Osiyo! And thank you for your continued support of the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development. I hope you and your loved ones had a fantastic summer and are gearing up for an even better fall.
We ended August on a high note with our Native Edge Institute in New York City. These completely free, highly informative business training events are tremendously helpful to those who attend them. In New York, we heard motivational messages from both actor Mo Brings Plenty, as well as James Anderson. Speakers shared their wisdom on marketing, access to capital, responsibly investing in Indian Country, and international trade. Participants had the chance to meet with and ask questions to speakers during small group roundtables. It was a pleasure to be back in the big apple among so many friends and colleagues.
Earlier in August, I had the opportunity to travel to Washington, DC to attend the White House bill signing for the CHIPS and Science Act. The legislation invests significant money in American high-tech manufacturing, particularly for the semiconductors that were in such short supply during the height of the pandemic. It also invests in American STEM education, including dedicated grant money for tribal colleges and other minority-serving institutions.
The CHIPS Act was the latest in a long line of historic investments in Indian Country by the current Congress and President Biden. Be sure to check out our op ed published in Indian Country Today.
In a few weeks, we’ll travel to Geneva, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum. This is yet another opportunity for the National Center to expand our focus on trade and ultimately open new markets to Indian Country. I look forward to the event and sharing our community’s tremendous success story.
Back at National Center headquarters in Arizona our team is hard at work preparing the next edition of NC Magazine, our own publication that celebrates the work of Native-owned businesses nationwide. NC Magazine has included feature stories on businesses, entrepreneurs, artists, Native lawmakers, and the people making a difference in Indian Country. If you’d like to reserve ad space in NC Magazine, please reach out to ali@ncaied.org.
The National Center continues to grow with the addition of two new positions: administrative specialist and part-time multimedia assistant. These two new positions will join an exciting team that works every day to advance Native entrepreneurs and business owners. We hope you’ll consider applying or pass the posting along to someone you know who you think might be a good fit.
And finally, some exciting news to share: registration for RES 2023 opened at the beginning of September! We hope you sign up soon for the largest economic development gathering in Indian Country, taking place April 3-6 in Las Vegas. For all the latest RES 2023 updates, make sure to follow our National Center social media pages or visit the RES website. See you there.
Thank you.
Chris James
CEO & President
The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development
