Meet the NWT’s semi-finalists in 2025’s Pow Wow Pitch

The Northwest Territories’ Cassandra Blondin Burt, Corrine Bullock and Jamie Wetrade-Stevenson are semi-finalists in the 2025 Pow Wow Pitch.

The annual competition celebrates Indigenous entrepreneurs from across the country while offering funding, mentorship and a national platform to showcase talent.

Wetrade-Stevenson, a Tłı̨chǫ photographer from Behchokǫ̀, is one of 13 entrepreneurs selected in this year’s creative category. She has been living in Yellowknife for just over five years and began working in the field professionally in 2018.

“It definitely feels a bit surreal and it just definitely feels super, super special,” she told Cabin Radio.

“Something that inspires me to keep going is having representation, because when I was growing up I didn’t see a lot of myself in other people in terms of having other photographers to look up to. I definitely want our Tłı̨chǫ youth to feel reflected in this field.”

Wetrade-Stevenson has spent more than a decade behind the camera. Growing up in a community where no one else was really pursuing photography – and surrounded by a family of artisans – she was drawn to it early on.

She describes picking up a camera as a moment when “something just kind-of clicked.”

Though she has worked on a variety of projects over the years, Wetrade-Stevenson said the ones that matter most are those led by Indigenous people or focused on creating space for meaningful conversations.

While the Pow Wow Pitch is a competition, she said nothing about it “felt competitive at all” given the strong sense of connection among participants.

If she wins, Wetrade-Stevenson plans to invest in upgraded equipment, improve the experience for her clients, and strengthen the long-term sustainability of her business, with an intention to give back to the community.

“It makes this moment feel really full circle for me,” she said. “This opportunity just makes me feel really energized and proud and just really excited for what’s ahead.”

Making medicine, sharing the journey

Blondin Burt, of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, is a semi-finalist with her company, Free Range Medicine, under the health and wellness category.

The venture began nearly a decade ago after she apprenticed with a herbalist on Gabriola Island, off the coast of British Columbia.

Since relocating to the North, her focus has shifted toward working with the plants found across the territory. Through Free Range Medicine, she makes traditional plant-based medicines like tinctures, balms, tonics, infused vinegars and spruce gum.

Blondin Burt also holds community workshops, consultations, and storytelling performances that reflect her relationship with the land.

“The work really allows me to build and maintain my relationship with the land and have that as my whole life,” she said.

“A few years ago I had a dream that making medicine wasn’t just the work any more. It was also sharing the journey I’ve gone on with these plants.”

Blondin Burt was raised with a deep spiritual connection to nature, a bond that grew stronger over time. She vividly remembers playing among the trees as a child and feeling a profound sense of belonging in nature.

In her mid-20s, while studying philosophy and economics, she came to realize that reading about land-based living wasn’t enough. Instead, she wanted to experience it first-hand – a decision that ultimately shaped her career.

Blondin Burt first sold a batch of bright, fuchsia-hued lavender vinegars at a farmers’ market, earning roughly $800, which was enough to pay rent and buy groceries at the time.

She applied to Pow Wow Pitch from a hospital bed while recovering from a major surgery. That experience pushed her to reflect on her life and purpose.

“I was just really grateful to be alive,” she said. “There’s nothing like 20 days in a hospital setting for somebody who loves nature to realize: I’m going to camp. That’s it. I’m gone. I was so ready.

“No matter what happens, it’s amazing to be in this lineup of kick-ass Indigenous entrepreneurs.”

Weaving information

Bullock, an Inuvialuk raised in Inuvik, is listed as a semi-finalist for Braiding Narratives, which focuses on visual storytelling, under the professional services and trades category.

With a background in hairstyling, Bullock spent the past 10 years transcribing meetings. That experience led her to shift from creating written records to capturing information visually through graphic recording, after noticing a gap in those services.

“I see this visual storytelling as a way to weave together information, connect ideas, and bridge cultural, societal, and generational perspectives through my own creative lens,” she said.

She credits much of her creative drive to her Annaanang – grandmother – whose storytelling helped shape her career path.

Over the past three years, demand for her graphic recording projects has doubled annually through word of mouth. Now, she’s ready to promote the business more actively.

Bullock is currently wrapping up a few projects between the Yukon and Inuvialuit Settlement Region, with more in development for this fall and winter.

She expresses gratitude to EntrepreNorth “for being the supportive community and catalyst that brought me to this point.”

“Putting myself out there on such a public platform is definitely intimidating but the potential benefits far outweigh the risks. Win or lose, I know this experience will support my growth in the long run,” she said.

“Pursuing entrepreneurship – or even just having entrepreneurial aspirations – can often feel like a lonely path. Finding a community of like-minded individuals makes a difference in keeping you going.

“I truly love this work and the opportunity to bring my perspective and skill in organizing information to spaces where ideas are shared, information is exchanged, and decisions are made.”

Wendy Landry-Braun, originally from Fort Providence and now residing in British Columbia, earned a golden ticket to the national finals by securing first place at the Kamloopa Pow Wow Pitch.

Landry-Braun will join other finalists announced on September 15. The grand finale takes place online on October 22 at 4pm MT.

For more information about the competition or how to vote, visit Pow Wow Pitch.