Today, Thanks to their vision, dedication and the support of people like you, Lakota Funds has lent out over $4,200,491.02 to over 331 businesses and helped to create over 947 jobs.
Tune Into the Lakota Funds hour every Monday at 3:00 p.m. with KILI Radio at 90.1 FM or kiliradio.org on the internet
Lakota Funds assists Wood Vender
Lakota Funds has assisted Andre Mill’s - Wa Kan Wawokiye “ Helping the Elderly Project” with technical assistance and one of our loan products to provide his small business with a new building to store and cut wood during the winter months. Some assistance thru the years for this business have been purchases for equipment, a truck, and now a new building to complete his expansion. Dependable and reliable is how Andre’s new small business success coach David White Bull describes his client. Andre’s a hard worker who will not only have a place to store and cut firewood during the sometimes cold and wet wintery months, but with this new 25’ x 30’ structure will also be building equity in his business. Andre’s business has worked with Lakota Funds since October 2006, and Lakota Funds will be assisting with other services he may be requiring as he goes forward.
Lakota Funds loan products, Wawokiye Business Institute services, and free course are offered here on the Oglala Nation Homeland. The free classes offered are: Core Four Business Planning, Financial Literacy, and Homebuyers Training just to name a few. Wawokiye Business Institute also has small business success coaches who assist future business owners with resources and technical assistance.
Anyone wanting to start or build a business on the reservation can attend Lakota Funds upcoming meetings/trainings.
Expansion Moves On For Heathershaw Designs With Lakota Funds
Lakota Funds Finances Marquittee Heathershaw with a loan to expand her services and building size for her embroidery business. Heathershaw Designs embroidery business is locally owned by tribal member Marquittee Heathershaw. Marquittee was determined to make her dream a reality, she pulled all her resources from an IRA, savings, and investments to get started. Heathershaw Designs grew from her home to a little shop and now is in need of a bigger shop to get the work needs done. She took advantage of Lakota Funds’ free technical assistance and coaching from the Wawokiye Business Institute (WBI). Marquittee is working with Jo White, WBI Director on her business expansion. Dedication to customer service and self-discipline make her Business a huge success in meeting the need for embroidery and T-shirt printing on the Pine Ridge Reservation and surrounding areas.
“Core Four Business Class was a nice refresher for me and helped me focus on my goals to get them into a plan” says Marquittee.
