Oweesta Corporation to Host 9th Annual Native CDFI Capital Access Convening on June 10-12, 2024

WHAT

Oweesta Corporation is hosting its 9th Annual Native CDFI Capital Access Convening, Desert Blooms: Nourishing Future Abundance Through Investment, in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, on June 10-12, 2024. The three-day event is a unique gathering of Native Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), Native American Financial Institutions (NAFIs), investors, funders, and key partners and practitioners from across the country, providing practitioner-tailored training focused on accessing increased investments, lending opportunities within the housing sector, green lending efforts, and more.

Focused on economic development within Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities, the event includes training sessions for Native CDFIs, a closed-door session for funders and investors to discuss strategies for directing capital towards Native communities, and networking opportunities designed to empower Native communities and financial institutions.

The 2024 Convening is held in partnership with Tiwa Lending Services, Hopi Credit Association, the Santa Ana Pueblo, local partners, and others to highlight regional communities. It will feature a Welcoming address by Chrystel Cornelius, president and CEO of Oweesta Corporation, and an address by U.S. Treasurer Chief Marilynn Malerba, the 18th and first woman Chief of the Mohegan Tribe and the first Native American to serve as U.S. Treasurer.

Key sessions tailored to both seasoned practitioners and emerging entities in the field include:

• 20 Years of Native CDFI Housing: Reflection and Discussion

• Resilience and Regeneration in Native Community Development Finance

• Advancing Manufactured Housing in Tribal Communities

• Understanding Native CDFI Certification Changes and Next Steps

• Empowering Native Communities: Clean Energy for Sustainable Economic Development

• Strengthening Indigenous Arts Ecology: Innovations in Supporting Artists

• Trauma of Money: Unveiling Invisible Financial Wounds within Tribal Communities

• Shaping Stories, Transforming Systems: A Panel on Narrative Change and Navigating Systems of Power

Featured speakers include executives and senior leadership representing Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy, AMERIND, Baker Tilly, Bay Bank, BMO, Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, First Peoples Fund, Four Bands Community Fund, Freddie Mac, International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology (ICAST), Mountain Plains Regional Native CDFI Coalition, Native American Bank, Native Americans in Philanthropy, Native CDFI Network, NeighborWorks America, Next Step Network, Opportunity Finance Network, Oweesta Corporation, Precovery Labs, Spruce Root, Sweet Grass Consulting LLC, Tiwa Lending Services, U.S Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Treasury, and Wisconsin Native Loan Fund, among others.

The Convening will feature several special events, including a Native Awards Celebration recognizing significant contributions to community development and several interactive tours of local pueblos and Tribal projects.

WHEN/WHERE

Monday-Wednesday, June 10-12, 2024

Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort And Spa

1300 Tuyuna Trail, Santa Ana Pueblo, NM 87004

For news media interested in attending the event, contact Sandy Thompson, sandy@oweesta.org.

About Oweesta’s Capital Access Convening

Oweesta Corporation’s Capital Access Convening is an annual event highlighting the impact of Native CDFIs and offering extensive training opportunities. It is the premier event for the Native CDFI movement, significantly contributing to economic justice across Native communities. For more information, visit https://events.oweesta.org/event/CAC2024/summary.

About Oweesta Corporation

Oweesta Corporation is the longest-standing Native Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) intermediary offering financial products and development services exclusively to Native CDFIs and Native communities. For more than 25 years, Oweesta has been empowering Native communities and helping them achieve economic sovereignty. Specifically, Oweesta provides training, technical assistance, investments, research, and policy advocacy to help Native communities develop an integrated range of asset-building products and services, including financial education and financial products. For more information, visit https://www.oweesta.org.