Pathway to Leadership
Speaker: GARY DAVIS, Co-founder and publisher of Native Business Magazine
OKC Chapter is the second stop for his visit with AICCO. The final stop is with the Tulsa Chapter.
In addition to his role as co-founder and publisher of Native Business Magazine, Gary, a member of the Cherokee Nation, previously served as President and CEO of the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NB), where he oversaw the organizations initiatives and expanded their Reservation Economic Summit (RES) events into smaller and more intimate regional events to foster collaboration among native businesses and to grow economic opportunity across Indian Country. He is a member of the Forbes Finance Council, an invitation-only organization for executives in successful accounting, financial planning and wealth management firms and serves as executive director of the Native American Financial Services Association. He also owns the Davis Strategy Group consulting firm with his wife Carmen.
Mr. Davis is a recipient of the prestigious Sevenstar Award from the Cherokee Nation Historical Society, presented to a Cherokee who is accomplished in a chosen field, brought honor to the Cherokee people and serves as an inspiration to others. He has received the Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency National Director Special Recognition Award, was appointed as an Ambassador of the Department of Energy’s, Minorities in Energy initiative and was also appointed to the United States Small Business Administration’s Council on Underserved Communities. Mr. Davis was recognized as one of the “Fifty Faces of Indian Country” by Indian Country Today Media Network.
Gary has built a successful film and television career as an actor, including roles in Indian in the Cupboard, Mortal Kombat and House of Cards. As the first Native American rap artist, “Litefoot,” he toured across the United States, performing and speaking to packed crowds. His motivational messages about living a life of purpose have inspired native people on reservations across North America.
