National Native American Supplier Council

The National Native American Supplier Council Appoints New Board Member, Jeffery W. Johnson GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., April 29, 2024 – Today, the National Native American Supplier Council (NNASC) announced the appointment of a new member to their board of directors. Jeffery W. Johnson, an enrolled Forest County Potawatomi Community tribal member, who serves as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) overseeing the commercial businesses at Potawatomi Ventures, was added. The NNASC board members support the nonprofit’s mission to empower our certified Native-owned businesses by providing opportunities to connect, collaborate, and thrive. “Jeff brings a wealth of experience from working in Indian Country and I am excited to have his insight strengthen our board,” stated Jason Palmer, Executive Director of NNASC. “Our nonprofit is proudly for Natives, by Natives. Our board reflects the Native communities that we serve and we continue to advocate and educate on behalf of Native-owned businesses.” Created to empower Tribal and Native-owned businesses, NNASC provides a dedicated process for Native-owned companies to achieve certification as a minority business enterprise (MBE). NNASC is backed by Tribal and business leaders who support the rights of Tribes to exercise sovereignty, and who understand the importance of creating a certification body that can properly value and evaluate the unique characteristics and structures of Tribal governments and Native-owned businesses. “Jeff is a welcome addition to the NNASC team,” said Julio Martinez, Chairman of NNASC’s Board of Directors. “He is a Native entrepreneur, works for a successful tribal economic development corporation and he expands our network. I look forward to working with him as we grow our presence and expand our reach throughout both Indian Country and corporate America.” Jeff added, “I’m excited to join this great new organization and begin contributing to driving the NNASC mission and expanding its growth in Wisconsin and beyond.” The National Native American Supplier Council’s Board of Directors sets the organization’s strategic direction, establishes long-term goals, and helps support the work of management. A full list of the nonprofit’s board members can be found at: https://lnkd.in/eaiDH3_d. To learn more about NNASC, visit nnasc.org. 

The National Native American Supplier Council was honored to participate in a panel discussion on minority business enterprise certification for Native-owned companies last week at Reservation Economic Summit (RES) 2024. Chi miigwech to Julio Martinez, Monica King, Debra Quade (she-her), Trevor Boylston, CPSM, CPSD, and Jason Palmer for contributing your insights and to our talented moderator Tanya Gibbs for ensuring the panel ran smoothly. Congratulations to The National Center For American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED) for a record-breaking RES, with 4,400 attendees. Our nonprofit appreciates that NCAIED, the largest national Indian specific business organization in the nation, provides a platform for all of Indian Country to grow and thrive.

The team at the National Native American Supplier Council extends a heartfelt thank you to all the brave men and woman for your service and sacrifice. Chi miigwetch to all of our Native warriors.

Today the National Native American Supplier Council (NNASC) celebrates the start of Native American Heritage Month. Our nonprofit acknowledges the countless sacrifices that our ancestors made to ensure our culture, traditions, languages, and ways of life continue to be shared from one generation to the next. Our ancestors proudly protected our sovereignty and provided a path for Tribes and Natives to use self-determination and self-governance to address the challenges we face. Our nonprofit advocates for Native owned businesses by ensuring that we are providing opportunities to connect, collaborate, and thrive. NNASC was founded on the principles of self-determination and self-governance and provides a path for Native businesses to be included in the Minority Business Enterprise conversation. No one is better equipped to determine “Native owned” than our Native run nonprofit. #nativeamericanheritagemonth #nativebusinesses #NNASC #minoritybusiness #mbe

Earlier this week, NNASC Executive Director Jason Palmer had the opportunity to join Michigan Radio’s Stateside program to share NNASC’s mission and impact on Native-owned businesses. "What’s unique about Tribal ownership specifically is we’re recognized as a minority status, but beyond that, Tribes are governments." NNASC continues to advocate and educate on behalf of Native-owned companies. Click on the link below to hear more about our impact and certification process. https://lnkd.in/eEbAmgH4

The National Native American Supplier Council was founded to address the exclusion of Tribal owned businesses as minority business enterprises (MBE). Our organization aims to boost economic equity among tribal communities and uplift Native owned businesses. Read more about our mission and launch in Crain's Grand Rapids Business. #Nativebusinesses #NNASC #minoritybusiness #IndianCountry #development #MBECertification #Native   https://lnkd.in/gWhfX9DK

NNASC is thrilled to share that our membership grew this past week! The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians submitted a resolution of support from the legislative (Tribal Council) and executive (Tribal Chairperson) branches of their government. For Natives by Natives is core to who we are. NNASC is a nonprofit corporation formed on a membership basis, and Tribal Governments Members are our primary membership class. This structure ensures that Native interests are central to the work that we do. NNASC membership for tribal governments is free, and our only requirement is a resolution of support. Thank you to the elected leaders at Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians for their support. https://lnkd.in/g_MAc9Et #Nativebusinesses #NNASC #minoritybusiness #IndianCountry #development #MBECertification #Native https://ltbbodawa-nsn.gov/

NNASC was honored to announce our public launch at the 2nd Great Lakes Tribal Economic Summit. Thank you to those who joined us at our fireside chat, hosted by NNASC executive director Jason Palmer, NNASC Board of Directors chairman Julio Martinez and Rosette, LLP partner Tanya Gibbs, who discussed our mission and current state of the MBE certification process. We are grateful to Tribal Business News for hosting such an impactful event highlighting tribal economic development and for writing an article highlighting NNASC's launch. To learn more about NNASC, visit nnasc.org and click on the article below. #IndianCountry #business #development #MBECertification #MinorityBusiness #Native https://lnkd.in/gzygh5PV

This evening marked the end of the 2nd Great Lakes Tribal Economic Summit. The opportunity to connect with Tribal business leaders across the state to promote the economic equity and development of Indian Country was unparalleled, and we were proud to announce NNASC’s launch at this year’s summit. If you missed our fireside chat this morning, please visit our website to learn more about the MBE certification process and how it can positively impact your Native-owned business! nnasc.org #GreatLakesSummit #MinorityBusiness #NativeBusiness #indiancountry #business #development #MBECertification Special thank you to the NNASC Board for your countless contributions! John McClellan, Julio Martinez, Monica King, Belinda Bardwell, MPA, and Paul Bussey.

Created to empower our communities, the National Native American Supplier Council (NNASC) provides a dedicated process for Native-owned companies to achieve certification as a minority business enterprise (MBE). Historically, Native-owned businesses have been overlooked in the certification process by other organizations. MBE certifications offer groundbreaking advantages to businesses opening new doors to partnerships, fundings and other opportunities. Instead of relying on other organizations to serve us, we’ve created our own. To learn more about the certification process and get your Native or tribally owned business certified, visit nnasc.org #indiancountry #business #development #MBECertification