Melissa Blueflower-Sanchez and Robert Sanchez, owners of R and M Construction, LLC, of Santa Clara Pueblo. Courtesy photoLANL News:
Four Northern New Mexico Native American-owned and operated businesses received a total of $60,000 in grants through a Native American Venture Acceleration Fund created by Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS) and the Regional Development Corporation. The grants are designed to help the recipients create jobs, increase their revenue base and help diversify the area economy.
“These investments create jobs for pueblo-owned businesses and help strengthen the area’s economy,” said Kathy Keith, Los Alamos’ Community Relationships and Partnerships director.
“The Venture Acceleration Fund’s investment in our company will pay off in that we will be able to secure more projects for our company and create more jobs,” said Melissa Blueflower-Sanchez, who with her husband Robert owns R and M Construction, LLC.
To date, more than $250,000 has been invested in the Northern area regional economy through the Native American Venture Acceleration Fund. Funding comes from LANS, which manages Los Alamos National Laboratory. The Native American Venture Acceleration Fund is managed by the Regional Development Corporation (https:////www.rdcnm.org/).
Grant recipients are:
- Eight Northern Indian Pueblo Council Inc., Ohkay Owingeh: to develop a marketing strategy for its arts and crafts fairs that support pueblo entrepreneurs throughout the region.
- High Water Mark, LLC, Cochiti Pueblo: to purchase software that will enable the company to competitively bid for national federal contracts.
- Poeh Cultural Center and Museum, Pojoaque Pueblo: to develop training programs for area artists and entrepreneurs.
- R and M Construction, LLC. Santa Clara Pueblo: to purchase equipment and estimating software for its construction projects.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a Native American Venture Acceleration Fund grant, applicants must:
- demonstrate they are a Native American-owned business in which a tribe or tribal member has at least a 51 percent stake in the enterprise;
- be a tribal business or corporation from the pueblos of Nambe, Ohkay Owingeh, Picuris, Santa Clara, Pojoaque, Taos, San Ildefonso, Tesuque, Cochiti or Jemez;
- be located in Sandoval, Santa Fe, Los Alamos, San Miguel, Mora, Rio Arriba or Taos counties.
More information about the Native American Venture Acceleration Fund is available from Vangie Trujillo (vangie@lanl.gov) of Los Alamos’ Community Relations and Partnerships group.