Help Bring High-Speed Internet to Tribal Lands
Roughly 1 in 3 Tribal households still lack high-speed internet. The U.S. recently committed $65B to expand broadband access, prioritizing rural, Tribal, and underserved communities. We created Native Connections to meet this demand.
Help launch our first network and bring connectivity to rural and tribal communities.
Why Now?
This locks out education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. Traditional providers have avoided these communities for decades, citing high costs, challenging terrain, and an inability to provide service without disrupting sacred lands. Without action, these gaps will only widen.
The government recently allocated $65B to expand broadband infrastructure nationwide. The focus? Rural, Tribal, and remote areas – prioritizing solutions that create long-term jobs and ownership for the communities. The exact reason Native Connections was built.
Why Us?
Our proprietary technology’s use of data pipelines solves the critical “last-mile” challenge, connecting homes without disturbing land or needing massive towers. Unlike traditional methods, it flexibly relays high-speed internet across cliffs, mountains, and rivers. Best of all? Every new connection strengthens the network.
Native Connections trains and employs Tribal citizens to build, operate, and eventually own their broadband networks. By creating lasting jobs, skills, and digital independence, we are closing the digital divide and setting the citizens and communities up for long-term success.
With Partners In Place to Launch and Scale
Native Connections has already established the strategic network needed to begin operations.
Partnerships:
Working with Sicangu Co., the Rosebud community’s economic development engine, to ensure Tribal alignment and long-term success.
Technology:
We leverage patented technology from proven partners like Mage Networks, painlessly solving the last-mile challenge.
Leadership
Deployment and training led by Sisso El-Hamamsy, PhD – a broadband innovator with 51 patents.
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MagiNet™ Provides the “Last-Mile” Answer
Traditional broadband technologies weren’t built for scattered, remote communities. And it shows. Here's how Native Connections’ use of data pipelines stacks up to current capabilites.
How Rosebud Sets the Stage
Starting with our first deployment on Rosebud, Native Connections is executing a phased plan to build scalable broadband networks, proving the model in Tribal communities before expanding nationwide.
Phase 1
Training & Hiring
Launch workforce training through Sinte Gleska University, creating 5-6 full-time jobs.
Phase 2
Manufacturing & Deployment
Launch local manufacturing and strategically deploy network nodes – creating a repeatable model to quickly and cost-effectively connect underserved communities.
Phase 3
Network Management & Scaling
Build localized teams to operate and maintain networks, ensuring every new deployment is managed by the communities they serve.
Phase 4
Advanced Engineering & Expansion
Optimize performance and begin scaling across 574 Tribal Nations and thousands of rural communities nationwide.
Trusted Leaders With Proven Expertise
Our leadership team brings decades of experience across broadband technology, Tribal community development, communications, and public policy – combining technical expertise with deep mission alignment.
An enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Mr. Semans is the visionary who created the plan to deliver affordable, high-speed “last mile” broadband to his Tribe and others like them with the creation of the Center of Excellence for Broadband Deployment..
During the Covid pandemic, OJ personally witnessed the extreme hardships facing his fellow Tribal members because they were unable to connect to the rest of the world for educational, health care related, job security, and personal needs.
Barb Semans and OJ have spent decades fighting for Native American voting and civil rights. OJ is an expert on the real needs of Native Americans. Barb and OJ have received honorary doctorates from Clairmont Graduate University for their research on Native American rights and their decades of work.
Semans is the Executive Director of the Coalition of Large Tribes (COLT), representing the largest land-based Tribes in the continental U.S. and with associate member Tribes in Canada. In this position, OJ is intimately involved in all aspects of Tribal life, including the need for affordable high-speed broadband.
Sayed-Amr (Sisso) El-Hamamsy, PhD., will lead the building of the Center of Excellence for Broadband Deployment as part of the Native Connections team. A larger management team made up primarily of Rosebud Tribal members will be formed and grown under his leadership.
Dr. El-Hamamsy received his PhD from the Californial Institure of Technology (Caltech) in 1986. He worked at the GE Corporate Research and Development Center for 15 years in the areas of Lighting, Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Enterprise Software. His accomplishments included CompactFluorescent Lamps, Electrodeless Lighting, Cardiac MRI, Quiet MRI, and the OpenSpeed™ MRI.
From 2001 to 2005 he worked at Wi-LAN (now QuarterHill, NASDAQ: QTRH) as COO then as President and CEO. Under his guidance Wi-LAN became a founding member of the WiMAX Forum, changed the US FCC regulations in the 2.4GHz band which enabled the introduction of WiFi 802.11g products, and was the leader in developing the standard for future broadband wireless access.
