Danielle Boyer, an Anishinaabe entrepreneur and enrolled citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, has won the 2026 Pow Wow Pitch grand prize, earning $25,000 to expand technology resources for Indigenous youth.
Announced Oct. 21, Boyer’s win recognizes her work as founder and CEO of The STEAM Connection in Troy, Michigan. The organization designs, manufactures, and distributes robotics and technology resources to make technology education more accessible to Indigenous communities.
Her work includes SkoBots, wearable robots that bring together technology, Indigenous knowledge, and language revitalization. Indigenous youth help design and build the robots, while language keepers contribute their knowledge and voices.
Boyer plans to use the prize money to increase manufacturing capacity, so more robotics resources can reach Indigenous youth and communities.
“Our voices deserve to be heard, and platforming ethical technology rooted in data sovereignty means a lot,” Boyer said.
The Indigenous-led nonprofit’s competition brought 17 finalists from across Turtle Island before a judging panel. Four entrepreneurs received a combined $45,000 in prizes.
Rain Ward of Metepenagiag Mi’kmaq Nation received $10,000 for 2Bear: Indigenous Wellness, a collective offering cultural programming, traditional food and medicine education, and holistic wellness services.
Cole Sanderson of Sturgeon Lake First Nation earned $5,000 for North Wrestle, a Saskatoon-based wrestling media platform. Métis Nation of Alberta entrepreneur Dana Swart received the $5,000 Alumni Choice Prize for Trailhead Bread in Crowsnest Pass, Alberta.
For Boyer, the recognition also highlights language revitalization and the communities supporting her work. She encouraged aspiring Indigenous entrepreneurs to begin with their community, values, and teachings.
Source:
- Pow Wow Pitch, “Danielle Boyer, The STEAM Connection, Wins 2026 Pow Wow Pitch,” Oct. 22, 2026. Provided source.
