Our Founders

  • Co-Founder, President and Head of Production

    Carmen Davis, an enrolled member of the Makah Nation and also of the Chippewa Cree and Yakama Tribes, has over 24 years of service to Indian Country and is co-founder and Vice President of IndigiStudios.

    Mrs. Davis oversees the daily operations of IndigiStudios and manages its production slate. No stranger to massive productions, she coordinated and managed all aspects of the multi faceted, “Reach the Rez” project – which still stands as the single largest national effort of outreach aimed at positively impacting Indian Country. The Reach the Rez effort began in 2005 and traveled 54,000 miles successfully providing motivational and inspirational programs to over 200 indigenous communities in its first year alone.

    As an entrepreneur she has successfully established, operated, managed and grown several businesses in multiple sectors. She is equal parts a strategic visionary and behind-the-scenes implementor, essential in guiding and overseeing every process of brand development, business expansion, nation-to-nation relationship building and more.

    She was named in 2009 as one of the first recipients of the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development’s prestigious, “40 Under 40” award which recognizes up and coming community and business leaders from across Indian Country.

    Mrs. Davis is also the founder, publisher and executive editor of the only Native American owned and operated national tribal business publication, Native Business, and the producer of its Native Business Summit.

    She has helped to facilitate multiple strategic partnerships between tribal entities and corporations, participated on international tribal business delegations abroad and proudly raised over $1.3 million dollars philanthropically for outreach to tribal communities. She is continuously committed to leading initiatives that have a positive and lasting impact on Native communities across North America.

    A highly regarded keynote speaker in Indian Country, Carmen has delivered speeches on tribal, corporate and event stages ranging from PNC Bank to the Navajo Nation to the “Native Women’s Business Summit”.

  • Co-Founder, CEO and Head of Creative

    Gary “Litefoot” Davis (Cherokee Nation) is an internationally acclaimed actor, film director, writer, and rap artist. He is also a nationally recognized indigenous business and community leader. Mr. Davis has over 30 years of expertise in the music, fashion, film and television, media and marketing industries and owns a diverse array of companies. He continues to serve Indian Country in economic leadership as the Executive Director of the Native American Financial Services Association.

    Regardless of his title or field of endeavor, Mr. Davis has never lost sight of his traditional values while trailblazing and building an eclectic resume of formidable accomplishments outside of Indian Country. Mr. Davis remains an indigenous voice of empowerment, force of inspiration and model of resiliency, determination, and success.

    Gary began his career by following in the entrepreneurial footsteps of his father and grandfather before him. His love for music, specifically hip hop, led him to starting his first business, Red Vinyl Records in 1992. He soon emerged as the first Native American rap artist, Litefoot, and began releasing his own brand of indigenous rap independently. In 1993, he started touring the United States with his own equipment, crew, and a slew of merchandise in tow. Mr. Davis has since recorded eight award winning albums and received, “Best Male Artist” and “Artist of the Year” honors from the Native American Music Awards

    In 1994, after returning from a musical performance in Rome, Italy, he caught the attention of Paramount Pictures and subsequently won the starring role in the feature film, "The Indian In The Cupboard". Mr. Davis has since starred in several feature films and popular television shows including, "Mortal Kombat, Annihilation (New Line Cinema), Kull, The Conqueror (Universal), and House of Cards (Netflix).

    He recently provided his voice acting talents for the role of Qamash, and several other characters, in the animated indigenous children’s series, Spirit Rangers (Netflix), which features all indigenous writers, cast and crew; a historic first-of-its-kind production.

    Mr. Davis’s most recent company is IndigiStudios, an indigenous film and production company. The first project released by IndigiStudios is the award-wining documentary short film, Strong Hearts: An Indigenous Love Letter To My Sons. ‘Strong Hearts’ is Mr. Davis’s directorial debut and will be followed by several other projects he intends to either write, direct, or produce. The company is focused on a slate of theatrical, episodic, and documentary projects centered around the company’s mission of reclaiming the indigenous narrative in film and television.

    In addition to his pursuits in the arts, in 2007, his ascension in national tribal economic development began when he became Vice-President of U.S. Native Affairs for the Triple Five Group (owners of the Mall of America) and co-chair of the National Indian Gaming Association’s, American Indian Business Network. Mr. Davis has served as the chief executive officer at prominent national tribal economic development organizations including the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development and the Native American Financial Services Association where he helmed the largest annual gathering of tribal and indigenous entrepreneurs, operated multiple federal programs, and led national and international initiatives related to business and entrepreneurship in Indian Country.

    He has twice testified before the U.S. Senate and is astute at policy matters related to Indian Country. He is a relentless advocate for tribal sovereignty and has demonstrated expertise in building bridges on Capitol Hill. He has successfully worked with various federal agencies and been called upon to advance business in Indian Country by being appointed an ambassador for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Minorities in Energy (2015) and Equity in Energy (2020) initiatives as well as his appointment to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Council on Underserved Communities (2016).

    Mr. Davis is an accomplished international public speaker having delivered the featured keynote speech at the World Indigenous Business Forum in Guatemala City, Guatemala and remarks at Hannover Messe, the world’s largest trade fair for industrial technology, in Hannover, Germany.

    Additionally, he has motivated and educated audiences nationwide by providing keynotes and lectures at a variety of colleges and universities including Virginia Tech, University of Wyoming, University of Wisconsin, University of North Carolina, and University of Oregon. He has been a featured speaker for corporations, tribes and organizations including Amazon, PNC Bank, Seminole Tribe of Florida, Sodexo, the FDIC, the United States Navy, National Indian Gaming Association and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency.

    In 2010, Gary authored and self-published his first book entitled, “The Medicine of Prayer”, and distributed the title internationally via Apple iBooks, Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The book provides readers with bold new thinking, inspiring stories, and practical tools to help them move forward in faith and realize their dreams.

    Mr. Davis is a recipient of the prestigious Sevenstar Award from the Cherokee Nation Historical Society and received the Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency National Director Special Recognition Award in 2015. Mr. Davis was also recognized by Scholastic Books in their publication “Native American Heroes” in 2019.

    Gary “Litefoot” Davis serves as a successful example of the possibilities that exist for anyone who knows their worth, refuses to be defined by the limitations of others and relentlessly pursues their goals until they have achieved their highest aspirations.