Indigenous business owners striving to be pitch perfect

Leanne Jones has her business pitch down pat.

The Niverville-based designer has been getting a lot of practice over the last two months as a participant of Pow Wow Pitch, an annual competition for Indigenous entrepreneurs with a grand prize of $25,000. Jones is one of 18 Manitobans to make it into this year’s pool of 140 semi-finalists from across North America.

“It’s helped build my confidence by putting myself out there. I won’t get anywhere if I don’t show my business off to the world,” says Jones, who is Cree from Peguis First Nation.

After a decade of agency work, she launched her own branding and web design studio, Leanne Digital Design, in 2023.

The mother of two was looking for more flexibility and to satisfy a longtime goal of starting her own business.

Things started slowly, but over the last two years Jones has worked with more than 40 clients, built 14 websites and hired a developer to join the team.

She decided to apply for Pow Wow Pitch after seeing other Indigenous business owners go through the process.

Earlier this year, she submitted a one-minute pitch about her studio and, since making it into the second round, has been working with a mentor to perfect the presentation.

“My mentor has been a great match for me. He was in the IT field so he understands my language and it just feels good to talk to someone else who has a bit more experience,” says Jones, who is passionate about improving Indigenous representation in the tech industry.

Next week, she’ll deliver another pitch with hopes of moving on to the finals. Even if she doesn’t make it, the experience has been invaluable.

“It’s been great to connect with the other semi-finalists and get to know other Indigenous businesses,” Jones says.

Sunshine Tenasco founded Pow Wow Pitch in 2015 after appearing on Dragons’ Den, where she successfully secured investments for her moccasin business. The entrepreneur from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg in Quebec wanted to share that confidence-boosting experience with other Indigenous creators.

Beyond the cash prizes, which range from $500 to $25,000, semi-finalists are assigned an industry mentor, receive a free website domain and have the opportunity to sell products through the organization’s network.

Cassandra Carreiro, owner of Sharecuterie, is another local semi-finalist. This is her second time applying for Pow Wow Pitch, an organization she credits with helping get her charcuterie business off the ground.

“The first time I pitched was pretty valuable and a big turning point in my business that really provided me with the tools, support and community I needed to keep going and make it an actual business,” she says of the opportunity to get her idea in front of helpful mentors and judges from major companies.

Five years later, Carreiro has a brick and mortar Sharecuterie storefront on Stafford Street and is preparing to open a second location at The Forks this fall.

Even if she doesn’t win, coming back to Pow Wow Pitch has been validating.

“It feels good and it’s nice to be part of something Indigenous-led and positive,” says the member of Shoal Lake First Nation. “I think I had a great pitch and I think my business is awesome, but we’ll see how it goes. There’s a lot of competition out there.”

The diverse roster of semi-finalists includes construction companies, tourism outfits, clothing brands and community non-profits. The next round of judging takes place next week, with the winner announced in October.

eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com