Watershed Regenerative Ventures (WRV)

Watershed Regenerative Ventures (WRV) is a dynamic Native owned social enterprise incorporated under the Yurok Tribe. 1)The main problem we are committed to solving is the lack of access to capital for Indigenous entrepreneurs, worker-owned businesses, Tribes, and regional civic groups. 2)The solution we are working on is to provide Indigenous-led capacity building for people living in the Klamath-Trinity Basin. 3) Through entrepreneurship capacity building in technology and the digital sectors for example, with emphasis on our grandmas, moms, aunties, and sisters; our local, regional, and global communities can build local market resilience. Because of our proximity to Bay Area and So California markets; we can be a case study for regenerative practices in the private, public, civic, and digital sectors.

Lack of capital is the problem we have listed however, this problem is multi-layered and come from different places. Indigenous communities here in the US are engineered to be dependent on the government without much decision-making in regional infrastructure. However with climate change many local municipalities, counties, and states are now turning to Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Ecological Knowledge. As Indigenous Peoples share more about their life experiences and research, their unique intellectual property needs to be protected as well. Building capacity in ways for Indigenous Peoples to continue living in their traditional homelands while still balancing their quality of life. I plan to start with my Tribe (Yurok) that has about 6200 citizens locally, regionally, and globally.

In short our solution is unique pathway for Indigenous-led self-determined jobs and the larger Indigenous Land Reclamation movement. Gathering relevant educational and technical resources for locals to pay bills, housing and wellness. Educating local artists about new things in modern society like NFTs and DAOs has also helped shape our solution. Although these are new to some, Indigenous Peoples have successfully used them for thousands of years. Our solution is aimed at using these new technologies in alignment with our Traditional Ecological Knowledge to help our changing life systems (i.e. Ocean Acidification/Deoxygenition, Wildfires, Intense Drought, Suicide). Furthermore we feel this solution will show how technologies can connect us more with Nature than ever before.

Im a Yurok Tribal Citizen and look for this solution to help the Tribe first which has a population of about 6,200. This project will be working with the adjacent Hupa, Karuk and Klamath Tribes that are on the Klamath and Trinity Rivers. The adjacent counties are Humboldt with approximately 160,000 population, Del Norte County with 28,000 approximately.

• Problem: Lack of Access to capital for Indigenous-led infrastructure projects and the capacity building to operate
• Solution: Use appropriate technology with Traditional Ecological Knowledge for people to align their job with their passions
• Target pop: Yurok Tribal Citizens

We are doing this work already but would be accelerated with this fellowship.

I feel the world of big tech and finance need more Indigenous women voices. This is innovative because of the ongoing epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives.

People Power and Indigneous Technologies.

Climate adaptation strategies around the world and the United Nations

The biggest risks will be prevented through outreach and education. We want to help people protect themselves and their data.

By building locally we can work to building regionally and from there we can build globally.

We are currently serving 20people in different capacities.

• Next year we look to support 50 people towards social entrepreneurship.
• 5 years: 200 people is our goal
• *If we are awarded this timeline will move much faster

If people are obtaining funding, approval of incorporation, if they have a business plan in place yet. Another metric is where they are looking to start their business.

The main one is financial barriers with needing about $300,000 to kick start our priority infrastructure projects.

Developing the needed fundraising documents will get me there.

1 person at this moment full time but look to hire as funding comes in.

My work experience and living alot of the work included in this solution

My experience working for my Tribe, we expanded the Transportain program form two people to 13 full-time staff.

I am applying to meet other people in MIT Solve that can help with our work here in the West Coast.

I need help fine tuning and finding new ways to articulate my work.

Fab Labs Foundation

The digital sector is apart of all things now since COVID-19 specifically equitable healthcare.

Please I am working on a mobile production company for people to find their passion in the creative practice.

The "IndigiSTREAM"
project is the renovation of a 1987 Recreational Vehicle (RV) to a
mobile production company focused on amplifying Indigenous-led
regeneration projects and campaigns. For those not familiar, "STREAM"
stands for "Sciences, Technologies, Research, Engineering, Arts, and
Mathematics" and will remain central to this project's development and
implementation.  Starting with podcasts, we plan to expand to establish
one to three radio stations, television stations and motion pictures.

Decentralized Autonomous Organizations have been successfully implemented by Indigenous Peoples around the world for thousands of years. I would love to make this into a video game.