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.