2021 Indigenous Entrepreneurship Awards
November 4, 2021 | Tonight, Pow Wow Pitch, a non-profit organization supporting and celebrating Indigenous entrepreneurs, announced the Mi’kmaq Coalition as a winner of the Entrepreneurial Icon Award at the inaugural Indigenous Entrepreneurship Awards which celebrate excellence and outstanding achievement and impact in Indigenous entrepreneurship.
The Mi’kmaq Coalition was formed by seven Mi’kmaq communities that worked together on a landmark deal to own 50% of Clearwater Seafoods.
The Mi’kmaq have fished the waters of Atlantic Canada for thousands of years, and as owners of Clearwater, Mi’kmaq communities and people are now direct stakeholders to the ownership. The revenue generated through this ownership model supports the communities’ growth, prosperity, and development.
The Coalition is working closely with partners at Clearwater Seafoods to indigenize the company as a whole to reflect its Indigenous ownership. The Coalition believes this is a model for Canada and the world.
“When Indigenous and non-Indigenous businesses meet at the table 50-50, with benefits for both, it puts reconciliation into action and demonstrates the value of working with Indigenous organizations,” said Membertou Chief and CEO Terrance Paul, a respected leader instrumental in creating the deal. “The Clearwater Seafoods acquisition is a transformational and generational deal that is an example of the resilience, value and power of our Mi’kmaq communities.”
“It is an honour for us to celebrate and recognize excellence and outstanding impact in Indigenous entrepreneurship,” said Sunshine Tenasco, Founder of Pow Wow Pitch. “To Chief Terry and the Mi’kmaq Coalition, you show us all that with a shared vision grounded in Indigenous values, we can come together, collaborate and take back our land and resources through entrepreneurship to preserve for future generations. Thank you for your example to us all.”
To watch the Mi’kmaq Coalition’s feature, click here. To watch the full Awards show, click here.