Sunshine Quem Tenasco

NEW LOOK, SAME HEART, BIGGER COMMUNITY IMPACT

We kicked off 2021 by announcing our growth across Turtle Island with a new look, new logo and new website that centres on the stories of Indigenous entrepreneurs while integrating learning resources and opportunities along the way.

Since relaunching in May, our website has had +75K visitors, our social media community has grown to +9K, our e-Newsletter list has grown to +34K, and we have published more than 40 interviews and special profiles featuring Pow Wow Pitch entrepreneurs.

GROWING FULL CIRCLE

Led by Pow Wow Pitch Alumni Matthew Nahdee, this year, our Alumni Network kicked off with Alumni pitching in their own funds, knowledge and resources to support the next generation of Indigenous entrepreneurs. As its first initiative, the Alumni Network awarded a $5K Alumni Prize to Pow Wow Pitch Semi-Finalist Kendall White, Founder and CEO of Baamaapii Boxes. As the Alumni Network and resources grow, the collective will launch an Alumni-directed Seed Fund for early-stage Indigenous entrepreneurs.

POW WOW PITCH STARTUP PROGRAM

This year, to further support Indigenous entrepreneurs through their entrepreneurial journey, we launched a Startup Program Learning Series featuring 12 on-demand learning webinars for those starting up, operating, and scaling up their businesses. +2K entrepreneurs explored and benefited from the content throughout the summer, which we later streamed on our social channels to garner +30K views. These ever-green resources will remain available for entrepreneurs into the future.

2021 POW WOW PITCH

1,642 entrepreneurs from across Turtle Island applied for the 2021 Pow Wow Pitch and we shortlisted 150 entrepreneurs to pitch for the Semi-Finals. Semi-Finalists received more than 250 hours of mentorship from 81 Mentors before pitching to 31 esteemed Judges at the Regional Semi-Finals. Throughout the competition, more than 30K people voted for the People’s Choice Prize, which went to Samanntha De Couteau, Founder of Roofer Girl Inc.

The top 29 Finalists participated in a special Business Leadership Bootcamp presented in partnership with Mitacs and Invest Ottawa to support their business growth and prepare for their final pitch.

In total than 3K people joined live for the Pow Wow Pitch Semi-Finals and Grand Finale events.

INDIGENOUS ENTREPRENEUR AWARDS

On November 4, 2021, +1K supporters joined online as Pow Wow Pitch hosted the inaugural Indigenous Entrepreneurship Awards, co-presented by RBC, Shopify and Facebook in partnership with Square and Export Development Canada.

The Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards recognize excellence and outstanding impact in Indigenous entrepreneurship by celebrating eight entrepreneurial leaders for their perseverance, growth, impact and example.

The digital gala featured a special ‘Remember Me’ performance by musician Fawn Wood from Plains Cree-Salish Saddle Lake, AB, and eight Award presentations under three categories: Up and Comers, Entrepreneurial Spirit, and Entrepreneurial Icons.

Each of the Winners received professional advisory services from MNP; an Official Pin designed and hand-beaded by artist Vashti Etzel from Kaska Territory, Yukon; and, a signed limited edition print of the artwork ‘Joy’ by Metis visual artist and author with roots from Manitou Sakhigan Alberta, Christi Belcourt, which features a plaque with their name and recognition. Watch the Awards and read the whole story.

COMMUNICATIONS, COLLABORATIONS AND MEDIA

Our defining strategy for growing a high-impact platform for Indigenous entrepreneurs is all about partnerships! Throughout the year, we were proud to partner with our Sponsors, Collaborating and Promotional Partners, to expand the reach of stories about our entrepreneurs throughout the ecosystem, social media and mainstream media networks.

We harnessed the power of partnerships by collaborating with Indigenous artists, musicians and poets at every opportunity to grow our reach to their networks as well, including Tenille K. Campbell, Chief Ladybird, Christi Belcourt, Vashti Etzel, DJ Shub and Fawn Wood. From syndication partnerships with Startup Canada and APTN and media buys with Jelly Marketing, Facebook and Shopify to logistics partnerships with Raven Reads and mobilizing the might of our Pow Wow Pitchers through the People's Choice Prize, this year Pow Wow Pitch displayed its power and potential as a platform for impact, reconciliation and reclamation through entrepreneurship.

Over the last six months alone, Pow Wow Pitch and our entrepreneurs have earned +150 television, radio, print newspaper and digital press and coverage going well beyond mentioned, to full-blown stories and series - e.g. CBC, CTV, Global News, Informe Affaires, The Globe & Mail, Le Quotidien, Le Courier Sud, 620 CKRM, Les Affaires, SooToday, Nunavut News, Tulsa World, London Free Press, etc.