Last year, Pow Wow Pitch, North America’s premier pitch competition and non-profit organization supporting emerging Indigenous entrepreneurs, and Mitacs, a national non-profit supporting partnerships between business and industry, embarked on a three-year partnership. This partnership was designed for providing mentorship, funding, training, marketing and a safe and trusted community of support to Indigenous Entrepreneurs members within Pow Wow Pitch’s community. This year, we celebrate the second year of our continued partnership!

Over the past year, Mitacs has supported Pow Wow Pitch as Community-Level Sponsor; engaged its employees as mentors, trusted advisors, and judges for both virtual and in-person pitch contests at powwows across Canada; and hosted Pow Wow Pitch Founder, Sunshine Tenasco on its Podcast series on ‘Leading Women’. In addition, Mitacs has also supported Pow Wow Pitch finalists to connect with researchers and Mitacs innovation programs for ongoing support through its Indigenous Pathways Program

“It’s so important to connect the research and business community,” said Sunshine Tenasco, founder of Pow Wow Pitch. “We are delighted to continue this partnership with Mitacs to support Indigenous entrepreneurs to work more closely with Indigenous researchers at colleges and universities across Canada to decolonize and Indigenize research and business through partnerships and collaborations.” 

“Mitacs and Pow Wow Pitch share a vision for the future of innovation and the important role Indigenous researchers and organizations play in ensuring Canada’s economic success. We are proud to partner with Pow Wow Pitch as a Community-Level Sponsor and to continue working together to empower Indigenous innovation, research, and entrepreneurship,” said John Hepburn, CEO of Mitacs Inc. 

Pow Wow Pitch is also pleased to share the upcoming, 2023 Mitacs Entrepreneur Awards, happening May 18th. Join Mitacs in recognizing the most innovative leaders across Canada as they celebrate the outstanding achievements of five researchers turned entrepreneurs.

For more information on the partnership between Mitacs and Pow Wow Pitch, visit: https://www.powwowpitch.org/about/partners/mitacs/. 

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Today, Pow Wow Pitch, North America’s premier pitch competition and non-profit organization supporting emerging Indigenous entrepreneurs, announced a three-year partnership with Mitacs for its 2022 Pow Wow Pitch Program. 

Set to support more than 2,500 Indigenous entrepreneurs in 2022 with mentorship, funding, training, marketing and a safe and trusted community of support, Mitacs’s investment is helping Pow Wow Pitch to scale its virtual programs, re-enter communities with on-the-ground support across Canada, and scale its programming to support Indigenous entrepreneurs in the United States and New Zealand.

Over the next three years, Mitacs will support Pow Wow Pitch as a Community-Level Sponsor and engage its employees as mentors, trusted advisors, and judges for virtual pitch contests and on the ground at pow wows across Canada. In addition, this year, Mitacs will support Pow Wow Pitch Finalists to connect with researchers and Mitacs innovation programs for ongoing support.

“Mitacs and Pow Wow Pitch share a vision of breaking down silos between Indigenous-led research, innovation and enterprise development, which will lead to new breakthroughs and opportunities for Indigenous-led economic growth and social progress,” said Sunshine Tenasco, the Founder of Pow Wow Pitch. “We are delighted to partner with Mitacs to support Indigenous entrepreneurs to work more closely with Indigenous researchers at colleges and universities across Canada.”

Dr. John Hepburn, CEO of Mitacs, is enthusiastic about the partnership. “Mitacs is thrilled to collaborate through the Pow Wow Pitch with Indigenous businesses and not-for-profit organizations, which will help to empower Indigenous innovation in partnership with academia. As we recover from COVID-19, we’re eager to work with Indigenous organizations and interns as they reach their innovation goals.” 

To learn more about the partnership between Pow Wow Pitch and Mitacs, visit https://www.powwowpitch.org/mitacs.

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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 the opening of its eighth annual Pow Wow Pitch competition to Inuit, Métis and First Nations entrepreneurs across Turtle Island. 

Through Pow Wow Pitch, Indigenous vendors, artists and entrepreneurs from Canada and the United States can pitch their businesses and business ideas virtually and live at pow wows and Indigenous festivals for their chance to join the Pow Wow Pitch Accelerator program and win more than $200,000 in cash prizes.

“Pow Wow is a place to meet, dance, sing, honour our culture and trade,” said Pow Wow Pitch Founder, Sunshine Tenasco. “Indigenous people have the ideas to make a difference in their communities, and Pow Wow Pitch is our platform to support one another as a community.”

How it works

Virtual: Between April 6th and June 21st, Indigenous entrepreneurs can submit a 1-minute video business pitch at www.powwowpitch.org/pitch as their entry into the Pow Wow Pitch Competition, or they can sign up and pitch live on Instagram through InstaPitch. Pow Wow Pitch will shortlist the top 80 Indigenous entrepreneurs as semi-finalists to receive mentorship, pitch training and compete in the virtual semi-final broadcasts for their chance to win $60,000 cash prizes and advance to the Grand Finale in October. 

In-Person: Pow Wow Pitch will also be on-site for Indigenous entrepreneurs to pitch live at the Manito Ahbee Festival in Winnipeg on May 21st, the Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival in Ottawa on June 25th, and other major Indigenous powwows and festivals across Canada and the United States.  Entrepreneurs can pitch their business or idea for one minute to win cash prizes and advance to the Pow Wow Pitch Grand Finale. 

