I’ve had the privilege of knowing Joe Nayquonabe for many years, both as a friend and colleague and as a leader we’ve welcomed back to Raving conference stages many times. I’ve always valued Joe’s perspective because he brings together something our industry needs right now: vision, strategy, and a real commitment to building a culture where people understand where they’re going and why.
So, when Joe made a major career move after more than 20 years working for his own tribe, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota, to become CEO of Soaring Eagle Gaming, I knew he was stepping into an interesting opportunity.
A year later, we sat down to talk about what he has found.
Joe now leads the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe’s gaming portfolio in Michigan, including three brick-and-mortar properties along with online gaming and sports betting.
“The future of gaming is already here. It’s just not that evenly distributed,” Joe said.
Michigan already has the pieces so many other markets are still talking about: a mature brick-and-mortar gaming industry with strong tribal and commercial operators, alongside a fully developed online gaming business.
For Joe, the opportunity starts with growth.
“Every time I’m looking out into the future and trying to set a vision for a place, it really is just, it’s about growth,” he said. “So how do you grow? Where do you find growth?”
Joe sees three basic paths. You can improve your amenities and capture more share from the players you already have. You can create new amenities that appeal to new audiences. Or you can expand geographically.
Through online gaming, Soaring Eagle can have a relationship with players throughout Michigan, including those who may rarely make the trip to one of its brick-and-mortar properties. But in a mature gaming market, Joe also knows the next stage of growth can’t come only from doing more of the same.
“What are those other audiences?” he asked. “How do you pivot and become more of an attractor from a tourism standpoint?”
That means thinking about Soaring Eagle as more than a place to gamble. What new amenities or experiences could reach an audience that isn’t coming today? How does the property become an even stronger destination?
This is where I believe Joe shines. He is looking at the business in front of him while also asking what it can become.
And there is a larger purpose behind that growth. As Joe explained, the work ultimately supports the tribe’s ability to continue improving quality of life for Saginaw Chippewa tribal members and others throughout the region.
Then I asked him what may have been the simplest question of our conversation: After a year in Michigan, what’s been the best part?
“The people.”
Joe talked about the people he works for at the tribe, his team members and the players — “a rowdy bunch of folks,” as he put it with a laugh.
“The people have been awesome,” he said, adding that what he has especially appreciated is how many are “hungry to grow.”
That seems like a pretty good match.
After more than two decades working for his own tribe, moving to Michigan and joining a new tribal organization was a significant change. Joe has spent his career thinking about growth, vision, and what comes next. Now he’s surrounded by people who are ready to grow with him.
I’m excited to see what they do together.
Watch my full conversation with Joe Nayquonabe, CEO of Soaring Eagle Gaming, to hear more about his first year in Michigan and where he sees opportunities ahead.
