Qualla 2020: Diversifying the Qualla Economy

Qualla 2020:Diversifying the Qualla Economy Third Meeting April 23, 2014

Agenda - Morning 9:00 Welcome and Introduction 9:15 Small Business and Entrepreneurial Development - Presentation 10:30 Analysis of Small Business Environment 12:00 Lunch

Agenda - Afternoon 12:30 DevelopOptions for Small Business and Entrepreneurial Development 1:30 Review Task Team Discussions - Enterprise Structure - Tourism - Real Estate - Knowledge Industries 2:30 Next Steps, Assignments 3:00 Adjourn

Qualla 2020 Goals • The purpose of the Qualla 2020 Project is to diversify the Cherokee economy and reduce its risks so that it can better ensure the well-being of the Cherokee population into the future. • In order to do this, the Qualla 2020 Project will seek to mitigate the dependence of the economy on gaming revenues, and to develop and expand businesses in ways that uphold the core values of the Cherokee people.

Qualla 2020 Process • Six Committee meetings • Tuesday, February 25, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm  • Friday, March 21, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm  • Yellow Hill Activity Center (Old Hardware Store) • Wednesday, April 23, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm • Wednesday, May 21, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm • Friday, June 27, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm • Tuesday, July 15, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm • Task teams will meet by phone between Committee meetings to develop detailed action plans for Committee review • Committee will choose action plans to recommend to EBCI Administration, EBCI Tribal Council and Cherokee Preservation Foundation

Action Plan Definition • Action plan criteria: • Achievable with the resources controlled by institutions and individuals on the Qualla Boundary • Create visible differences within a year or two • Support traditional Cherokee values and culture • Action plan elements: • Goal • Participants • Activities • Organizational leadership • Resources required • Funding sources • Timeline

Agenda - Morning 9:00 Welcome and Introduction 9:15 Small Business and Entrepreneurial Development - Presentation 10:30 Discuss Options for Small Business and Entrepreneurial Development 12:00 Lunch

Small Business and Entrepreneurial Development - Presentation • Presentation topics • Overall approach to small business development • Success factors for small business • Existing programs targeting specific success factors • Examples of additionalprograms that support small business development

Qualla 2020 Approach to Small Business Development • Establish a baseline description of a desirable/optimal small business environment • Complete research necessary to map the small business environment in Cherokee • Identify gaps/constraints between Cherokee environment and baseline • Prioritize the challenges and attack the problem

Success Factors for Small Business

Programs to Support Small Business and Entrepreneurship • Market Demand • Greater Cherokee Tourism Council • Qualla Arts and Crafts • Western Mountain Alliance • Cherokee Chamber of Commerce • Tribal Fishing Program • Tribal Programs and Harrah’s Purchasing • Capital • Sequoyah Fund • Southwestern Commission Angel Investor Network • Local banks and financial institutions • Entrepreneurial Culture • Business Plan Competition – college age and youth • Qualla Financial Freedom • Others?

Example: First Peoples Fund Native Artists Program • First Peoples Fund and partners provide a range of support to native artists seeking to expand their arts business • Business knowledge – training and practicums in selling your art and managing your business • Access to capital - connecting artists to Native CDFIs • Financial education – training in managing money and credit • Marketing and distribution – development of marketing practices and approaches specific to the arts market • Mentorship and social networks – connecting artists to peers and mentors

First Peoples Fund Stages of Development

First Peoples Fund Program Results

8(a) Contracting Examples • REI Corporation is a U.S. based Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) contract manufacturer located on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in Mission, South Dakota. Established in 2006, REI is a tribally-owned, for-profit business providing turn-key EMS solutions to defense and commercial OEM’s. The company also does contracting work in the tribal gaming industry. • Tigua, Inc. is owned by the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo in El Paso, Texas. They are 8(a) certified and have had contracts with several federal government agencies including GSA, Homeland Security, Justice, Interior and Defense. The Pueblo has no gaming.

8(a) Contracting Examples • Seneca Holdings is the investment arm of the Seneca Nation of Indians, and founded to diversify the Seneca Nation's revenue streams beyond the gaming and tobacco industries and to usher in a new era of nation and region building. Its subsidiaries include Seneca Telecommunications, LLC and SCMC, LLC. • Seneca Telecommunications was formed in 2010 when Seneca Holdings acquired a controlling interest in CT-COMM to leverage management's expertise, past performance, and industry relationships to secure domestic and international prime and subcontract positions on current and future Federal contracts. • SCMC, LLC is a Small Business Administration Disadvantaged Business, SBA 8(a) Program participant, and SBA HUBZone participant. SCMC's services include construction management, general contracting, remediation, and demolition for various government agencies.

