Tribal Youth join Emerging Business Leaders Advisory Board

Hello, my name is Javier Venegas, and I am an enrolled member of the Walker River Paiute Tribe. I enjoy listening to music, helping others, and cutting hair. I want to make sure our language and culture are preserved for future generations.

Sydney Williams is a youth leader from Carson City, Nevada, and a junior at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she is pursuing a degree in Political Science with a minor in Indigenous Studies. She is deeply committed to public service and civic engagement, with a focus on empowering youth and advocating for Indigenous communities in Nevada and across the country. She serves on the Advisory Committee for Participatory Democracy’s Youth Advisory Task Force under the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office, is Vice President of the Young Democrats at UNR, and is Vice Chairwoman of the Young Democrats of America Native American Caucus.
During the 83rd Nevada Legislative Session, Sydney served as a government relations intern with Strategies 360, where she supported tribal clients including the Elko Band Colony, Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, and Las Vegas Paiute Tribe. During the 2024 election cycle, she participated in a non-partisan fellowship with Native Organizers Alliance, working to increase voter turnout in Nevada’s Indigenous communities. In this role, she collaborated with the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office to ensure Native voters had accessible and accurate election information. Additionally, she interned with the Nevada Department of Native American Affairs where she supported Tribal–State relations and initiatives to improve education, health, and economic opportunities for Nevada’s tribal nations, bands, and colonies.
Dedicated to advancing Native communities through policy, advocacy, and civic engagement, Sydney is honored to serve her own tribe as a member of the Emerging Business Leaders Advisory Board, where she contributes to shaping future opportunities for Indigenous leadership and economic development.

Hi, I’m Memphis Jo Summerfield, I am a member of the Emerging Business Leaders. I am from Schurz Nevada and a member of the Walker River Paiute Tribe. I’m currently a sophomore at Yerington High School. My personal goal is to be a carpenter. I am currently a part of the United National Indian Tribal Youth Organization otherwise known as UNITY. UNITY provides Native American and Alaskan native youth an experience, through culturally relevant leadership programming, designed to empower native youth. I went to the mid-year conference in Phoenix Arizona, where we focused on youth council training and leadership development. I also attended the National UNITY Conference in San Diego California. This conference was larger and had thousands of native youths from all over the country. It also had many mentors for workshops and cultural activities. I am excited and eager to get to work as one of your Emerging Business Leaders.
Pesha U