Since establishing NACCA’s National Capital Region office as Pow Wow Pitch’s headquarters in 2024, the partnership has created new opportunities for collaboration. Together, the organizations have hosted information sessions, engaged local communities through volunteer opportunities, and worked alongside NACCA’s ADAAWE Indigenous Business Hub to support Indigenous entrepreneurs. Pow Wow Pitch also continues to utilize ADAAWE’s studio space to produce educational content, including Tuesday Tips and the Pow Wow Pitch Podcast.

NACCA is supporting the Pow Wow Pitch community, sharing its expertise and leadership to advance Indigenous entrepreneurship. Team members, along with NACCA’s Indigenous Youth Business Advisory Council, will serve as mentors and judges throughout the virtual pitch competition and at live events across Canada, while NACCA’s CEO will continue to provide strategic guidance through Pow Wow Pitch’s Advisory Council.

Shannin Metatawabin, CEO of NACCA, shared: “At NACCA, we see Indigenous entrepreneurs as changemakers who are creating opportunity, strengthening communities, and shaping the future of Indigenous business. Our renewed partnership with Pow Wow Pitch helps fuel that momentum, connecting entrepreneurs to the resources, mentorship, and support they need to bring their visions to life and grow with confidence.”

Naomi Sarazin, Executive Director of Pow Wow Pitch added: “NACCA has been an important partner since nearly the beginning of Pow Wow Pitch, playing a vital role in helping us expand support for Indigenous entrepreneurs across Canada. This renewed multi-year partnership allows us to continue collaborating in meaningful ways, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs to access mentorship, build connections, and grow their businesses.”

Together, Pow Wow Pitch and NACCA remain committed to fostering a strong network of Indigenous entrepreneurs and ensuring business owners have access to the resources, relationships, and opportunities they need to succeed.

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 NACCA

NACCA, the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association, is a network of over 50 Indigenous Financial Institutions (IFIs) dedicated to stimulating economic growth for all Indigenous people in Canada. These efforts increase social and economic self-reliance and sustainability for Indigenous people and communities nationwide. IFIs have provided nearly 55,000 loans totaling more than $3.56 billion to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit-owned businesses. NACCA celebrates 30 years in 2026. 

For more information, visit nacca.ca.

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NACCA, a leading advocate for Indigenous economic development, is stepping up its support for Pow Wow Pitch as a Silver-Level Sponsor, increasing support to help Indigenous people start businesses.

As part of their partnership, NACCA is set to become the official headquarters of Pow Wow Pitch and within the National Capital Region, NACCA’s ADAAWE Indigenous Business Hub will serve as the primary partner for Pow Wow Pitch–collaborating to co-host the Ottawa Summer Solstice Pow Wow Pitch–showcasing a united front in empowering Indigenous entrepreneurs. 

Shannin Metatawabin, CEO of NACCA, highlighted the significance of the partnership: “Embracing collaboration with Pow Wow Pitch contributes to our efforts to promote Indigenous entrepreneurship. This partnership enables NACCA and our Indigenous Financial Institutions (IFIs) to reach and support more Indigenous entrepreneurs to start and grow thriving businesses.”

Additionally, NACCA will engage its team members as mentors, advisors, and judges for virtual pitch competitions and on-the-ground events at powwows across Canada. Furthermore, NACCA’s CEO will serve on Pow Wow Pitch’s Advisory Council to guide its growth.

Naomi Sarazin, Executive Director of Pow Wow Pitch, echoed the sentiment: “Our partnership with NACCA signifies a unified approach to expanding Indigenous entrepreneurship in Canada.”

As both organizations continue to align their efforts, the stage is set for meaningful progress in advancing Indigenous-led businesses. 

For further details about Pow Wow Pitch and NACCA, please visit powwowpitch.org and nacca.ca, respectively.

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 NACCA

The National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association is a Canada-wide network of over 50 Aboriginal Financial Institutions. NACCA stimulates economic growth and financial sovereignty for First Nations, Métis and Inuit people by promoting and underwriting Indigenous business development. As a powerful lending force in Canada, NACCA’s network has delivered over 50,000 loans—worth about $3 billion—to small and medium First Nations, Métis and Inuit businesses across Canada over 30 years. For more information, visit nacca.ca. 

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Set to support more than 2,500 Indigenous entrepreneurs in 2023 with mentorship, funding, training, marketing and a safe and trusted community of support, NACCA’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 across Turtle Island.

This year, NACCA will support Pow Wow Pitch as a Silver-Level Sponsor and engage its employees as mentors, trusted advisors, and judges for virtual pitch competitions and on the ground at pow wows across Canada. In addition, NACCA’s CEO, Shannin Metatawabin, will serve on Pow Wow Pitch Advisory Council to steward Pow Wow Pitch as it grows, and Pow Wow Pitch’s Founder.

“Pow Wow Pitch and NACCA are both dedicated to expanding Indigenous entrepreneurship in Canada through a unified, Indigenous-led business ecosystem,” said Sunshine Tenasco, the Founder of Pow Wow Pitch. “We are grateful for NACCA’s continued and multi-year support as we work together to scale opportunities for Indigenous entrepreneurs and integrate Pow Wow Pitch more closely into NACCA’s network of Indigenous Financial Institutions. Together, NACCA and Pow Wow Pitch are growing the ecosystem.”