The Finals: On October 19th, the top entrepreneurs from the virtual and live semi-finals will pitch to a panel of judges at the Grand Finale for the chance to win the top prizes: Alumni Prize ($5,000), People’s Choice Prize ($5,000), 3rd Prize ($5,000), 2nd Prize ($10,000), and 1st Prize ($25,000).  

All entrepreneurs who enter the pitch competition will join the Pow Wow Pitch community, get access to a free Indigenous Startup Program, access 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.’

Last year’s Winner, Smudge the Blades, used the competition to grow awareness and forge new collaborations. 

“Winning Pow Wow Pitch helped me get traction with major sports stores and distribution partners across Canada, gain coverage in news articles and Sportsnet, led to awesome collaborations with NHL Teams like the Edmonton Oilers, with new plans to work with the Shopify Build Native Team to revamp our website,” said Harlan Kingfisher, Founder of Smudge the Blades. “Through Pow Wow Pitch, I found friends and feel famous-even. People are recognizing the brand and me, which is helping us grow! It was an incredible experience and an amazing community.”

Powered by Partnerships 

To scale the Indigenous-led pitch competition across Turtle Island, Pow Wow Pitch is working with industry leaders who believe in the power of Indigenous entrepreneurship. RBC, Shopify, Meta and Mastercard have signed on with significant multi-year support as Co-Presenting Sponsors of the initiative to allow Pow Wow Pitch to rise to its ambition to support every Indigenous entrepreneur.

“Shopify aims to bring more voices to entrepreneurship, and Pow Wow Pitch allows Indigenous entrepreneurs from all stages and intersections to share their dreams, beliefs, culture, and expressions of economic self-determination,” says  Kyle St-Amour-Brennan, Indigenous Entrepreneurship Program Manager at Shopify. “Pow Wow Pitch has built one of the greatest Indigenous entrepreneurial showcases anywhere, and we’re privileged and excited to continue our ongoing partnership and shared mission to empower more Native entrepreneurs from communities everywhere.”  

“Indigenous entrepreneurs drive innovation and change in their communities and across Canada,” said Garrick Tiplady, VP and Country Director at Meta in Canada, “We are proud to continue supporting Pow Wow Pitch and their incredible community of entrepreneurs through educational resources and funding.” 

“At Mastercard, we are committed to fostering an inclusive economy that benefits everyone, including the Indigenous community,” said Sasha Krstic, president of Mastercard in Canada. “We recognize that Indigenous entrepreneurs face disproportionate barriers and, in partnership with Pow Wow Pitch, we are proud to address some of their unique barriers and challenges to help amplify the success of Indigenous entrepreneurs across the country.”

For the 2022 Pow Wow Pitch Season, Pow Wow Pitch is also supported by Silver Sponsors BDC, Canada Post, Export Development Canada, Futurpreneur, the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, Jelly Academy and NACCA, in collaboration with Seed Sponsors Best Buy, CIRA, MITACS, MNP, Sklar Wilton & Associates and the Women Entrepreneurs Knowledge Hub. 

“Entrepreneurship is an important tool supporting reconciliation, and it takes all hands on deck to support Indigenous entrepreneurs,” said Tenasco. “We are proud to continue our relationship with RBC, Shopify and Meta and kick-start our partnership with Mastercard as we build an ecosystem for Indigenous-owned vendors, startups and entrepreneurs.”

To learn more about the 2022 Pow Wow Pitch competition, visit www.powwowpitch.org/pitch/. 

To book an interview with Pow Wow Pitch Founder Sunshine Tenaco, or for more information, 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 challenges of Indigenous entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs. Pow Wow Pitch enhances growth through programs and resources. Community leadership through volunteerism is promoted as a reflection of respect and reciprocity. For more information, visit www.powwowpitch.org.

About RBC Indigenous Financial Services Group

For more than 100 years, RBC has been building 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, and individuals. RBC also provides donations and grants that support Indigenous interests. More information 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 that are 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 Meta

Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology.

About Mastercard (NYSE: MA)

Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.

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Pow Wow Pitch, North America’s premier pitch competition for emerging Indigenous entrepreneurs, announced Mitacs as a Seed Sponsor to support Indigenous entrepreneurs access training, mentorship, funding and a platform to showcase and celebrate their stories.

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.

“It’s important to ensure the ecosystem is working together and that Indigenous entrepreneurs are harnessing the power of universities, colleges and all available resources to help them succeed,” said Sunshine Tenasco, Pow Wow Pitch Founder. “We are so proud to be working with Mitacs to support the next generation of Indigenous innovators to connect with Mitacs programming and the wider university and college community.”

Mitacs has a longstanding commitment to working with Indigenous communities and creating equitable access to its programs. For example, the Indigenous Pathways Program supports Indigenous-owned organizations and organizations that hire Indigenous interns with access to talent, grants and subsidies. 

“Mitacs is extremely proud to sponsor the Pow Wow Pitch to support Indigenous businesses,” said Dr. John Hepburn, Mitacs CEO and Scientific Director. “As we support inclusive innovation, we are delighted to provide indigenous entrepreneurs with skills training, networking, mentorship, and resources such as access to funding and talent.” 

Mitacs will help adjudicate the Québec Semi-finals, provide the top 25 Finalists with a workshop, and contribute prize dollars for winning entrepreneurs through this partnership. 

For more information on how Mitacs supports Indigenous innovators and entrepreneurs, visit https://discover.mitacs.ca/indigenous/. 

To learn more about the partnership, visit powwowpitch.org/mitacs.

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