FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT
Julie Ruth | Julie@lokacreative.com | 505.603.7190
SIX TRIBALLY HELD BUSINESSES RECEIVE NATIVE AMERICAN VENTURE
ACCELERATION FUND GRANTS
LANS, LANL Fostering Economic Development in Northern New Mexico
LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO, FEBRUARY 23, 2015 – A total of $60,000 was
awarded in the third year of the Native American Venture Acceleration Fund
(NAVAF) to six northern New Mexico Native American owned and operated
businesses. The NAVAF grant program was first funded by Los Alamos
National Security, LLC (LANS) in 2012 to help recipients create jobs, increase
their revenue base and help diversify pueblo economies.
“Our Native American Venture Acceleration Fund has become an important
resource in the region for tribally held businesses,” said Kurt Steinhaus, LANL
Community Programs Office director. “Every dollar invested into these
entrepreneurs helps sustain and boost employment in and around our
northern New Mexico pueblos.”
The NAVAF is an investment in the northern New Mexico tribal economy by
LANS, the company that manages Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).
The fund is administered by the Regional Development Corporation of
Española. Grants are awarded to Native-owned companies that demonstrate
their ability to create and retain jobs and attract additional revenues to the
region.
To date, $144,000 has been invested in the region’s economy through the
NAVAF. As a direct result, 22 jobs were created or retained by Native-owned
companies. NAVAF recipients attracted additional funding of $2.7 million and
grew revenues by $692,500.
2015 grant recipients are:
High Water Mark, Cochiti Pueblo, to purchase geographic information
operating software.
Walatowa Timber, Jemez Pueblo, to develop business and manufacturing
plans for timber products and expand into the wood pellet industry.
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 everywhere.
Professional Cleaning Solutions, Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, to purchase new
software for advanced logistics control and inventory management, and to
train staff on the system.
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Tano Services, Pojoaque Pueblo, to develop a federally recognized 8A
company.
Than Povi Gallery, San Ildefonso Pueblo, to expand their online marketing
plan.
To be eligible for the Native American Acceleration Fund, 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
To become an investor in the Native American Venture Acceleration fund or
obtain more information please contact Kathy Keith (Kathy@rdcnm.org),
executive director of the Regional Development Corporation, or Vangie
Trujillo (vangie@lanl.gov) of the LANL Community Programs Office.
About the Native American Venture Acceleration Fund (NAVAF)
The NAVAF, launched by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, is for tribally
owned companies or businesses owned by a tribal member in northern New
Mexico.
About Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS)
Los Alamos National Security, LLC is a private limited liability company formed
by the University of California, Bechtel, Babcock & Wilcox Technical Services,
and URS Energy and Construction. It assumed direct management and
operation of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) on June 1, 2006 under
contract to the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security
Administration.
About the Regional Development Corporation (RDC)
The Regional Development Corporation is a non-profit economic
development organization based in Española, New Mexico with a mission of
creating jobs and attracting additional revenue to the northern New Mexico
region.
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