Pow Wow Pitch Podcast takes an unfiltered approach to storytelling
Today, Pow Wow Pitch, North America’s premier pitch competition for emerging Indigenous entrepreneurs, announced an exclusive syndication partnership with Startup Canada, Canada’s entrepreneurship organization, to launch the Pow Wow Pitch Podcast for Indigenous Entrepreneurs.
Hosted by Anishnabeg Kitigan Zibi entrepreneur and author Sunshine Tenasco, the Pow Wow Pitch Podcast features heartfelt and unfiltered conversations with successful Indigenous entrepreneurs, makers and creators to share lessons, wisdom and stories of healing, resilience and reconciliation through entrepreneurship.
Pow Wow Pitch is a pitch competition that typically occurs at Indigenous Pow Wows, social gatherings of Indigenous communities to meet, dance, make music, socialize, trade, and celebrate culture. With pandemic lockdown pow wow cancellations, Pow Wow Pitch moved online last year, attracting hundreds of Inuit, Metis and First Nations vendors from every corner of Canada to participate virtually.
This year, as Pow Wow Pitch expands its support Turtle Island, with a new Indigenous Startup Program and celebratory digital events, Sunshine is passionate about celebrating pow wow vendors and Indigenous entrepreneurs for the business leaders they already are.
“I am launching the Pow Wow Pitch Podcast to grow the reach of Indigenous entrepreneurial wisdom, connected to our rich culture and deep roots as Indigenous people,” said Sunshine Tenasco, Founder of Pow Wow Pitch.” I wanted to create a platform to share stories, lessons, stumbles, and the love and passion Indigenous vendors, artists and innovators put into their businesses and the role of their companies in lifting them and their communities.”
Startup Canada’s support for Indigenous entrepreneurs has been long-standing. It is rooted in partnerships with organizations, including the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association (NACCA), Okwaho Equal Source, and Pow Wow Pitch to amplify Indigenous-led programming in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
As Canada’s largest network for entrepreneurs, Startup Canada boasts an award-winning podcast network, including the Startup Canada Podcast and the Startup Women Podcast, each with tens of thousands of listeners. The Pow Wow Pitch Podcast is a welcome addition to the Startup Canada Podcast Network.
“Consequences for the lack of support for Indigenous entrepreneurs have been exposed and further exacerbated by the pandemic,” said Kayla Isabelle, CEO at Startup Canada. “Partnering with the Pow Wow Pitch Podcast not only spotlights Indigenous entrepreneurial champions but also reinforces the importance of continuing committed support for Indigenous communities.”
Pow Wow Pitch Podcast episodes drop every two weeks. The two episodes that dropped today feature Indigenous poet Tenille Campbell, titled ‘Be unapologetically you,’ and Indigenomics Institute Founder Carol Anne Hilton, titled ‘Have courage to dream.’
Episodes are syndicated through Pow Wow Pitch and Startup Canada and supported by RBC, Shopify and Facebook.
Each episode features an ad from Sister’s Sage, the winner of last year’s Pow Wow Pitch, and music by DJ Shub, the award-winning Mohawk DJ and music producer from the Six Nations of the Grand River.
Episodes are full of wisdom, laughter, tears, pain, healing and love. Listeners will walk with life and business lessons and a new appreciation for the strength of Indigenous entrepreneurs.
You can find the Pow Wow Podcast on Spotify, SoundCloud, iTunes, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts or listen at https://www.powwowpitch.org/podcast/.