Relevance Ventures and Skoden Ventures Launch NACIA to Further Empower Native American Financial Opportunities and Representation

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Nov 13, 2023, 09:00 ET

The Native American Capital and Investment Alliance will connect Native American entrepreneurs with key stakeholders to significantly bolster their involvement in the investment community.

SANTA FE, N.M., Nov. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Relevance Ventures and Skoden Ventures proudly announced the launch of the Native American Capital and Investment Alliance (NACIA), an organization that will herald a new era for Native Americans by helping bridge the gap between Native American founders, their businesses, and providers of equity and debt capital.

Announced at the popular Creative Experience conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Saturday from the main stage, the Alliance is poised to significantly impact and shrink the divide between Indian Country and the sources of capital and investment that many other founders take for granted.

NACIA is dedicated to supporting Native founders in successfully accessing equity investment, including venture capital, and alternative debt funding. The Alliance also focuses on increasing the representation of Native leaders on corporate boards and mentoring emerging Native capital managers and investment advisors. In turn, NACIA aims to facilitate collaborations between capital investors and alternative debt lenders to tailor financial products for Indian Country.

"We believe in the power, wisdom, and potential of Native people," said Dean Newton, Co-Founder of NACIA, Chairman at Relevance Ventures, and member of the Patawomeck tribe. "Our people have all of the ingredients in the recipe for success except access. NACIA will widen access to capital for Native founders by providing entrée to venture, debt, and alternative investment capital, bring Native faces to seemingly faceless boardrooms, and help drive substantial change for our communities. It's especially fitting during Native American Heritage Month that we welcome all to join us on this transformative journey."

Acknowledging the unique challenges faced by Native American entrepreneurs and leaders, NACIA works to provide vital resources and access points to financial opportunities that have historically been elusive. The Alliance will enable Native founders to craft compelling pitch decks, access deal document templates, and connect with pre-screened investors and lenders. Additionally, it will serve as a nexus for Native investors to increase their collective influence in the equity and debt funder ecosystem.

"Through NACIA, we are planting the seeds of prosperity not just for the current generation of Native Americans but for the many that will follow," said Kelly Holmes, Co-Founder of NACIA, Founding Partner at Skoden Ventures, and member of the Mnicoujou Lakota tribe. "Our mission transcends the mere provision of capital—it's about nurturing a system that understands and respects the unique cultural and business dynamics of Indian Country. We are empowering our people to be architects of their own economic destiny."

NACIA will also provide a robust platform for equity investors, investment advisors, and alternative lenders to discover Native-founded investment opportunities and contribute to a diverse and inclusive investment landscape. It aligns stakeholders around impact investment principles and facilitates collaboration on issues affecting Native founders, investors, lenders, and board members.

The Alliance's acronym, pronounced as "nah-see-ah," unifies Capital and Investment as allies (not just associates) in a common cause. The focus on "alliance" further signals the organization's acknowledgment of, and respect for, Native American tribes – many of which are independent sovereign nations. The acronym is a conjugation of the Spanish word "nacer" which means "to be born," but also contains "CIA," a naming convention for a U.S. intelligence agency, both standing in stark counterbalance. For one acronym to convey its meaning with strength and respect, as well as allusions to two other dramatically different meanings in seeming counter-balance, is symbolic of various energies coming together in balance for the common purpose of advancing Native people.

Joining Holmes and the Newton as founding NACIA Board members are: Valerie Red-Horse Mohl, Co-Founder and President of Known, of Cherokee heritage, the first Native American to launch an investment bank on Wall Street, and an inductee into the National Association of Women Business Owners Hall of Fame; Cory Littlepage, Co-Founder and CEO of Tribal Diagnostics, named to the OK Powerlist of Native American Leaders in Business, and member of the Chickasaw Nation; Spencer Foust, Managing Director of Sozo Ventures, named to Forbes' prestigious "30 Under 30" list, and among the youngest ever to receive a Top Level Q Security Clearance; and, Cameron Newton, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Relevance Ventures, two-time recipient of Inc. Magazine's "Founder Friendly" award, and member of the Patawomeck Tribe of Virginia.

All those interested in NACIA's mission are encouraged to visit www.NACIA.com for more information on how to join the Alliance and become part of a vibrant, transformative investment initiative aiming to reshape the financial futures of Native American founders, their businesses, and the communities they call home, for generations to come.

About NACIA:

The Native American Capital and Investment Alliance (NACIA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the lives and financial opportunities of Native Americans by supporting: Native founders and their businesses in successfully accessing equity and debt funding; and, Native leaders by helping increase their representation on corporate boards. Please visit: https://nacia.com/.

About Relevance Ventures

Relevance Ventures is one of the only Native American privately owned and operated venture capital firms in the United States. Relevance Ventures provides strategic venture assistance and guidance to entrepreneurs working to foster balance and harmony while delivering a positive societal impact. With over $115 million under management, the firm is dedicated to delivering larger capital infusions to opportunities that make people well by bringing balance to imbalances in life, the body, and society, delivering above-market returns to its investors, giving Native people and underprivileged groups a louder voice, and doing so with urgency and conviction to change the world in which we live for the better and for all. Relevance Ventures was founded by Cameron and Dean Newton and is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Please visit: https://www.relevanceventures.com/

About Skoden Ventures

Skoden Ventures is a boutique venture fund investing in very early-stage start-ups with Indigenous, Black, Brown, and women founders. We know from our own experiences the power of investing in undercapitalized entrepreneurs and allocate pre-seed capital to founders building high-growth creative companies. We focus on entrepreneurs building businesses that respond to growing Gen Z and Millenial consumer demand for entertainment, edutainment, and creative goods, services, and experiences that authentically express and reflect their backgrounds. Founded on Indigenous values as an impact fund, we invest in entrepreneurs seeking to generate financial returns, strengthen cultural assets, and advance social, human, and natural capital in communities. The Founding Partners are Kelly Holmes, Mnicoujou Lakota, and Alice Loy.

SOURCE Relevance Ventures