Deidra Mitchell Invited to Speak at Kennedy School of Government
“One manages a company differently if you’re planning to own it for seven years versus Seven Generations,” said President and CEO of Waséyabek Development Co., LLC, (WDC) Deidra Mitchell, as a special guest lecturer at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government on March 24, 2023.

Having successfully led and grown WDC for the past seven years, Mitchell was selected to guest lecture at the Kennedy School of Government in Boston, Massachusetts. Speaking to students in the graduate-level course titled, “Nation Building II: Native Americans in the 21st Century and Beyond,” Mitchell focused on NHBP and WDC’s successful implementation of tribal economic development.

WDC’s track record under Mitchell has been stellar, having gone from three employees, negative revenue and one location in 2016 to its current state of more than 400 employees, $75 million in annual revenue and “locations from coast to coast.”

While presenting at Harvard, Mitchell discussed how WDC has adopted business practices from The Harvard Project on Indigenous Governance and Development. The Project ‘s new moniker reflects the global scale of its development work with Indigenous communities.

Since its inception in 1987, “the Project has brought together staff and affiliate researchers to uncover and support the conditions that are critical for Indigenous communities to thrive economically, socially and culturally,” according to Harvard’s statement.

Mitchell also outlined to the Harvard class how financial outcomes need to be balanced with the Tribe’s mission. She talked about the NHBP Tribe’s long-term vision to diversify beyond gaming, as casino revenue growth is not projected to keep pace with the growing population of the Tribe.

Projections estimate that Tribal Member benefits could decrease by approximately 30% by 2040 if additional revenue streams are not created. This would severely restrict the critical operations of the Tribe’s mission, including per capita payments, general welfare benefits, as well as Tribal government operations.

“I’m grateful for the chance to speak to the students at Harvard and observe how Tribal culture is being shared with the next generation of business and government leaders,” reflected Mitchell in an Op-Ed she wrote for Crain’s Grand Rapids Business. “It’s rewarding to see the interest of those students in turning information into wisdom that will guide them in years to come. It bodes well for us all.”

The invitation for Mitchell to present to the Harvard Kennedy School comes at an exciting time of growth for the program, as the Harvard Kennedy School has received more than $15 million in gifts to support a major expansion of the school’s Project on Indigenous Governance and Development, according to Native News Online.

Congratulations to Mitchell on presenting to the next generation of leaders on how to manage a company for the next Seven Generations.