4 | NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY
JUNE 2025
business
PHOTO BY JANIQUE PASCALE
Empowering Indigenous entrepreneurs
Naomi Sarazin, executive director of Pow Wow Pitch, is from Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation. She first became involved with Pow Wow Pitch as a volunteer. “Pow Wow Pitch brings in people from various industries to support the entrepreneurs as mentors. Last year, for our virtual program, we engaged over 100 mentors to support our semifinalists,” Sarazin says. Early stage entrepreneurs and those considering starting a business will find detailed information on the website at powwowpitch.org and can also follow the progress of this year’s pitchers up to the online finale on Oct. 22. And they can start preparing their own pitch for next year. “The website offers a great overview of all the benefits of joining our community. Even if people don't win prizes, there's still a community of support that we build here at Pow Wow Pitch,” Sarazin says. “It's incredible to see artists collaborating after meeting through the competition. That’s what Pow Wow Pitch is all about — building community and supporting one another.” Indigenous entrepreneurship can have a profound ripple effect.
“As Indigenous small businesses begin to expand, they are able to employ people from their communities and their families. They're able to support their families because their business is thriving on a grander scale. They're able to feel like part of something bigger,” Sarazin says. “My hope is that Indigenous entrepreneurs grow in confidence through this process and that they know that their business idea is worthy of celebration.” This year, the pitch competition started its 10th anniversary celebrations at the Manito Ahbee Festival, which coincidentally celebrated its 20th anniversary. At Manito Ahbee, the in-person winners also had plenty to celebrate. Tannis and Rayel Smoke, co-founders of Niña Waśte Events game rental company — which reimagines board games through an Indigenous lens — took first place. They were followed by Harold Childsforever-Angeconeb, founder of Burning Arrow Archery, in 2nd place; Deeanne Sutherland-First Charger, founder of Under The Night Sky Creations, in third; and fan favourite winner Conroy Provost, founder of Blackfoot Made Productions. Still ahead is the virtual pitch grand prize of $25,000. > continued on page 5
BY WENDY KING
A great business idea combined with an entrepreneurial spirit can be life-changing. However, navigating all the moving parts — including financing — can be overwhelming. Fortunately for Indigenous entrepreneurs, there is Pow Wow Pitch. This pitch competition awards winners with cash prizes from $500 to $25,000, with a total of $100,000 in prizes for their startups along with active ongoing community support. Pow Wow Pitch is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting and funding early-stage Indigenous entrepreneurs across Turtle Island, (Canada and the United States). It was founded by Sunshine Tenasco, who is Anishinabe from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg and is a Dragon’s Den winning entrepreneur.
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