Julio Martinez, CEO of Mno-Bmadsen, and Kip Ritchie, CEO of Potawatomi Ventures, join Waséyabek hosts Deidra Mitchell and Erika Weiss to discuss the central role of due diligence in Tribal economic development, highlighting how Tribally owned organizations identify acquisition targets, validate financial and operational assumptions, assess cultural alignment, and mitigate risk while maintaining strong communication with sellers, Boards, and other stakeholders. Through shared experiences – including instances where walking away was the right decision – the conversation underscores the importance of clear expectations, cultural compatibility, and trust in guiding acquisitions that support long‑term, sustainable growth for Tribes.

Waséyabek is a 100% Tribally-owned holding company that manages the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi’s non-gaming economic development activities. Follow us on:

Our Website: https://waseyabek.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/waseyabek
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Waseyabek

Intro and outro music by Woodland Stream:
Owyn Zapata, Co-Lead Singer
Chinodin Atkinson, Singer
Nolan Austin, Singer
Mon-eé Zapata, Back-Up Singer
O’Felia Zapata, Back-Up Singer
Onyleen Zapata, Back-Up Singer

Tribal Economic Development, a Waséyabek podcast, is recorded and produced at River City Studios in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Lauren Davis, President of the West Michigan Region of Huntington Bank, joins the Tribal Economic Development podcast alongside David Kinsman, Senior Vice President and Middle Market Team Lead, to discuss the criticality of vetting and selecting high-performing partners for business ventures – both inside and outside of Indian Country. The conversation, which delves into green flags and red flags that arise in the vetting process, highlights how strong partnerships go beyond providing a product or service and involve shared values, trust, and a commitment to mutual success.

Waséyabek is a 100% Tribally-owned holding company that manages the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi’s non-gaming economic development activities. Follow us on:

Our Website: https://waseyabek.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/waseyabek
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Waseyabek

Intro and outro music by Woodland Stream:
Owyn Zapata, Co-Lead Singer
Chinodin Atkinson, Singer
Nolan Austin, Singer
Mon-eé Zapata, Back-Up Singer
O’Felia Zapata, Back-Up Singer
Onyleen Zapata, Back-Up Singer

Tribal Economic Development, a Waséyabek podcast, is recorded and produced at River City Studios in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Eric Henson, Citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, Adjunct Lecturer at Harvard University, Director of the Ittapila Program for Nation Building and Outreach, and a long-time research fellow and affiliate with the Harvard Project joins the Tribal Economic Development podcast alongside Justin Lowe, Native Hawaiian, Captain and Strategist for the U.S. Army, and recent graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School. Collectively, the group discusses the ongoing collaboration between Waséyabek and Harvard that recently resulted in the generation of “Bridging Cultures,” a guide for non-Tribal businesses seeking to establish partnerships with Tribal businesses outside of the gaming space. The guide, which was created as part of Henson’s “Nation Building II: Native Americans in the Twenty-First Century” course, covers corporate governance, cultures and values, and Tribal sovereignty and law, and can be leveraged to established fruitful relationships between non-Tribal businesses and Tribal enterprises.

The views expressed in this podcast are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. Army, Department of War, or the U.S. Government.

Waséyabek is a 100% Tribally-owned holding company that manages the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi’s non-gaming economic development activities. Follow us on:

Our Website: https://waseyabek.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/waseyabek
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Waseyabek

Intro and outro music by Woodland Stream:
Owyn Zapata, Co-Lead Singer
Chinodin Atkinson, Singer
Nolan Austin, Singer
Mon-eé Zapata, Back-Up Singer
O’Felia Zapata, Back-Up Singer
Onyleen Zapata, Back-Up Singer

Tribal Economic Development, a Waséyabek podcast, is recorded and produced at River City Studios in Grand Rapids, Michigan.