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 2023 Pow Wow Pitch Program for the next three years.
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.”
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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