Rez Life Weekly Business Spotlight: Kip Ritchie, CEO of Potawatomi Ventures

By Joe Morey Rez Life Weekly Editor

Kip Ritchie has spent more than two decades helping shape economic growth in Indian Country, and in 2023 he reached a historic milestone when he was named chief executive officer of Potawatomi Ventures, becoming the first enrolled tribal member to lead the business development arm of the Forest County Potawatomi Community. Based in Milwaukee, Ritchie now oversees a diversified enterprise valued at roughly $450 million, with a mission centered on long-term tribal prosperity, sustainable growth and values-driven leadership.

Ritchie’s path to the CEO role has been built steadily from within. He joined Potawatomi Ventures full time in 2006 as senior vice president, after previously serving on its founding board of directors from 2002 to 2007. He later became president of Greenfire Management Services LLC, one of Potawatomi Ventures’ key subsidiaries, before being promoted to chief operating officer and eventually CEO. His career in Indian Country began even earlier, in 1997, when he joined Potawatomi Hotel and Casino as director of marketing. He was promoted to assistant general manager in 2002, gaining early experience in large-scale operations and tribal enterprise leadership.

Over the past year, Ritchie said Potawatomi Ventures has focused on strengthening its internal foundation while continuing to expand externally. That work has included growing the organization’s team, promoting employees from within and creating new opportunities for Forest County Potawatomi tribal members to engage directly in the business. Among the company’s major accomplishments in the past 12 months was the acquisition of Lyons Electric, an electrical services contractor, further expanding Potawatomi Ventures’ footprint in skilled trades and infrastructure services. The company also expanded and launched a new fireside MARKET convenience store brand across southeastern Wisconsin, while continuing to grow its federal government contracting businesses both nationwide and overseas.

According to Ritchie’s LinkedIn profile, his leadership approach emphasizes strategic planning, relationship-building and balanced growth. Potawatomi Ventures’ investment portfolio now includes Data Holdings, Greenfire Management Services, fireside MARKET, Sagewind Development, PBDC Federal Group and several other ventures, all contributing to financial diversification for tribal shareholders. Ritchie has said the groundwork for this strategy was laid during his tenure as chief operating officer and has continued as CEO, blending aggressive business development with a commitment to social responsibility and community impact.

Ritchie acknowledges that building diversified tribal economies comes with unique challenges. As a portfolio company operating in Indian Country, Potawatomi Ventures represents a first generation of large-scale economic diversification beyond gaming for many tribes. That process, he said, has required patience, cultural fluency, resilience and trust from both tribal leadership and the board. Balancing ambition with accountability to tribal values remains central to his leadership philosophy, particularly as Potawatomi Ventures continues to expand into competitive regional, national and international markets.

Mentorship has played a defining role in Ritchie’s career, especially guidance from his father, Robert Ritchie. The most important lesson he carries forward, he says, is simple but foundational: remember where you came from and treat everyone with respect. That principle has informed his approach to leadership, governance and relationship-building across industries.

Ritchie holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he studied communication. He remains deeply involved in business, education and community leadership, serving on the boards of the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, the UW–Milwaukee Business Advisory Council, the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation, the Waukesha County Business Alliance and Gun Lake Investments, the economic development arm of the Gun Lake Potawatomi Tribe. He also serves on the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Enterprise Advisory Council and has chaired the Forest County Potawatomi Foundation Board of Directors since 1999. Additional board service includes the Froedtert Hospital and Medical College Foundation.

When asked about influences that continue to shape his thinking, Ritchie points to the book Rebuilding Native Nations by Miriam Jorgensen, which examines governance, sovereignty and economic self-determination in Indian Country. Those themes align closely with his vision for Potawatomi Ventures, where business success is measured not only by revenue and growth, but by its ability to create opportunity, stability and a stronger future for the Forest County Potawatomi Community.

As Potawatomi Ventures continues to expand its reach, Ritchie’s leadership represents both continuity and change. His career reflects decades of institutional knowledge, while his role as the first tribal member to serve as CEO signals a new chapter in tribally led economic development, one grounded in cultural values, accountability and long-term vision.