Odawa Holdings, Mno-Bmadsen and Gun Lake Investments Announce First-of-its-Kind Joint Venture

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Nov. 15, 2022 – Odawa Economic Affairs Holding Corporation (“Odawa Holdings”), Mno-Bmadsen and Gun Lake Investments (“GLI”) today announced a new joint venture to create a real estate development, construction and property management company. The new entity, Aki Construction LLC, is culturally and economically significant and the first Tribal joint venture of its kind in the Midwest.

Aki (pronounced “uh-ki”)—meaning “earth, land, ground”—is rooted in Odawa Holdings, Mno-Bmadsen and GLI’s similar visions, missions and cultures. Each entity believes in their duties to uplift and support their communities and people while bringing value to their Tribes.

Odawa Holdings, headquartered in Petoskey, Michigan, and located in Harbor Springs, Michigan, comprises the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians.

“At Odawa Holdings, we are ecstatic to be taking the first steps in this venture alongside GLI and Mno-Bmadsen. Together, our goal is to be a leader with Tribal-driven construction projects within the Midwest and across the country,” said Shanna Shananaquet, Executive Director of Odawa Holdings. “We look forward to watching this unique platform grow with the collaborative mindset of family, culture and tradition.”

Mno-Bmadsen is the non-gaming investment arm of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians based in Dowagiac, Michigan.

“It is an honor for us to be able to work alongside leaders at GLI and Odawa Holdings on this venture and set the tone and process for additional co-investment opportunities,” said Julio Martinez, CEO of Mno-Bmadsen. “Our vision is to continue to uplift one another’s Tribes by capturing the synergistic results of this collaboration. We expect this joint venture to expand on the very important work we do to grow our Tribe’s economic development investments for the benefit of future generations.”

Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, GLI is the economic development corporation for the Gun Lake Tribe.

“This partnership is the first of its kind in the Midwest, which not only makes this an important move for each of our Tribes, but also a historic milestone for Tribal Country,” said Monica King, CEO of GLI. “Three Tribes are coming together to further develop and give back to their communities, which will create economic value and provide meaningful opportunities for our Tribes and beyond. GLI is thrilled to partner on this new endeavor.”

Alongside this joint venture, all three tribes have ongoing economic development initiatives in various sectors and stages.

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About Odawa Economic Affairs Holding Corporation

Odawa Economic Affairs Holding Corporation, or Odawa Holdings, is a Harbor Springs, Michigan-based economic corporation wholly owned by the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. Odawa Holdings provides the management of non-gaming and economic affairs with the mission to act prudently to maximize the opportunity to build a strong diversified economic and financial base that will serve the needs of the stakeholders in perpetuity. To learn more about Odawa Economic Affairs Holding Corporation, please visit www.oeahc.com.

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About Mno-Bmadsen

Mno-Bmadsen is the non-gaming investment arm of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians. This independently managed instrumentality of the Tribe was launched in 2012 with the mandate to diversify the Pokagon Band’s business interests, revenue streams and wealth for future generations. We do this by investing some of the treasury from the Tribe’s gaming enterprise and returns generated by Mno-Bmadsen’s investments. To learn more about Mno-Bmadsen and its portfolio holdings, please visit www.mno-bmadsen.com.

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About Gun Lake Investments

Gun Lake Investments, or GLI, is a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based economic development corporation wholly owned by the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, also known as the Gun Lake Tribe. GLI manages a private, non-gaming portfolio of equity and debt investments in real estate and operating companies with a philosophy of prioritizing and investing in people first under environmentally and socially responsible stewardship while building long-term relationships amongst the community, strategic partners, and stakeholders. To learn more about Gun Lake Investments, please visit www.gunlakeinvestments.com.