Native American Venture Fund

The Native American Venture Fund (NAVF) is a for-profit, Impact Investment Fund that partners with Native American Tribal Corporations to leverage the tribe’s economic and legal advantages in order to develop successful tribal business enterprises. These legal advantages are defined as Tribal Sovereignty which are based upon existing laws and treaties to ensure that U.S. state governments and the U.S. federal government live up to their legal obligations to the Native American Tribal Nations. NAVF's vision is to help all tribal nations become economically self-sufficient by providing access to business opportunities, capital, training and mentor-ship.

Native American Nations have been in a constant battle to maintain their sovereign rights to protect their lands, distinct culture, society and even way of life. With media headlines focused on a small percentage of tribes succeeding in their casino operations, such as the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s potential $3B state-tribal gaming compact, the Native American mascot controversy or Hollywood’s portrayal of mafia like, corruption of a tribal business operated by the fictional Ugaya Tribe in an episode of “House of Cards,” there has been huge misconception in the portrayal of Native American Nations as a powerful, diverse and sustainable conglomerate, given, the reality could not be further from the truth. Taking a closer look, a crisis within Native America is ever mounting, from high school dropout rates (33%), extreme reservation poverty (25%) drug addiction (39%), lack of healthcare access (42%), compounded by a lack of economic opportunities has led to mortality rates by Alcoholism and Diabetes 220% and 220%, respectively, above the national average. Sadly, this has led to an average life expectancy in some US regions of Native American’s are as low as 49 years of age, according to recent US Census and CDC data. These systemic issues facing Native America will not be solved by the politicians, non-profits, philanthropic endeavors or governmental agencies which affect 567 Federally Recognized Tribes to include 229 Ingenious Alaskan Tribal Communities. To combat the long-term issue of Native American Tribal sustainability, the only real solution can come from connecting the dots between leveraging tribal sovereignty, corporate America, investment capital, industry leadership, and education, with a sustainable outlook measured in generations, not by fiscal quarters.

...
Wikipedia