Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Johnny

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?

The timing of this question is great because I spent a few days back home and it prompted some reflections on where I’ve come from and where I find myself today. Home to me is Navajo land, the community of Crystal, NM a small community located near the Chuska Mountains. It’s here that I feel the most rooted and connected not only to the land itself, but to the people, the language, and customs of Navajo life.

From this foundation, I found my way to the Los Angeles area for college and that even took me to Oxford University where I not only figured out what a block was but learned what way to look when crossing the street. Academics have always been a way for me to explore the world around me. During college, I had the chance to learn about international travel and all the details including getting the proper visas, and efficient packing methods. It was really during this time that I grew into my being, allowing myself to explore and learn what I could do with my college degree. It always was a given that I would somehow return to my tribe and community to help, but in what manner, that became the larger journey.

My career started very humbly working for my tribe assisting in managing the tribal portfolio, as I had a degree in finance and minors in economics and psychology. Here I was able to understand how a portfolio was meant to drive returns that would support my tribe. I learned how investment policies shaped what investments could be made and how creative investing could be. From this role, I returned to school and earned an MBA with a concentration in finance, but this time determined to learn more investing skills and experience to bring back to Native community. All of my experiences from working on Wall Street to understanding what drives the valuation of a business, brought me to my current work with Raven Indigenous Capital Partners, an Indigenous-owned and led venture capital firm. With this work, I’m able to support Indigenous and Native entrepreneurs in their journey of growing and building businesses that also support the well-being of Indigenous and Native people.

Sometimes when I step back, I can’t help but feel surprised that I’ve not only found a career that aligns with my passion to support Native people, but that I’ve been able to navigate these spaces where Native people aren’t commonly found.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

My career and path in finance has been very non-traditional, in the fact that I entered investment banking later than most and struggled to find my place in a space that was often incongruent with the teachings I valued. It’s also been non-traditional in that I tried quite a few different roles and jobs in the greater finance industry and when I could not find the right alignment, I trusted myself that there was something out there that would align my passion, education, and skillset, I just didn’t know how it would work. Yet, I was determined to find a way.

At every turn I made, I kept trusting that the next step would bring me closer to the right fit and role. At these steps, I always challenged myself to pick up a new skill – learning more Excel functions, volunteering for new projects that I had little experience in because that’s often the best way to learn, but also taking time aside to learn a little more about the problem at hand. Little did I know that all of these skills I picked up along the way, would help me in the next role in some manner.

But truly, some of the biggest struggles along the way were not only the technical skill, but struggling to understand the work I was doing could benefit Native people. When I felt the most disconnected from this, I found the stamina to keep searching for the right fit.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

When I mention to some people that I am a former pageant gal, (and I’ll clarify that this is Native pageantry, and this is quite different from the pageantry most people think of), it’s not a role that most expect to hear from someone who works in venture. I suppose this is a fun fact that I don’t always share and sometimes even forget that I participated in pageants, but the skills I learned during my pageant years have supported my career when it comes to public speaking, answering what feels like impromptu questions, and overall connecting with groups of people.

The ambassador title that I held was Miss Indian New Mexico, and was crowned as the 47th titleholder. After holding this title, I brought together other former Miss Indian New Mexico ambassadors and together we created the non-profit that supports the pageant and work in preserving and revitalizing the diverse cultures of all Tribal Nations in the State of New Mexico

In particular with my current role at Raven, we participate in panels and discussions about equity-backed capital with entrepreneurs, we chat about the work we do and how it contributes to our investment thesis of investing in Native and Indigenous-led businesses that uplift the well-being of Indigenous people. Sometimes these crowds are large and sometimes they are one-on-ones, but regardless being able to navigate answering questions and being comfortable in front of people is a skill that I’m most proud of and I’m glad that this skill can help me in my work.

But truly, it’s exciting being part of the Indigenous finance ecosystem to support a specific type of entrepreneur because Native people, we’re often the least represented group when it comes to accessing capital and especially in venture capital.

Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?

Growing up, I spent it with my grandparents who primarily spoke Navajo, and with my grandma, it was learning the art and mechanics of rug weaving. It was learning how to spin the wool, dye it different colors, and setting up the loom, and then weaving the rug itself. I spent so much time with my grandma beside her at the loom that the sound of her wooden tools pushing the wool between the warps would lull me to sleep. It was in these moments that I learned to memorize the counting of warps for designs and to strategize how patterns and color schemes would fit together. I think matching the wool and suggesting colors to my grandma was my favorite part of the rug process.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://missindiannewmexicoinc.org
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-johnny-mba-42a1b5b7/

Image Credits

Matt Foster