Monday, March 17, 2025
Media Contact: Stephen Howard | Director of Marketing and Communications | 405-744-4363 | stephen.howard@okstate.edu
Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business and the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association hosted their third annual Tribal Summit on March 6, attracting a record 286 registrants.
Tribal leaders and businesspeople gathered in the Wes Watkins Center on the Stillwater campus for sessions about tribal leadership, workforce development, casinos and business development, economic development, and agriculture and food sovereignty.
The Tribal Summit featured 50 speakers and facilitators representing tribal nations across Oklahoma and experts who work with tribes and tribal businesses in state and out of state. Participants represented 23 Indigenous tribes and 60 casinos, tribal businesses or other organizations. Attendees traveled from 44 cities in Oklahoma, while representatives and speakers came from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Texas.
OIGA has partnered with Spears Business since the inaugural Tribal Summit three years ago. OIGA Chairman Matthew Morgan and the OSU Spears Tribal Steering Committee have helped recruit tribal leaders for the event.
“The Tribal Summit hosts not only tribes but also tribal businesses so they may discuss challenges and derive solutions to the problems which are faced through discussions in the sessions,” Morgan said.
OSU interim president Jim Hess welcomed attendees to the Tribal Summit. Dr. Hess noted OSU has one of the largest Native American student populations of any land-grant university, with more than 3,445 Native American students enrolled in spring 2025.
Nearly 800 Native American students are enrolled at Spears Business. Dr. James Payne, dean of Spears Business, noted the importance of tribal nations and economic development in Oklahoma.
“We founded the OSU Spears Tribal Steering Committee, which has helped to create the Tribal Summit, and we believe this summit makes a difference to the tribes in providing a venue for further business education and networking,” Payne said.
In 2019, the Oklahoma Native Impact Study reported the total economic impact of tribes in the state as $15.6 billion. In 2024, Native American participation in Oklahoma’s workforce reached its highest percentage in the past 20 years, increasing since 2021, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank.
The Tribal Summit featured morning and afternoon sessions addressing a variety of topics that impact tribal business. The first morning general session was “Guiding Voices: Tribal Business in a Changing Landscape,” which highlighted impactful stories and tribal leaders from across Oklahoma, emphasizing best practices and a forward-thinking mindset.
Morgan facilitated the panel with guests Ben Blosch, Chief Investment Officer, Cherokee Nation Businesses; Dan Boren, Secretary of Commerce, Chickasaw Nation; Chief Billy Friend, Wyandotte Nation; Heidi Grant, Senior Executive Officer–Commerce, Choctaw Nation; and Chairman Jacob Keyes, Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma.
Spears Business assistant dean Dr. Marc Tower facilitated the second general morning session, “Tribal Leadership: Planning for the Future,” which addressed the sustainability of Oklahoma tribes. The panel featured Lt. Gov. Chris Anoatubby, Chickasaw Nation; Chairman Rocky Barrett, Citizen Potawatomi Nation; Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear, Osage Nation; and Keyes.
Panel facilitators for the afternoon breakout sessions included Chris Province, Player Performance Group; Emmanuel Bezzell, Muscogee Nation Gaming Enterprises; and Spears Business administrators Dr. Marlys Mason and Tower.
Dr. Rodney Holcomb, assistant director of OSU’s Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center, assisted with coordinating the agriculture and food sovereignty sessions. Carly Griffith Hotvedt, Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative; and Janie Simms Hipp, J.D., CEO of Native Agriculture Financial Services; also served as facilitators of the afternoon sessions.
The Tribal Summit received support from the following sponsors.
Premier sponsor
Lunch sponsors
Facilities and parking sponsor
Break sponsors
Breakfast sponsor
Exhibit booth sponsors
The next Tribal Summit is set for March 2026. Visit the Spears Business website to learn more about the Tribal Summit and other resources for tribal nations.
