299 | Capital + Support: Helping Native Entrepreneurs Thrive with Garry McBerryhill
Our guest this week on the pod is Garry McBerryhill. Garry is a citizen of the Muscogee Creek Nation and an investment associate with Raven Indigenous Capital Partners. He joined Raven in 2021 to help lead Raven’s investments in Native American led startups in the US. Garry has worked in Native American finance since 2014 and has experience in private equity, tribal economic development and real estate.
This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of our host, Zelizer Consulting Services.
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
Helping Native Entrepreneurs Thrive - an interview with Garry McBerryhill of Raven Indigenous Capital
NOTE: While it’s not perfect, we offer a transcript and the below summaries by Castmagic for those who are hearing impaired or who don’t find listening to a podcast enjoyable or possible.
You can read the full transcript of this episode here.
Time Stamped Overview
[00:02:49] Love for finance merges with community service.
[00:06:33] Native American poverty hinders economic development.
[00:09:31] Connecting institutional capital with indigenous businesses.
[00:12:58] Supporting diverse managers, including Indigenous entrepreneurs.
[00:16:38] Imposing strategy, vision, and values on founders.
[00:19:43] Business and social impact can coexist harmoniously.
[00:23:58] Quick break to hear from sponsor for affordable business support services.
[00:26:34] Raven invests in virtual gurus, empowering marginalized workers.
[00:29:33] Investment in Todum Technology Bank benefits Native Americans.
[00:35:04] Deploy fund 2, invest in indigenous economy. Relationships, responsibility, focus, growth, betterment.
[00:40:07] Reach out to organizations supporting native entrepreneurs.
[00:44:17] Building a decolonized business aligned with values.
[00:46:51] Listeners, check out show notes and Raven Capital site. Amplify and share. Gary and Nicole suggested guests. We welcome more suggestions. Thank you for listening and making a positive impact.
Key Topics
Fund 2 Deployment and Building Strong Relationships: Our primary goal is to deploy Fund 2 for investments in the indigenous economy. We are committed to making the right investments in the US and Canada and building strong relationships with indigenous founders. Our focus is not only on raising another fund but also on supporting and nurturing indigenous businesses.
Addressing Poverty and Economic Challenges: Poverty is a significant issue that affects many Native Americans. Indigenous communities face different types of poverty, including visible poverty on certain reservations and working poverty among urban Native Americans outside their communities. This lack of economic resources and stability hinders the growth and development of businesses and entrepreneurship within these communities.
Empowering Indigenous Entrepreneurs: We are thrilled to highlight the success of Virtual Gurus, a virtual assistant marketplace founded by Bobby Rissett. Virtual Gurus provides job opportunities for individuals who are geographically remote, unable to work outside the home, or from communities with limited success in the traditional job market. Through our support and shared vision, Virtual Gurus has attracted interest from institutional funders, transforming professional prospects for many individuals.
Reaching Out for Support and Resources: We strongly encourage native entrepreneurs to reach out for support in their entrepreneurial journey. Organizations like New Mexico Community Capital and ChangeLabs provide valuable resources and assistance. Additionally, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has shown commitment to supporting native entrepreneurship. We personally encourage you to connect with these organizations to help turn your entrepreneurial dreams into reality.
Aligning Social Impact and Business Success: We challenge the assumption that what is good for business is bad for social impact. At Raven Indigenous Capital Partners, we focus on investments where what is right for the business is also right for social impact. Our goal is to connect institutional capital with indigenous businesses in a decolonized way, building up the indigenous economy without exposing it to extractive practices.
Building Authentic, Indigenous Businesses: Entrepreneurs can build authentic and indigenous businesses that reflect the values of their community. There is no trade-off between building a successful business and maintaining integrity. It is possible to positively impact millions of people and express what truly matters to your community through entrepreneurship. Seek support, and remember, you are not alone on this journey.