Pete Upton

In addition to serving as NCN’s CEO/Chairperson, Pete Upton (Ponca Tribe of Nebraska) is the Executive Director of Native360 Loan Fund, a certified Native Community Development Financial Institution that focuses on entrepreneurship and financial literacy development for Native Americans. Mr. Upton has been involved with the Native CDFI Network since it was a grassroots movement. From 2011-2012, he served on the steering committee that was instrumental in the Native CDFI Network’s initial organizational development steps. In 2012, Mr. Upton became a founding board member and served as the Chairperson for the Peer Learning Committee.

In 2023, Upton led the Native CDFI Network in a groundbreaking effort to catalyze clean energy infrastructure development in Native communities nationwide. The Native CDFI Network, in a historic bid, submitted a comprehensive application to the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator, seeking several hundred million dollars to finance clean energy projects in Native communities through a collaborative effort involving 63 certified Native community development financial institutions and other qualified lenders across all 10 EPA regions.

Serving as Executive Director of Native360 Loan Fund since 2011, Mr. Upton has built the organization from its start-up phase into a successful lending organization that continues to experience growth while ever increasing its community impact. As Native360 serves Native communities in three states, Mr. Upton understands the challenges of serving both rural and urban areas in various different jurisdictions. He values strong networks and cultivates partnerships to deliver technical assistance throughout a vast service area. Mr. Upton is a powerful advocate for equal access to capital.