North Forge is a not-for-profit startup incubator, accelerator, and home to one of North America’s largest publicly accessible fabrication labs (FabLab™). Driven by community and collaboration, North Forge creates inclusive spaces where entrepreneurs can innovate, build, and scale. Through tailored programs, expert mentorship, and access to cutting-edge tools and technologies, they empower founders from all backgrounds to turn bold ideas into thriving businesses. Rooted in inclusivity, support, and ethical leadership, North Forge is committed to building a stronger and more diverse innovation ecosystem, one startup at a time.

As part of the partnership, North Forge will provide an Indigenous entrepreneur participating in the Manito Ahbee Pow Wow Pitch with a 1-year membership to their Fabrication Lab, a prize valued at $1,980.

“At North Forge, we believe in the transformative impact of entrepreneurship on communities. We are honoured to partner with Pow Wow Pitch and support this year’s Manito Ahbee Pow Wow Pitch,” said Dana Driedger, Director of Marketing and Strategic Initiatives at North Forge. “Empowering entrepreneurs is central to our mission, and we are proud to support Indigenous innovators as they grow their ideas into thriving businesses. Together we’re building a more inclusive innovation ecosystem that celebrates culture, drives economic growth, and creates lasting impact within the Indigenous community.”

“Collaboration is key to expanding support for Indigenous entrepreneurs,” said Naomi Sarazin, Executive Director of Pow Wow Pitch.  “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with North Forge for the Manito Ahbee Pow Wow Pitch, working together to provide more resources and create new opportunities for Indigenous entrepreneurs across Manitoba.”

By working alongside Pow Wow Pitch, North Forge is contributing to a growing movement that empowers and supports Indigenous entrepreneurship.

About Pow Wow Pitch

Pow Wow Pitch is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting and funding early-stage Indigenous entrepreneurs across Turtle Island, with the co-presenting support of Mastercard and RBC. Our vision is to create a world where Indigenous entrepreneurs thrive, feeling supported, safe, and encouraged to develop their ideas and build businesses that create a positive cycle of growth. With a mission to provide resources and mentorship, we empower Indigenous entrepreneurs while amplifying their stories to inspire future generations and foster a more inclusive world.

For more information, visit powwowpitch.org.

About North Forge

North Forge is a not-for-profit tech incubator, accelerator, and state-of-the-art fabrication lab. They fuel Manitoba’s innovative science-based, technology-enabled, and advanced manufacturing startups from ideation to funding by offering unparalleled programming and resources to help startups grow. Their facilities boast one of North America’s largest publicly accessible fabrication labs (FabLab™), where startups have access to cutting-edge tools and technologies.

For more information, visit northforge.ca.

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Pow Wow Pitch, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and empowering Indigenous entrepreneurs, co-presented by Mastercard and RBC, proudly announces its continued partnership with the Manito Ahbee Festival. This year, Pow Wow Pitch and the Manito Ahbee Festival come together to celebrate Indigenous entrepreneurship while marking two significant milestones: Pow Wow Pitch’s 10th anniversary and the Manito Ahbee Festival’s 20th anniversary. Taking place in Treaty 1 Territory – Winnipeg, Manitoba on May 17, 2025.

The Manito Ahbee Festival, held May 16-18, 2025 at the Red River Exhibition Park, celebrates Indigenous arts, culture, and music, featuring new events and partnerships. As part of the Manito Ahbee Festival’s 20 Year Anniversary Celebration, attendees can expect a dynamic pitch competition, networking, and an opportunity to support and invest in Indigenous-owned businesses. This partnership not only honours tradition but also propels Indigenous entrepreneurs forward, ensuring that culture and economics go hand in hand. 

This year’s incredible lineup of events celebrating Indigenous culture and heritage makes Manito Ahbee the perfect place to showcase your business. 

How It Works

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

The top 10 pitchers will be paired with mentors to refine their final pitch before presenting to the judges and will also advance to the Turtle Island Semi-Finals where they will have another chance to pitch for the $25,000 Grand Prize. Prizes at Manito Ahbee 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. The 1st place winner will also receive a Golden Ticket to the Turtle Island Finale. 

In addition, North Forge will award a one-year membership to their Fabrication Lab—valued at $1,980—to an Indigenous entrepreneur at the Manito Ahbee Pow Wow Pitch.

Beyond awarding prizes to Indigenous entrepreneurs, the collaboration with the Manito Ahbee Festival strengthens the Indigenous community and empowers entrepreneurs to thrive. Naomi Sarazin, Executive Director of Pow Wow Pitch, shares her excitement: “As Pow Wow Pitch celebrates its 10th anniversary, we are thrilled to celebrate alongside the Manito Ahbee Festival as they mark 20 years of honouring Indigenous culture and excellence. Together, we’re uplifting and supporting Indigenous entrepreneurs, igniting the spirit of innovation, and creating opportunities for this generation while inspiring the next.”

“Manito Ahbee has always been a space for Indigenous excellence and cultural celebration. By partnering with Pow Wow Pitch, we are honouring our legacy of Indigenous economy. For two decades, the Manito Ahbee Festival has been a gathering place where we share our stories, and uplift our people. We are proud to collaborate with Pow Wow Pitch to support Indigenous entrepreneurs in Manitoba and beyond. This partnership represents the strength of our community and celebrates the power of Indigenous innovation.” said Lisa Meeches, Executive Director of the Manito Ahbee Festival. 

