Blue Stone Strategy Partners

Federal funding priorities continue to shift. Operating costs remain high. Workforce challenges persist across Indian Country.

As Tribal Leaders navigate these challenges, many are asking the same questions:

• How can we reduce reliance on outside funding?
• What new revenue opportunities exist for our Nation?
• How can we strengthen existing enterprises and improve performance?
• What investments today will create sustainable benefits for future generations?

These are the conversations Jake Robinson works through with Tribal leadership teams every day.

Blue Stone Strategy Partners is looking forward to attending the Third Annual Tribal Leadership Conference in Chandler, Arizona, where Tribal Leaders from across Indian Country will come together to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and priorities shaping the future of their Nations.

If you'll be attending, connect with Jake Robinson, Vice President of Economic Development, to discuss economic diversification, enterprise development, strategic planning, feasibility analysis, and implementation strategies designed to support long-term Tribal prosperity.

Schedule time with Jake: https://bit.ly/4ojNATD

Nearly 100 Tribal economic development leaders gathered at the NCAIED Reservation Economic Summit this March. The session was billed as a three-hour conversation about what comes next: new ventures, new asset classes, new frontiers.

What emerged from the room was something more disciplined.

A narrower federal pipeline. Maturing revenue engines. Capital that has grown more expensive and more selective. The leaders in the room ranked strategic planning, governance reform, and strengthening existing enterprises ahead of launching anything new. They rated their own operations at 2.4 out of 5. The community-leadership alignment gap was the quietest finding in the survey, and the most consequential.

Indian Country is entering what we're calling the foundation era of Tribal economic development. The takeaway is not retreat. It is reform.

Read the full piece, including the three imperatives shaping Tribal economic strategy for the year ahead: https://bit.ly/43uM1s8

Join Dr. Alexandria M. Wright, PhD, Director of Economic & Workforce Impact at Blue Stone Strategy Partners, at the 2026 NAWDP Annual Conference for a featured session focused on workforce development in Indian Country.

Alongside Nevadaworks Tribal Liaison Mr. Roberts, Dr. Wright will present:

Honoring Sovereignty, Expanding Opportunity: Connecting Workforce Systems to Indian Country, A Nevadaworks Case Study

Tuesday, May 19, 2026
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Phoenix Convention Center | Phoenix, Arizona

This session will explore how workforce systems can better align with Tribal priorities through culturally grounded planning, workforce partnerships, apprenticeship pathways, WIOA funding strategies, and long-term economic development approaches supporting Tribal Nations.

The discussion will also highlight lessons learned through the Good Jobs Northern Nevada Initiative and the Indian Workforce Development Advisory Council, including strategies connected to youth pathways, energy workforce development, environmental remediation, and scalable workforce systems in Indian Country.

With more than 20 years of experience supporting Tribal workforce and economic development initiatives, Dr. Wright brings extensive experience in labor market analysis, apprenticeship design, regional workforce strategy, and Tribal systems development.

If you will be attending NAWDP, Dr. Wright would welcome the opportunity to connect during the conference to discuss your community’s workforce and economic development priorities. Even if you will not be attending, she would still value the opportunity to learn more about your community’s needs and discuss strategies supporting long-term workforce growth and opportunity.

Schedule time to connect:
https://bit.ly/4nBiWV5