Sisso was an early advocate for mobile broadband communications and helped convince the industry (including Samsung, Intel and LG) to move in that direction. After he left Wi-LAN he co-founded SRD Innovations (later Quattro Innovations) which developed the hyMesh™ technology for the Oil and Gas Industry. He developed the revolutionary MagiNet™ network concept which is a keystone of Native Connections and the project on Rosebud.
Dr. El-Hamamsy has numerous publications and has received 47 US patents.
Donna Brandis is an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and the Executive Director of Four Directions Native Vote, the voting rights organization founded by Barb and OJ Semans, Sr.
Donna represents the young Tribal Members who will be most impacted by the development of the Center of Excellence for Broadband Deployment. She is an expert in communications strategies and team building, making her a critical component of the plans envisioned by Semans and Dr. El-Hamamsy.
Donna is the brand representative for Native Connections and plays a key role in the development of its capital campaign.
A former Vice President and key member of the public policy team for Verizon, Inc., Jeff Kramer brings the knowledge and industry contacts essential to the development of the high-speed broadband technologies necessary to help OJ’s vision be realized.
During his time in the Verizon Washington, DC office, Jeff was instrumental in advancing the needs of the disabled to access modern communications technologies. Jeff is utilizing the lessons learned at Verizon to make Native Connections a cutting edge company that meets the needs of Tribal members on the Rosebud Indian Reservation and elsewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why invest in startups?
Regulation CF allows investors to invest in startups and early-growth companies. This is different from helping a company raise money on Kickstarter; with Regulation CF Offerings, you aren’t buying products or merchandise - you are buying a piece of a company and helping it grow.
How much can I invest?
Accredited investors can invest as much as they want. But if you are NOT an accredited investor, your investment limit depends on either your annual income or net worth, whichever is greater. If the number is less than $124,000, you can only invest 5% of it. If both are greater than $124,000 then your investment limit is 10%.
How do I calculate my net worth?
To calculate your net worth, just add up all of your assets and subtract all of your liabilities (excluding the value of the person’s primary residence). The resulting sum is your net worth.
What are the tax implications of an equity crowdfunding investment?
We cannot give tax advice, and we encourage you to talk with your accountant or tax advisor before making an investment.
Who can invest in a Regulation CF Offering?
Individuals over 18 years of age can invest.
What do I need to know about early-stage investing? Are these investments risky?
There will always be some risk involved when investing in a startup or small business. And the earlier you get in the more risk that is usually present. If a young company goes out of business, your ownership interest could lose all value. You may have limited voting power to direct the company due to dilution over time. You may also have to wait about five to seven years (if ever) for an exit via acquisition, IPO, etc. Because early-stage companies are still in the process of perfecting their products, services, and business model, nothing is guaranteed. That’s why startups should only be part of a more balanced, overall investment portfolio.
When will I get my investment back?
The Common Stock (the "Shares") of Native Connections (the "Company") are not publicly-traded. As a result, the shares cannot be easily traded or sold. As an investor in a private company, you typically look to receive a return on your investment under the following scenarios: The Company gets acquired by another company. The Company goes public (makes an initial public offering). In those instances, you receive your pro-rata share of the distributions that occur, in the case of acquisition, or you can sell your shares on an exchange. These are both considered long-term exits, taking approximately 5-10 years (and often longer) to see the possibility for an exit. It can sometimes take years to build companies. Sometimes there will not be any return, as a result of business failure.
Can I sell my shares?
Shares sold via Regulation Crowdfunding offerings have a one-year lockup period before those shares can be sold under certain conditions.
Exceptions to limitations on selling shares during the one-year lockup period:
In the event of death, divorce, or similar circumstance, shares can be transferred to:
• The company that issued the securities;
• An accredited investor;
• A family member (child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse or equivalent, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships).
What happens if a company does not reach their funding target?
If a company does not reach their minimum funding target, all funds will be returned to the investors after the close of the offering.
How can I learn more about a company's offering?
All available disclosure information can be found on the offering pages for our Regulation Crowdfunding offering.
What if I change my mind about investing?
You can cancel your investment at any time, for any reason, until 48 hours prior to a closing occurring. If you’ve already funded your investment and your funds are in escrow, your funds will be promptly refunded to you upon cancellation. To submit a request to cancel your investment please email: info@dealmakersecurities.com
How do I keep up with how the company is doing?
At a minimum, the company will be filing with the SEC and posting on its website an annual report, along with certified financial statements. Those should be available 120 days after the fiscal year end. If the company meets a reporting exception, or eventually has to file more reported information to the SEC, the reporting described above may end. If these reports end, you may not continually have current financial information about the company.
What relationship does the company have with DealMaker Securities?
Once an offering ends, the company may continue its relationship with DealMaker Securities for additional offerings in the future. DealMaker Securities’ affiliates may also provide ongoing services to the company. There is no guarantee any services will continue after the offering ends.