues to cheer me on have been priceless. I am delighted to contribute to this next phase of Pow Wow Pitch’s journey to grow its impact.”

Throughout the month of June, Pow Wow Pitch will announce new partnerships with industry leaders, new collaborations with Indigenous artists and businesses, drop its first podcasts, and announce the opening of applications for the 2021 Pow Wow Pitch and Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards. 

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