Webinar alert: Investing in Indian Country and regenerative economies (part two) — 11 a.m. EST March 1

Investors and advocacy partners who are interested in impact investing around Native food sovereignty and learning more about intermediaries and tribal entities that help build capital and community within American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities are invited to a webinar at 11 a.m. EST on Friday, March 1.

This is the second of a two-part series hosted by the Investors and Indigenous Peoples Working Group (IIPWG) to advance the priority initiative to expand corporate and investor support for Indian Country. The first call focused on the use of impact investing, institutional investing, and New Markets Tax Credits (NMTCs) in furthering investments in Indian Country with a focus on Native renewable energy and the Spokane Tribe. The second webinar topics include:

  1. the growing role of economic development entities, Native Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), Native banks, and tribal limited liability companies (LLCs) in advancing regenerative opportunities in Indian Country,
  2. investment success and impact opportunity around Native food sovereignty, and
  3. a spotlight on the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska.

Please join us! Email me at eva@travois.com to register for the webinar.

DATE: Friday, March 1
TIME: 11 a.m.­–noon EST
CALL-IN NUMBER FOR U.S. AND CANADA: 712-770-4700
PASSCODE: 151-617#

PRESENTERS:

  • Becky Albert-Breed, executive director of First Nations Community Financial, will share how investors most helpfully engage business and community development initiatives throughout Indian Country. Becky leads a Native CDFI in Wisconsin and is active with the Wisconsin Business Alliance (WIBA) and is a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation.
  • Chrystel Cornelius, executive director of First Nations Oweesta Corporation, leads financial product offerings and development services. Chrystel will describe the role of an intermediary in leveraging impact investments within the growing Native CDFI movement and Oweesta’s learnings from hosting the Capital Access Convening. Chrystel is a member of the Oneida Nation and Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa.
  • Joel Smith, senior vice president and chief credit officer of Native American Bank, will describe the financing and investments that supported the vision of Red Lake Nation to bring full-service grocery access to trust land. The capital stack brought together CDFIs, Community Development Entities (CDEs) and Native American Bank. Joel is a member of Caddo Nation of Oklahoma.
  • Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, Jeff Hicks, CEO of Grey Snow Management Solutions; Alan Kelley, vice chairman of Tribal Council; and Jimmy Lunsford, bee farm manager with Ioway Honey, will discuss the potential of tribal LLCs to build regenerative economies. They will spotlight the Iowa Tribe’s impact investing opportunity — a honey processing plant and describe Native food sovereignty innovations in rural communities that are growing through American Indian-owned LLCs.

This webinar is focused on Indigenous communities in the domestic U.S. Participants are invited from across the globe. The call is limited to a phone call-in line plus a PowerPoint deck, which will be sent after registration. The recording is available by request.

I’m looking forward to a great dialogue! Please email me with any questions or to request call-in information if you are located outside of the U.S. or Canada.