Launching a new business is challenging for anyone. It is even harder for racialized people or immigrants, especially if they don’t have hard assets.
Conlin McDonald, founder and CEO of E3 Apparel, founded his company April 24. Named for his three sons, the family man stamps recreational clothing (t-shirts, sweats, hoodies, leggings and baby onesies) with Cree syllables and sells them online or at markets.
Barely three months into the business, the Cree businessman from Muskeg Lake, Saskatchewan has plans for raising capital for future expansion.
McDonald is a semi-finalist in Pow Wow Pitch, a pitch competition designed for Indigenous business builders. Hundreds of entrepreneurs pitch their businesses online and in person for a chance to win cash prizes ranging from $1,000 to $25,000. Although the number of pitches has not been made public, 2023 attracted 3,000 pitches.
"If I win, I'd like to buy a lot of stock and hold down the price point of what I make," McDonald said.
The St. Albert resident started E3 Apparel from a desire to reconnect with his community. The best way for him was to learn Cree syllabics. He stamped syllabics on a t-shirt and posted a photo on TikTok.
“Other creators took notice of the brand and one of the past Pow Wow Pitch winners saw it and urged me to apply,” said McDonald.
At first, he waffled about entering an application. But in a last-ditch effort, he applied on deadline day with a one-minute application, and was selected as one of nine semi-finalists in the Fashion category.
Semi-finalists receive a degree of mentorship, while finalists are flown to Vancouver for a boot-camp that includes one-on-one sessions with business mentors.
“The goal isn’t as much a competition as to provide as much knowledge and inspiration as possible.”
The pitch competition was developed by Sunshine Tenasco from Kitigan Zibi Anisinabeg. The mother of four appeared on Dragon’s Den asking for $20,000 to sew and sell baby footwear that are a cross between moccasins and a slipper. Prior to the Dragons’ Den appearance, she made 100 moccasins a year. Now she makes more than triple each month with employees that work from home.
“She started this (Pow Wow Pitch) because she believed in entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency.”
McDonald’s pitch will be recorded on Aug. 13. Pitches can be viewed on YouTube from Sept. 3 to 17. Three judges will select winning recipients, but a People’s Choice Award is open to the public for voting. For the fan favourite, only one vote per email address is permitted until September 17.
In addition to the big grand prize of $25,000, pitch awards include $10,000 for second place, $5,000 for third place and $5,000 for the alumni prize. The People’s Choice recipient, industry semi-final winners, and the youth prize winner also pockets $1,000.
Follow the competition at powwowpitch.org.
