Phoebe Suina of High Water Mark, Cochiti Pueblo. Courtresy/LANL

LANL News:

• Nearly $700,000 in new revenue generated last two years

Six 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.

“Our Native American Venture Acceleration Fund has become an important resource in the region for tribally held businesses,” said Kurt Steinhaus, director of the Laboratory’s Community Programs Office. “Funds invested into these entrepreneurs helps sustain and grow employment in and around our Northern New Mexico pueblos.”

To date, $204,000 has been invested in the Northern area regional economy through the Native American Venture Acceleration Fund. Additionally, over a two-year period, 22 jobs were created or retained by Native-owned companies and $692,500 in new revenue was generated.

Funding comes from LANS, which manages Los Alamos National Laboratory. The Native American Venture Acceleration Fund is managed by the Regional Development Corporation.

Grant recipients:

• Walatowa Timber, Jemez Pueblo: to develop business and manufacturing plans for timber products and expand into the wood pellet industry.
• High Water Mark, Cochiti Pueblo: to purchase geographic information operating software.
• Ohkay Owingeh Housing Authority; Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo: to perform a professional market analysis and develop a housing plan template that can be adopted by Native communities.
• Tano Services Corporation, Pojoaque Pueblo: to seek federally recognized 8(a) certification.
• Professional Cleaning Solutions, Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo: to purchase new software for advanced logistics control and inventory management, and provide staff training on the system.
• Than Povi, San Ildefonso Pueblo: to expand their online marketing plan.

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; and
• 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 through Kathy Keith, executive director of the Regional Development Corporation, or Vangie Trujillo of Los Alamos’ Community Programs Office.