Meet Kari Tribble

Jun 28

Founder of Avari Beauty

Kari Tribble (Animakii Binasiikwe) is an Anishinaabe businesswoman from the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Tribe in Northern Wisconsin and the founder of Avari Beauty®, an indigenous-owned esthetician salon and brand. Avari Beauty is a multi-dimensional beauty business that offers an array of skin, lash, brow, Permanent MakeUp (PMU), and tiny tattoo services, and creates products for both Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Customer (B2C) markets.

Avari Beauty takes pride in being a trailblazer for Sustainable Eyelash Extensions® in the beauty industry having introduced eco-friendly options and are fully committed to promoting sustainability within their salon, particularly when it comes to the supplies they use in the performance of their services.

**Kari celebrating the closing of Avari Beauty's new building**

Since 2018, Mni Sota Fund has supported Kari as she continues to achieve incredible growth and success in her business.

Mni Sota Fund forging partnerships and added support for small businesses in our community

Kari was first introduced to Mni Sota Fund in 2018 by Melissa Anderson, a fellow LCO enrollee and founder of The Greenery Minneapolis. Having received support from our business program to develop her business, Melissa recommended that Kari connect with us as well.

Working with Mni Sota Fund truly felt like a community for Kari. From the beginning, she recognized the extensive assistance and guidance in developing her business, including recommendations of resources outside of our scope, offering grants and lending opportunities, and providing valuable One-On-One coaching. With the help of Mni Sota Fund, Kari was able to grow her business with confidence and felt supported while she ventured out into unknown territory.

Kari has been a valuable partner for Mni Sota Fund, since having navigated our Business Program in the development of a business model that she used in the establishment and operations of her business. She didn’t stop there, Kari continued to gain added knowledge centered on Avari Beauty's business growth strategy, after becoming an Ozhigin Fellow in 2022, which she transformed and strengthened her business. She was also able to connect and network with other indigenous business entrepreneurs in the Twin Cities Metro Area and more broadly. Kari and the many other Ozhigin Fellows have paved a new pathway for future indigenous business owners and contributed to Mni Sota Fund's mission of supporting Native-owned businesses in a meaningful way.

For many business owners who start from scratch with little to no help, support, or experience, organizations like Mni Sota Fund can be critical resource hubs.

Kari stated, "When looking at the personal care services industry, the growth potential is remarkable, with a projected growth almost 5 times faster than the average for the total economy between 2020 and 2030. However, it's important to acknowledge that this industry is highly competitive. It's been observed that approximately 80% of salons end up closing their doors within just 18 months." –Kari

Kari's plan to expand her business involved having her own building to serve as a home base for future franchisees to experience the Avari Beauty concept and receive training. This move would not only help grow and expand her business, yet create another income revenue stream by renting spaces to tenants.

Building equity for her business is a crucial aspect of Kari's growth strategy

Mni Sota Fund's Lending services played a critical part in supporting Kari’s next step towards her business expansion. Offering a more affordable interest rate at a time when market rates were high, and actively led and sought additional funding partners to cover the entire loan. Notably, the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD) and Neighborhood Development Center (NDC) were key partners in this effort. Moreover, Kari was connected with a reliable realtor who made the process of purchasing the building a smooth and seamless experience.

Kari is thrilled about the upcoming opening of her new building this summer, once the renovations are complete. She looks forward to hosting a grand opening event and organizing future events in the space. As a female-owned indigenous business, Kari takes great pride in bringing her business to the community where it is located.

Kari highly recommends Mni Sota Fund and the services we provide to other business owners. The significant benefits she received from our organization include business plan writing, networking and access to resources, our Ozhigin Fellowship, and added grants and funding for lending opportunities. Every year, Kari's business has continually grown, and part of that is due to this support she has received.

“I want to express heartfelt gratitude and Miigwech to Mni Sota Fund for the amazing work they do in our community and the positive impact they create in our lives. Their genuine approach to care for us is truly remarkable, and I’m honored to have witnessed the inspiring growth of this organization in our journey together. ”

— Kari Tribble