Are you an Indigenous entrepreneur in Manitoba looking to take action on an idea or grow your business? The Manito Ahbee Festival and Pow Wow Pitch are teaming up for the second year to spotlight and celebrate Indigenous vendors, entrepreneurs, artists, entertainers, filmmakers, and innovators May 19-21, 2023, in Treaty 1 Territory – Winnipeg, Manitoba.

With an incredible lineup of events that includes the Manito Ahbee Pow Wow, Manito Ahbee Marketplace, and many other events celebrating Indigenous arts, culture, and music, Manito Ahbee is the perfect place to showcase your business. 

Plus, thanks to Pow Wow Pitch’s partnership with RBC, Shopify, and Mastercard, you’ll have the opportunity to pitch your business for a chance to win cash prizes of up to $5,000 to take your business to the next level on May 20, 2023. 

To enter, vendors and entrepreneurs can pre-register for limited audition spots here: powwowpitch.org/manito-ahbee, with a few spots reserved on the lottery for those who just turn up and want to pitch. To audition, entrepreneurs will have 1 minute to Pitch their ideas or businesses for a chance to win! 

The top 10 pitchers will be paired with mentors before pitching to the judges and the Manito Ahbee community. Prizes include $5,000 for 1st Place, $2,500 for 2nd Place, $1,000 for 3rd Place, $500 for the Youth Prize and $500 for the Fan Favourite. In addition, the 1st Place Winner will also get a Golden Ticket to the Turtle Island Finale to pitch for the Grand Prize of $25,000. 

But it’s not just about the prizes. This partnership is about supporting the Indigenous community and empowering entrepreneurs to thrive. Sunshine Tenasco, Founder of Pow Wow Pitch, said, “Entrepreneurship is an important tool for reclamation. By sharing our stories, ideas, and businesses, we can grow the Indigenous economy together.”

Lisa Meeches, Executive Director of the Manito Ahbee Festival said, “We are beyond thrilled that Pow Wow Pitch is joining the Manito Ahbee Festival for the second year, and this is a great fit for our new and exciting Kinship program for 2023. The Manito Ahbee Sacred Site was also home to one of our traditional trade economies – in that same spirit, we aim to duplicate the footprints of our ancestors and replicate that, and we thank everyone involved for supporting our Tradeshow and the Indigenous Marketplace.

Manitoba is home to many well-established and growing Indigenous businesses, and this competition is an awesome opportunity for up-and-coming entrepreneurs to share their ingenuity and gain the tools needed to make it happen. We are proud to support our Indigenous entrepreneurs, businesses, and relatives throughout the province, and we can’t wait to hear all the pitches for new and innovative concepts this year.”

Last year’s Manito Ahbee Pow Wow Pitch winner Erica Daniels, Founder of Kejic Productions, went on to pitch at the Pow Wow Pitch Finals and took home the grand prize of $25,000 at Pow Wow Pitch! Sean Rayland Boubar, the founder of Red Rebel Armour, won the People’s Choice Award at Manito Ahbee and secured second place at the grand finale. Winnipeg entrepreneurs dominated the Turtle Island podium at Pow Wow Pitch, and this year, it could be you!

Join us at the Manito Ahbee Festival and pitch your business to win cash prizes up to $5,000! This is your opportunity to showcase your talent, share your story, and empower our community. So register now and be a part of the celebration!

All those who audition, regardless of whether they make it to the Top 10, will still have a chance to advance to the Pow Wow Pitch digital semi-finals and will join the Pow Wow Pitch community. 

All pitchers will get access to a free Indigenous Startup Program, get more than $250 worth of free technology, tools and support, and have the chance to have their products and services featured in the Pow Wow Pitch annual Mailer Box to 500 customers and on the Pow Wow Pitch Marketplace launching later this year for socially-conscious customers looking to ‘Buy Indigenous.’

Visit powwowpitch.org/manito-ahbee to learn more and to pre-register to pitch.

The post Thriving Together: Join the Pow Wow Pitch – Manito Ahbee Festival Partnership in Celebrating Indigenous Entrepreneurship appeared first on Pow Wow Pitch.

On May 21, Pow Wow Pitch, North America’s premier pitch competition for Indigenous entrepreneurs, presented in partnership with RBC, Shopify, Meta and Mastercard, announced Erica Daniels, the Cree/Ojibway Owner and Founder of Kejic Productions, as the 2022 Pow Wow Pitch Manito Ahbee Winner and one of two Fan Favourite Prize Winners. Erica has won $5,500 and is advancing to the Finals for a chance to win $25,000 to grow her business.

More than 40 Indigenous entrepreneurs pitched their businesses live at the Manito Ahbee Pow Wow in Winnipeg, Manitoba, for their chance to win cash prizes and advance to the Pow Wow Pitch Finals. 

Following a first round open pitch, judges Destiny Lynn Seymour, Founder of Indigo Arrows, Debbie Read, Indigenous Policy Lead at Meta, Monica James, Regional Manager of Client Diversity and Indigenous Entrepreneurs at BDC, and Holly Courchene, Manitoba Regional Coordinator at the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, shortlisted the Top 10 entrepreneurs, who were then matched with mentors from Futurpreneur, RBC, ITAC and North Forge to prepare for their final pitch. 

