The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development will also unveil its new online training initiative for Native American businesses

WASHINGTON – Native American business leaders are in Washington, DC this week for the Reservation Economic Summit (RES D.C.) hosted by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (National Center). The conference is the National Center’s first in Washington, DC and brings together tribal leaders, state, local and national elected officials, top CEO’s, established and aspiring Native American business owners, and many more to learn, brainstorm, collaborate, and network in an innovative and motivational business atmosphere. 

Topics covered include trade, e-commerce, philanthropy, energy, technology, agribusiness, telecommunications, and gaming. The conference began this morning and will last through Thursday afternoon.

Speakers at the conference include Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet; Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior Kevin Washburn; Director of the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity at the United States Department of Energy The Honorable LaDoris “Dot” Harris, and The White House Office of Public Engagement’s Raina Thiele.

In addition, the National Center will formally unveil its new online business training portal at the opening session on Tuesday morning. The National Center Edge initiative is a 24/7 online portal designed to give American Indian entrepreneurs training across the fields of entrepreneurship, small business, emerging markets, and business development.

“We are very excited to bring Indian Country to DC with our first Reservation Economic Summit in the nation’s capital,” said National Center President and CEO Gary Davis. “Through informative sessions and speakers, our procurement expo, private sector and government networking opportunities, and now with our National Center Edge initiative, we truly do mean business for Indian Country.”

Tomorrow, Gary Davis will testify before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee during a hearing titled Economic Development: Encouraging Investment in Indian Country. The hearing will also be broadcast during the conference.

Other speakers and presenters span both government and the private sector, including Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, and the NOVA Corporation.


About the National Center:
The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. With more than 40 years of assisting American Indian Tribes and their enterprises with business and economic development – NCAIED has evolved into the largest national Indian specific business organization in the nation.