News
- Details
LAS CRUCES, NM – On November 14, New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Center held its ribbon-cutting for the American Indian Business Enterprise. Dr. Ben Jones, Kellogg Business Director of Ke’yah Advanced Rural Manufacturing Alliance (KARMA), spoke on behalf of the partnership established with NMSU’s Arrowhead Center. Both entities celebrate their efforts to continue their mission to serve communities in need of economic development opportunities.
“We have a very challenging future for all Native American communities in the state,” Dr. Ben Jones said in his speech. “One of them is the unemployment rate. One in two Navajos are employed on the Navajo Nation,” Dr. Jones addressed. “This program will enable us to at least arm ourselves with tools that we need to address our situation.”
The $260,000 grant will be utilized to create the American Indian Business Enterprise and expand Studio G. Studio G is a student business accelerator for students and recent alumni accessible to fourteen total sites across the state of New Mexico. Through KARMA’s partnership with NMSU Arrowhead Center Navajo Technical University students can participate in the program. With the addition of the grant it will allow for more American Indian students to create their business.
“The American Indian Business Enterprise has great potential and opportunity to do extraordinary things,” said NMSU Chancellor Dan Arvizu. “It provides the opportunity to have meaningful dialogue with many communities and broadens the Indigenous communities access to education, and an ecosystem of professional entrepreneurial approach and methodologies to create business development in our communities.”
KARMA continues to build partnerships and opportunities for Navajo entrepreneurs to tackle the Navajo Nation unemployment issue. “In Navajo, we believe in growing our own,” Dr. Jones stated. It is KARMA’s and Navajo Technical University’s mission to build an ecosystem for future and existing entrepreneurs to grow.
For more information about Ke’yah Advanced Rural Manufacturing Alliance, contact Dr. Jones at bjones@navajotech.edu.