Darlene Denny of Green Bay, a member of the Oneida Nation , might say that she learned everything she needed to know about running a business in the school of hard knocks. She didn’t take business classes, write a business plan, or seek out a mentor. Instead, at a vulnerable time in her life, she bought a business.
She was born in Milwaukee; her mom was Irish and her dad Oneida. After divorcing, her mom moved to Seattle and remarried. Denny didn’t grow up with her dad, but she was curious about her Native American roots. At age 30, she felt called to return to Wisconsin.
“I wanted to learn about my culture,” Denny said. “I was actually recruited while I was in Seattle by an Oneida Tribal member and he wanted me to work for the tribe in the communications department. I made the move, and after working there for several years, was promoted to marketing director.”
She remained in that position until moving to Oklahoma and taking a job with the Cherokee tribe. It was there that she suffered the loss of her husband.