Ho-Chunk's $705 Million Beloit Casino Project Takes Top Honor at Indigenous Business Awards

The Ho-Chunk Nation's roughly $705 million Ho-Chunk Gaming Beloit development won Project of the Year at the 2026 Indigenous Business Awards, topping a field of ten honorees recognized for advancing Indigenous economic development.

Indigenous Business Group presented the awards on Oct. 13 at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Milwaukee. The ceremony concluded the organization's fifth annual Indigenous Biz Con, a three-day conference that drew tribal leaders, Native business owners, investors and economic development professionals.

The Beloit project stood out for its scale. At approximately $705 million, the gaming development represents one of the largest capital commitments honored at the event, and its Project of the Year designation signals the growing weight of tribal gaming and real estate ventures in Native-led economic planning.

Who won the individual awards?

Chef and entrepreneur Sean Sherman received Entrepreneur of the Year. The award cited his work advancing Indigenous foodways, entrepreneurship and cultural revitalization — a career that has placed Native cuisine at the center of conversations about food sovereignty and business.

Film producer Jhane Myers earned the Creative Excellence Award. The recognition honored her contributions to Indigenous storytelling and film, and her role in elevating Native voices in the entertainment industry.

Myra Jo and Darren Price, owners of BP Smokehouse, received the Lifetime Achievement Award. The honor recognized 27 years of Native-owned business leadership, entrepreneurship and community service — the longest track record among this year's individual honorees.

Alexis Harris rounded out the individual category. She was named Emerging Business Leader for her work supporting Indigenous entrepreneurship, innovation and business development.

Which organizations were recognized?

The organizational awards spread across five categories:

• Business of the Year: Woodstone
• Non-Profit of the Year: Cedar Growth
• Outstanding Tribal Enterprise: Wolf River Development
• Community Impact Award: Wunk Sheek at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, honored for Indigenous student engagement and community building
• Corporate Partner of the Year: Walbec, cited for partnerships supporting Indigenous businesses and workforce development

The Corporate Partner category carries a distinct signal. Walbec's recognition points to the role non-Native firms can play in Indigenous supply chains, a theme that featured prominently in the conference agenda.

What did the conference cover?

Indigenous Biz Con ran for three days before the awards ceremony. The program brought together tribal leaders, Native business owners, investors and economic development professionals for discussions spanning a wide set of industries:

• Procurement
• Infrastructure
• Technology
• Energy
• Health care
• Film
• Food sovereignty

That range reflects how Indigenous economic activity has widened beyond gaming and government services into sectors where Native-owned firms are competing for contracts, capital and talent.

Why the awards matter for the broader economy

Five years in, the Indigenous Business Awards have become a benchmark for Native enterprise. The 2026 honorees map the field's current boundaries: a $705 million tribal gaming development on one end, a university student organization on the other, with restaurateurs, filmmakers, non-profits and construction partners filling the space between.

The breadth matters for investors and procurement officers watching the sector. When a lifetime achievement award honors 27 years of Native-owned business leadership, and an emerging leader award targets the next generation in the same program, the event functions as both a retrospective and a pipeline.

The Oct. 13 ceremony in Milwaukee closed this year's cycle, but the sectors represented on the agenda — energy, health care, technology, food sovereignty — indicate where Indigenous Business Group expects the next round of deal-making and development to concentrate.