Diona Richards
Hometown:
Chicago, IL
Connect: LinkedIn
Diona is excited to bring more resources to her host community and create a long-term impact. Her professional superpowers are connecting the underserved to sustainable resources.
Diona Richards is a business advisor navigating the complexities of the financial industry and launching innovative partnerships with public, private, and nonprofit sectors. She is an expert in corporate and business banking verticals and has worked with the top financial institutions and nonprofits worldwide.
In 2020, Diona launched See Me Fund, a social impact organization providing women entrepreneurs access to capital, resources, and strategic networks. In 2022, she launched Seen, a global podcast that promotes women’s visibility.
With a mission to uplift women, she understands that capital is powerful and that, where deployed, it reflects what communities you choose to empower.
ERC Project
Project Title:
Tribal workforce housing value-chain = entrepreneurship collateral
Host Community or Region:
Minnesota
Host Organization:
Region Five Development Commission
Collaborating with regional, national, and tribal partners, Native CDFIs, and the Leech Lake Tribal College, the project aims to revolutionize the housing market in Indian Country, specifically within the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe reservation, encompassing Cass, Beltrami, Itasca, and Hubbard counties. The project addresses the acute issue of disinvestment in one of the nation's poorest tribal communities by introducing 3D-printed and panelized construction training programs at Leech Lake Tribal College. The STEM construction workforce training would be the first of its kind in U.S. Indian Country. This initiative is crucial to enhance housing affordability and quality and to empower the tribal community through entrepreneurship in housing-related businesses, resulting in more Indian-owned companies and access to capital. The ERC Fellow’s role focuses on securing a $20 million investment to support the construction industry workforce training, foster Native-owned housing businesses, and increase affordable homeownership. The outcome is a groundbreaking shift in how housing is approached in Indian Country, leading to increased homeownership, more housing units, and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Interested in supporting this project or learning more? Contact the ERC program team here.