The Top 10 entrepreneurs then pitched on the APTN Ignite Your Spirit Stage competing for the top prizes. While Judges deliberated, Jordan Knight and Davey Gott, Hosts of NCI FM, Manitoba’s Indigenous Radio Station, joined to rally the crowd to select two Fan Favourites.

“It was so exciting to see so many people pitching and to see our community really thriving,” said First-Place Winner Erica Daniels. “This is my third time pitching, so I just want to encourage everyone not to give up to thank our community for all the support they give us.”

Erica’s business, Kejic Productions, is a Winnipeg-based company that creates, develops and produces films and community and corporate videos, provides event photography and marketing services, and supports Indigenous youth with on-the-job training. 

Erica hopes to win the Grand Prize to expand her production company. 

“Winning the $25,000 would help us purchase more equipment, move into a larger production studio to produce our films in-house and provide more employment opportunities to emerging Indigenous filmmakers,” said Erica. 

The Second-Place $2,500 Prize Winner was Amy Jackson, Founder and CEO of Nativelovenotes and the Third-Place Winner of $1,000, also winning the second Fan Favourite $500 prize, was Shaun Rayland-Boubar, Founder of Red Rebel Armour. Amy, Shaun and all those who pitched in Winnipeg are still in the running for the 2022 Pow Wow Pitch and will find out in July if they advance to the Semi-Finals.

“Congratulations to Erica on her Gold Ticket win to advance to the 2022 Pow Wow Pitch Finals,” said Sunshine Tenasco, Founder of Pow Wow Pitch. “Kejic Productions is an incredible business leading by example. We look forward to spotlighting and sharing Erica’s business with the Pow Wow Pitch community and growing together.” 

“Pow Wow Pitch is a tremendous showcase of Indigenous innovation and entrepreneurship, and the stories and achievements of this year’s pitchers are a testament to their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit,” says Dale Sturges, National Director for Indigenous Financial Services at RBC. “We’re so proud of all of our participants and winners, and we will continue to support their growth and success in the future.”

Indigenous entrepreneurs from across Canada and the United States are invited to submit their 1-minute pitch to qualify for Pow Wow Pitch before June 21, 2022, at powwowpitch.org/pitch to win $200,000 in prizes from $500 to $25,000. 

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Today, Pow Wow Pitch, North America’s premier pitch competition for emerging Indigenous entrepreneurs, presented in partnership with RBC, Shopify, Meta and Mastercard, announced its new partnership with the Manito Ahbee Festival to put the spotlight on Indigenous entrepreneurs in Manitoba.

The 17th annual Manito Ahbee Festival takes place in Treaty No.1 Territory, Winnipeg, Manitoba, from May 18-23, 2022, and features the Manito Ahbee Pow Wow, Manito Ahbee Marketplace and many other events that celebrate Indigenous arts, culture and music. This year, Manito Ahbee has invited Pow Wow Pitch onto its APTN Ignite Our Spirit Stage to celebrate and spotlight Indigenous vendors, entrepreneurs, artists, entertainers, filmmakers, and innovators. 

Vendors and attendees will have the opportunity to pitch to win cash prizes to take their ideas and businesses to the next level.

To enter, vendors and entrepreneurs can pre-register for limited audition spots here: https://www.powwowpitch.org/manito-ahbee/, with a few slots reserved on the lottery for those who just turn up at the Manitoba Stage and want to pitch. To Audition, entrepreneurs will have 1-Minute to Pitch their ideas or businesses for a chance to win! 

The top 10 pitchers will be paired with mentors before pitching on the Manitoba Stage in front of the judges and the Manito Ahbee community. Prizes include $5,000 for 1st Place, $2,500 for 2nd Place, $1,000 for 3rd Place, $500 for the Youth Prize and $500 for the Fan Favourite. In addition, the 1st Place Winner will also get a Golden Ticket to the Turtle Island Finale to pitch for the Grand Prize of $25,000. 

“We are honoured and excited to bring Pow Wow Pitch to the Manito Ahbee Festival and be back in action, on the ground with community, celebrating and showcasing Indigenous vendors, entrepreneurs and artists of all kinds,” said Sunshine Tenasco, Founder of Pow Wow Pitch. “Entrepreneurship is an important tool for reclamation, and through sharing our stories, ideas and businesses, we can grow the Indigenous economy together, our way.”

“We are beyond thrilled that Pow Wow Pitch is joining the Manito Ahbee Festival at the Red River Exhibition Park in Treaty No. 1 territory this year,” said Lisa Meeches, Executive Director of the Manito Ahbee Festival. “Manitoba is home to many well-established Indigenous businesses and  competition is an awesome opportunity for up-and-coming entrepreneurs to share their ingenuity and gain the tools needed to make it happen. We are proud to support Indigenous entrepreneurs (including some of our own team!) and businesses throughout the province. This is a great fit for our new and exciting program in 2022.”

All those who audition, regardless of whether they make it to the Top 10, will still have a chance to advance to the Pow Wow Pitch digital semi-finals and will join the Pow Wow Pitch community. All pitchers will get access to a free Indigenous Startup Program, get more than $1,000 worth of free technology, tools and support, and have the chance to have their products and services featured in the Pow Wow Pitch annual Mailer Box to 2,500 customers and on the Pow Wow Pitch Marketplace launching later this year for socially-conscious customers looking to ‘Buy Indigenous.’

To learn more and pre-register for Pow Wow Pitch at Manito Ahbee, visit: https://www.powwowpitch.org/manitu-ahbee/. 

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