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

All Indigenous entrepreneurs that pitch will be welcomed into the Pow Wow Pitch community and gain access to a free Indigenous Startup Program, have the opportunity to have their products and services be considered to be featured in the annual Pow Wow Pitch Box, and will receive a free .CA domain courtesy of CIRA.

Purchase your ticket for the 2025 Manito Ahbee Festival here and visit powwowpitch.org/manito-ahbee to learn more and pre-register to pitch.

Indigenous entrepreneurs across Canada and the United States are also welcomed to pitch for the Turtle Island Pow Wow Pitch Competition held online at powwowpitch.org/pitch until June 3, 2025.

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North Forge Technology Exchange is a non-profit incubator accelerator that works with startups across Canada in technology, STEM and advanced manufacturing from the ideation stages all the way through to Series A. North Forge fuels Manitoba’s innovation economy, providing founders with experienced mentors, entrepreneurs-in-residence, award winning growth coaches and a unique, online four-stage Founders program.

As part of the partnership, North Forge will provide a winning Indigenous entrepreneur participating in the Manito Ahbee Pow Wow Pitch with  a 1-year membership to their Fabrication Lab, a prize valued at $1,750.

“At North Forge, we recognize the power of entrepreneurship to transform communities. We are proud to partner with Pow Wow Pitch and contribute to this year’s Manito Ahbee Pow Wow Pitch,” said Whitney Moir, Program and Communications Director of North Forge. “Supporting entrepreneurs is at the heart of North Forge, and we are thrilled to collaborate in creating inclusive and supportive programming that fosters growth and success within the Indigenous community.”

Naomi Sarazin, Executive Director of Pow Wow Pitch, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between Indigenous and mainstream organizations: “It’s essential for Indigenous and mainstream organizations to work together to bridge access to supports for Indigenous entrepreneurs. Pow Wow Pitch is thrilled to partner with North Forge for the Manito Ahbee Pow Wow Pitch, expanding access to resources and creating new opportunities for Indigenous entrepreneurs across Manitoba.”

By investing in Pow Wow Pitch, North Forge aims to contribute to the growing community of support and championing Indigenous entrepreneurship. 

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 as a reflection of respect and reciprocity as the foundation of the Pow Wow Pitch.

For more information, visit powwowpitch.org.

About North Forge

We are North Forge Technology Exchange – a non-profit incubator accelerator that works with startups across Canada in technology, STEM and advanced manufacturing from the ideation stages all the way through to Series A. We fuel Manitoba’s innovation economy, providing founders with experienced mentors, entrepreneurs-in-residence, award winning growth coaches and a unique, online four-stage Founders program. We have worked with over 280 companies since June 2020 who have created over 1,700 jobs. Armed with North America’s largest non-profit fabrication lab (FabLab™), we operate out of 35,000 square feet across Innovation Drive and Innovation Alley in Winnipeg, including a 4,000 sq foot location in Thompson, Manitoba.

For more information, visit northforge.ca.

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Pow Wow Pitch, an Indigenous-led non-profit organization that empowers and supports Indigenous entrepreneurs with access to capital, mentorship, training, and support, presented in partnership with RBC, Shopify, and Mastercard Canada, announces its collaboration with the Manito Ahbee Festival taking place in Treaty 1 Territory – Winnipeg, Manitoba on May 18, 2024. 

The Manito Ahbee Festival, held May 17-20, 2024 at the Red River Exhibition Park, celebrates Indigenous arts, culture, and music, featuring new events and partnerships. Hybrid Virtual events will continue in 2024 which will include Spirit Visions 48 hour film challenge. 

This year’s incredible lineup of events celebrating Indigenous culture and heritage makes Manito Ahbee the perfect place to showcase your business. 

How It Works 

To enter, vendors, attendees 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. 

North Forge is set to support Pow Wow Pitch at the Manito Ahbee Festival by providing a winning Indigenous entrepreneur participating in the Manito Ahbee Pow Wow Pitch with a 1-year membership to their Fabrication Lab, a prize valued at $1,750.

In addition to awarding prizes to Indigenous entrepreneurs, this partnership is supporting the Indigenous community and empowering entrepreneurs to thrive. Naomi Sarazin, Executive Director of Pow Wow Pitch comments, “I am thrilled to be bringing Pow Wow Pitch back to Treaty 1 Territory, and collaborating with our esteemed partners in creating a platform to empower and support Indigenous entrepreneurs. Together, let’s ignite the spirit of innovation and celebrate Indigenous entrepreneurship.”

“Supporting our entrepreneurs through Pow Wow Pitch and the Manito Ahbee Marketplace connects our people to the traditional trade economies of our ancestors,” said Lisa Meeches, Executive Director of the Manito Ahbee Festival. “The Manito Ahbee Sacred site is home to the original trade route, it’s our hope that we walk in those same footsteps our ancestors did. Manitoba is home to many well-established and growing Indigenous businesses, and this competition is an amazing opportunity for up-and-coming entrepreneurs to share their ingenuity and gain the tools needed to make it happen. We are so thrilled to welcome Pow Wow Pitch back to Treaty 1 Territory for a third year and are so excited to witness the talent of our community in this year’s competition.”

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 Indigenous entrepreneurs that pitch will also be automatically entered into the Turtle Island (North American) Pow Wow Pitch competition and will be welcomed into the Pow Wow Pitch community. All pitchers will get access to a free Indigenous Startup Program, have the opportunity to have their products and services be considered to be featured in the annual Pow Wow Pitch Box and on Pow Wow Market for socially-conscious customers looking to ‘Buy Indigenous,’ will receive a free .CA domain courtesy of CIRA, and a 60-day free Shopify Trial.

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

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