Pow Wow Pitch and Carleton University’s Sprott Student Consulting Group Complete Strategic Marketing Insights for Growth

Pow Wow Pitch, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and empowering Indigenous entrepreneurs, has successfully concluded a four-month strategic partnership with Carleton University’s Sprott Student Consulting Group (SSCG), aimed at advancing the organization’s brand and marketing strategy. The collaboration, which took place from January to April 2025, was aligned with the launch of Pow Wow Pitch’s new five-year Strategic Plan and focused on strengthening the organization’s positioning and communication efforts.

As part of the engagement, a student consulting team from the Sprott School of Business worked closely with Pow Wow Pitch to assess the current effectiveness of its brand messaging, communication channels, and audience engagement. The goal of the project was to evolve Pow Wow Pitch’s positioning to better reflect its current mission, growing impact, and long-term vision.

“This partnership came at a pivotal moment for us,” said Naomi Sarazin, Executive Director of Pow Wow Pitch. “As we launch our new Strategic Plan, it’s essential that our brand strategy, marketing, and messaging reflect who we are today and where we’re going. The insights from the SSCG student consulting team have given us a clear path to strengthen stakeholder engagement, refine our positioning, and build a more sustainable and impactful future for Pow Wow Pitch.”

The consulting group delivered a comprehensive report that included:

An in-depth analysis of Pow Wow Pitch’s current target audiences
A competitive review of the Indigenous entrepreneurship ecosystem
An audit of the organization’s communication channels, particularly social media
Key findings and recommendations to support the development of a new marketing strategy

The project has laid the groundwork for a more cohesive and effective communications approach, helping Pow Wow Pitch to better engage stakeholders, partners, and the Indigenous entrepreneur community.

“We were excited to support Pow Wow Pitch in this important phase of their growth,” said Dr. Robert Helal, Director, Sprott Student Consulting Group. “The SSCG is a premiere project-based experiential learning program that is dedicated to serving our community and building leaders. This project was a meaningful opportunity to contribute to an organization making a real impact, while applying our students’ skills to a real-world strategic challenge.”

The findings from the project will inform the development of Pow Wow Pitch’s upcoming communications and marketing strategy, a key initiative under its 2025–2030 Strategic Plan. Pow Wow Pitch is now well-positioned to build on this foundation, refining its messaging and outreach to further elevate Indigenous entrepreneurs across Turtle Island. Pow Wow Pitch and Carleton University’s SSCG will continue working together to support the advancement of this strategic priority through ongoing collaboration.