“Pow Wow Pitch has demonstrated the importance of celebration and providing a platform to encourage Entrepreneurship,” said Shannin Metatawabin, CEO of NACCA. “Partnering with Pow Wow Pitch, which is a powerful platform at the top of the funnel of Indigenous entrepreneurs into the business ecosystem, makes a lot of sense, so that NACCA and our Indigenous Financial Institutions (IFIs) can provide follow-on support to support them along their journey. This multi-year agreement is a good step forward in creating an integrated ecosystem driving the future of Indigenous-led entrepreneurial growth.” 

***

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. In addition, community leadership through volunteerism is promoted to reflect respect and reciprocity as the foundation of the Pow Wow Pitch. For more information, visit powwowpitch.org.

About NACCA 

The National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association is a Canada-wide network of over 50 Aboriginal Financial Institutions. NACCA stimulates economic growth and financial sovereignty for First Nations, Métis and Inuit people by promoting and underwriting Indigenous business development. As a powerful lending force in Canada, NACCA’s network has delivered over 50,000 loans—worth about $3 billion—to small and medium First Nations, Métis and Inuit businesses across Canada over 30 years. For more information, visit nacca.ca

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Today, Pow Wow Pitch, North America’s premier pitch competition and non-profit organization supporting emerging Indigenous entrepreneurs, announced a new partnership with NACCA as a Silver Partner 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, NACCA’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.

This year, NACCA will support Pow Wow Pitch as a Silver-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, NACCA’s CEO, Shannin Metatawabin, will serve on Pow Wow Pitch Advisory Board to steward Pow Wow Pitch as it grows, and Pow Wow Pitch’s Founder, Sunshine Tenasco, will support NACCA Indigenous Business Hub entrepreneurs to start-up businesses through mentorship and workshops. 

“NACCA and Pow Wow Pitch share a commitment to growing the number of Indigenous entrepreneurs in Canada and surrounding them with support through a coordinated and collaborative Indigenous-led enterprise development ecosystem,” said Sunshine Tenasco, the Founder of Pow Wow Pitch. “We are delighted to partner with NACCA to support Indigenous entrepreneurs to start-up businesses grounded in and grow with Indigenous values and Indigenous-led supports.”

“Pow Wow Pitch has demonstrated the importance of celebration and providing a platform to encourage Entrepreneurship.  NACCA welcomes the opportunity to work with Pow Wow Pitch to positively impact our community,” said Shannin Metatawabin, CEO, NACCA.

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 of current and aspiring Indigenous entrepreneurs in a sustainable way through programs and resources. In addition, community leadership through volunteerism is promoted to reflect respect and reciprocity as the foundation of the Pow Wow Pitch. For more information, visit powwowpitch.org/.

About NACCA 

The National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association is a Canada-wide network of over 50 Aboriginal Financial Institutions. NACCA stimulates economic growth and financial sovereignty for First Nations, Métis and Inuit people by promoting and underwriting Indigenous business development. As a powerful lending force in Canada, NACCA’s network has delivered over 50,000 loans—worth about $3 billion—to small and medium First Nations, Métis and Inuit businesses across Canada over 30 years. 

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Today, Pow Wow Pitch, North America’s premier pitch competition for emerging Indigenous entrepreneurs, announced NACCA – the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association – is expanding its support as a Seed-Level Sponsor to help nurture the ecosystem and grow the funnel of Indigenous-owned businesses. 

According to a recent RBC report, Indigenous businesses contribute more than $30 billion to Canada’s economy, with the Indigenomics Institute forecasting this will grow to $100 billion within five years. In large part, Indigenous entrepreneurs will drive this growth, starting businesses five times the national average, with Indigenous women starting businesses twice the rate as non-Indigenous women. 

The rise of Indigenous entrepreneurs will strengthen economic recovery, regional growth, job creation, and reconciliation. 

However, according to NACCA, Indigenous entrepreneurs report a lack of support, with less than 20 percent having accessed capital from financial institutions. Tailored programming for Indigenous entrepreneurs to startup and scale remains limited, fragmented, and fails to provide the trusted community and infrastructure necessary to generate real-entrepreneurial momentum. 

Pow Wow Pitch launched seven years ago as a grassroots pitch contest for vendors at the Ottawa Summer Solstice Pow Wow. Last year, Pow Wow Pitch moved online due to pandemic lockdowns and attracted record-number participation from Inuit, Metis and First Nations entrepreneurs across Canada. 

“Small businesses make up 71% of all jobs in Canada, and Indigenous People have a huge opportunity to participate”, said Shannin Metatawabin, CEO of NACCA. “That’s why NACCA is proud to support Pow Wow Pitch as a unique way to build excitement, interest and awareness of entrepreneurship as a career option while building an ecosystem to support Indigenous entrepreneurs.”

This year, Pow Wow Pitch has expanded with an Indigenous Startup Program, a more robust Mentorship Program, a Podcast Series, Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards, and is opening up the Pitch contest to Indigenous entrepreneurs across Turtle Island to include the United State. 

“I would like Pow Wow Pitch to be a beacon of Indigenous entrepreneurship and to support Indigenous entrepreneurs with education, mentorship, inspiration, funding and a supportive and trusted ecosystem from start to scale,” said Sunshine Tenasco, Anishnabeg Founder of Pow Wow Pitch. “Our partnership with NACCA is an important step in connecting Pow Wow vendors and Indigenous entrepreneurs with Aboriginal Financial Institutions to build a path for growth.”

Mr. Metatawabin will join the Pow Wow Pitch Advisory Board supporting the growth ambitions of the Indigenous-led grassroots initiative. NACCA will support Pow Wow Pitch by partnering on webinars, engaging employees as mentors and adjudicators, and contributing prize dollars for winning entrepreneurs.

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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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