Kim Pate is a descendant of the Eastern Band Cherokee and Mississippi Choctaw tribes. Pate is the Managing Director of NDN Fund, the lending and investing arm of NDN Collective. NDN Fund, an emerging Native Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), provides integrated capital solutions and capacity for Native Nations, Indigenous changemakers, community developers, and enterprises. NDN is creating a paradigm shift in how society invests in economic development by grounding investment strategy in Indigenous systems thinking, recognizing the interconnectedness of all things and our responsibilities to our homelands and each other. This includes upholding the principles of regenerative and just economies that are both led by and serve Indigenous communities.
Pate, an attorney, has 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She specializes in representing the interests of Native Americans in community and economic development to improve individual and family economic futures and promote lasting change. Pate is a skilled public speaker, trainer, technical assistance provider, coach, and writer.
Before joining NDN Collective, Pate helped develop and launch the Native CDFI Network, a trade association of Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) based in South Dakota, promoting policies that support access to capital in Native communities. Earlier in her career, she was Chief External Relations Officer for Prosperity Now (formerly CFED) in Washington, DC. At CFED, Pate created and managed a national small business CDFI, the National Fund for Enterprise Development, led small business development programs and policy, and managed major events, strategic partnerships, and communications. She is a past member of the Acoma Pueblo Museum Board of Directors and a current member of Nimiipuu Community Development Fund Board of Directors. These board roles allow Pate to express her creative side and support the preservation of Indigenous art, culture, and entrepreneurship.
Pate holds a Law Degree from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law and is admitted to practice in Nez Perce Tribal Court and California. She received a B.A. in Political Science from Stanford University.
