BTLaw Tribal Talks

Tribal Talks walks through the deal flow process and discusses the need for transparency and open communication no matter what type of deal you are working. Erika and Deidra with the help of their guest, Kip Ritchie, President of Greenfire Management Services, LLC, discuss what a deal flow process looks like and how even the deal flow process ties back to your strategic plan.

This special episode of Tribal Talks provides guidance on how tribal businesses can navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Monica King, president of DWH, joins co-hosts Erika Weiss of Barnes & Thornburg and Deidra Mitchell of Waseyabek Development Company to discuss federal resources available to tribal business during the pandemic, options for cash flow planning in the near future, and the importance of having a diverse portfolio to soften the blow of future crises.

Tribal Talks explores the issue of due diligence and how to evaluate an opportunity within the context of your strategic plan. Along with their guest, James Tenbrink of Wasayabek Development Company, Erika and Deidra discuss the importance of due diligence, how to effectively conduct due diligence, and what resources you can turn to for help in the processes. Finally, we discuss the hard truth of walking away from an opportunity when due diligence raises too many red flags.

Clay Vanderpool, managing director for DWH in Detroit, joins hosts Erika Weiss and Deidra Mitchell to discuss strategic planning for tribal economic development efforts. We discuss why this process is vital, which stakeholders need to be around the table, where to start the discussion, and what to do once a tentative plan is in place. And, of course, some of the curve balls that can come along during the strategic planning process.

Meet hosts Erika Weiss of Barnes & Thornburg and Deidra Mitchell of Waseyabek Development Company, as we discuss our backgrounds in tribal culture and our experience working in Native American law and policy, economic development, and small business development. We talk about some of the topics we plan to explore with this podcast, including how to set up an economic development company on behalf of your tribe, strategic planning, leadership and sovereignty, diversifying revenue streams, the Harvard Business Model as it relates to American Indian tribes, and more.