A loan from the White Earth Investment Initiative helped new owners acquire and rebrand a longtime independent retail store. White Earth Nation member Marissa Annette and John Lambert received $142,500 in flexible financing to buy the business from their former employer. As they brought the business under Native American ownership for the first time in its long history, they updated its name and refocused on products sought by the local artists, nonprofits and Indigenous community members that support it year-round. Marissa said that as an enrolled White Earth Band member, she was more comfortable going through tribal options for financing.
We thought it would be easier and more secure to go through WEIi for a Native American-owned business. The WEII staff helped us understand our finance options and secured us the loan we needed. – Marissa Annette, co-owner