Agenda - Morning 9:00 Welcome and Introduction 9:15 Small Business and Entrepreneurial Development - Presentation 10:30 Analysis of Small Business Environment 12:00 Lunch

How Will We Define Optimal Environment for Small Business, Map Existing Environment and Analyze Gaps?

Develop Options for Small Business and Entrepreneurial Development • Note suggestions already made • Previous meeting • This morning’s discussion • Add, refine, combine into options • Discuss option • Objective • Key activities • Important participants

Tourism Task Team • Tourism Task Team plans on supporting the initiative of SkooterMcCoy, Destination Marketing Director, introduced at the March Qualla 2020 meeting: • Vision on how Cherokee could be transformed from a day-trip to an multiple night destination, dramatically expanding visitation and revenue over the next decade. • Incorporating the two greatest assets: • Cherokee culture • Natural resources • Change to clearly defined districts that offer Culture, Downtown Base Camp, Convention/Fairgrounds, Wildlife, Saunooke Village Update, Gaming Resort Center, Indoor Adventure Park, Special Events District, Outdoor Activities. • Create a Tourism Development Authority • Market and promote the vision • Define a process through EBCI approval channels

Real Estate Task Team • Ability to attract businesses to the Boundary, and commercial development of real estate on the Boundary, are constrained by two key challenges • Complex rules and procedures regarding land ownership, permitting and leasing • Modest levels of retail demand in Cherokee • Relatively small year-round population for retail shopping makes it difficult to attract major chains • Inability to serve alcohol on most of Boundary limits revenue potential for restaurants • Restaurants that do not serve alcohol, typically classified as 'family' rather than casual dining, are having the slowest growth within the industry--which leads to the business decision to not expand into unknown/unproven markets.

Real Estate Task Team • Task Team is considering projects that would help streamline and simplify leasing process for individual possessory holdings • Conduct research to determine process, costs and potential funding for Tribe to take over Real Estate function from BIA • How much it would cost the Tribe to take over the function? • What are the options for 638 contracts and compacts? • How much money would the BIA pay the Tribe? • What has been the experience of other tribes? • Conduct research to determine the feasibility and cost of rewriting tribal statutes to simplify leasing process • How much legal work would be required to create a new set of statutes and regulations? How big a project is this? • Have other tribes with similar possessory holdings done something like this? • May wish to consider HEARTH Act potential

Real Estate Task Team • To increase the attraction of businesses to the Boundary and the incentive for commercial development on the Boundary, need to address issue of limited demand. Potential approaches: • Encourage shopping by drive-through traffic • “Outlet mall strategy” • Tap the demand from gaming visitors • Attract businesses that use the Internet as their primary way to reach customers • High-quality bandwidth lets them connect to high levels of demand

Knowledge Industry Task Team • Task Team is reviewing topics for potential action plans: • Support for small business high-bandwidth connectivity: • Cost of installing high-bandwidth connectivity for business can be $7,000, which is barrier for small business. • Concept: a loan/grant program supported by the Foundation and/or the Tribe. Loan for connectivity would be forgiven 20% a year, so if business stayed in operation on the Boundary for five years, it would have the entire cost paid off. • Tech office space: • Concept: a tech building with connectivity built into all the units. • All offices would have built-in fiber connectivity, VOIP phones, telepresence conference rooms, etc. There could also be co-working spaces for individuals who are not ready to rent an office. • Call center: • Explore potential for development of a call center on the Boundary for Caesar’s Entertainment. This call center could support multiple properties.

Next Steps • Third meeting of task teams by phone • Continue work on options • Research • Interviews • Financial analysis • Exploration of funding sources • Development of recommendations • BWB Solutions and Medicine Root will staff and facilitate tasks teams and conduct additional research as necessary

Contact Information Ben Sherman sherman1491@gmail.com (303) 818-4926 John Weiser johnw@bwbsolutions.com (203) 314-8600

Qualla 2020: Diversifying the Qualla Economy