Oweesta Corporation, the longest standing Native Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) intermediary, is an organization committed to building economic independence and sovereignty for all Native communities. Through financial management skill-building, policy advocacy and initiatives to increase homeownership and business creation, Oweesta is expanding financial security for Native people while providing services directly to Native CDFIs. To learn more about Oweesta’s work, their successes in 2022, and challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we sat down with Fern Orie, Chief Programs Officer and Executive Vice President of Advocacy & Strategic Partnerships.

Hi Fern, thank you for taking the time to speak with me. Could you share a little bit more about your role with Oweesta corporation? 

I came on at Oweesta Corporation in September 2021, as the Chief Programs Officer and Vice President of Advocacy and Partnerships. I’ve been focusing on bringing development services to emerging Native CDFIs and building capital for organizations in Native country. I’ve been in this industry for more than 20 years and It’s been wonderful to bring my experience with starting a CDFI to help other Native CDFIs who are currently in growth phases. 

Overall, how has 2022 been for Oweesta Corporation so far?  

Oweesta has done a fantastic job being adaptive and pivoting during these times, both with our own staff and all our external partners. We are right on track with all the goals we set for this year and we’re ramping up to increase our participation in lending and building out policies for our new loan product. We also just held a weeklong training for a new CDFI certification program, which will provide a curriculum that our industry has needed for several years. The 18-month program will offer several different tracks, and include topics such as financial management, loan officer training and board governance. Our organization is also excited to have a $30 million loan portfolio that will allow us to scale, increase capacity and offer more support to Native CDFIs. Building out our team to ensure we have all bases covered has been instrumental to our success as an organization. 

What is the biggest challenge facing your organization right now? 

I think for our industry the uncertainty of the economy is the biggest challenge. Ultimately, that is the foundation of all our other concerns and challenges. We’re in somewhat of a fog, trying to understand what is next, and how the economic landscape will affect the work of our organization and our Native communities. However, Oweesta is resilient just like our people and we’ve risen to thrive despite challenges and barriers. We will be prepared to develop the necessary policies and programs to make sure we’re on the front lines protecting and advocating for our people. 

How has your experience been working with Prosperity Now?  

Prosperity Now is a phenomenal organization that really does a lot on the front lines to uplift the voices of individuals across the nation. My experience with Prosperity Now goes back about 5 years. Prosperity Now staff came to Wisconsin to help us advocate and work with our state legislature, and it was amazing to have them join us at the State Capitol and take part in our planning sessions. To have that kind of guidance, expertise and passion on the ground really showed us that Prosperity Now is driven to protect underserved communities throughout the country. As a member of the Oweesta team, I am also excited to be part of Prosperity Now’s Community Steering Committee and look forward to engaging in more of that work throughout the year. 

Anything else to add?  

I just want to lift up how important relationships and partnerships are in helping further our work. We’re all serving underserved groups throughout the nation and addressing disparities that exist at every level. Relationships are paramount for enacting change at the federal policy level and the grassroots level. I just really appreciate our partnership with Prosperity Now. 

To learn more about the Oweesta Corporation visit their website and follow them on social media!