The primary lane of business, Wewinabi, Inc., is principally oriented around creating job opportunities and services for Mille Lacs Band Members within the three Districts of the Mille Lacs Band Reservation. The portfolio includes three convenience stores, a national franchise food operations, a cinema, a grocery store, a commercial laundry operation, and ML Wastewater Management.
This lane also holds Circle Sage Property Management which was developed in 2019 to manage all of MLCV’s growing real estate and property assets, which include: Lady Luck Estates, MLCV headquarters building, Hinckley Medical Office building, Hinckley Mill Place, the Hinckley Lodge, Red Willow Estates, and more.
Located in beautiful Northern Minnesota, Big Sandy Lodge & Resort offers a premiere experience for guests. The lakeside retreat offers two upscale casual restaurants, an indoor pool, Jacuzzi and sauna, state-of-the-art fitness and media centers, plus a variety of outdoor activities to make the most of your stay.
Guests have a variety of options to choose from, including villas, cabins, or lodge rooms, which offer the best options for family-friendly vacationing, girls’ weekends, romantic getaways, special events, parties, and more.
In light of this growth, MLCV conducted research into the availability of affordable housing in East Central Minnesota, confirming that much of the workforce commute 45 to 60 minutes each day.
Our solution to this challenge was to invest in LIHTC (Low Income housing Tax Credit) projects.
Our first is the Lady Luck Estates, a 28-unit townhome community located near I-35 in Hinckley. The demand was quite large — by August of 2018, Lady Luck Estates had 136 interested families.
This development used Federal tax credits (LIHTC) to underwrite 89% of the total project. LIHTC developments present MLCV with an opportunity to create workforce housing, positive annual cash flow, plus it allows MLCV the opportunity for future business growth (management company, maintenance company, development company).
Since the launch of Lady Luck Estates, MLCV has invested in developing three additional affordable housing communities.
Located right next to Grand Casino Mille Lacs, the Grand Makwa Cinema offers an alternate form of entertainment for the area, where guests of all ages can enjoy movies.
Owned by MLCV, ML Wastewater Management, Inc. is a non-profit corporation, with an independent board of directors. Currently serving nearly 10,000 community members near the lake — including Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe tribal members, the city of Garrison, and the Garrison and Kathio Townships — it serves a real need, and protects a valuable natural resource.
Opened in 2023, the Onamia Childcare Center was created after MLCV conducted research to determine community needs. After confirming that a childcare center would support tribal and regional families and a growing workforce, MLCV looked to bring their vision to life.
The childcare center was made possible as a result of strategic partnerships with Kidz Zone Daycare Center, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) grants, and the Initiative Foundation. Additionally, the Mille Lacs Health System provides food service on the property.
The Onamia Childcare Center is a great example of how tribal, community, corporate and state partnerships can help improve the lives of children, and their families.
As of 2024, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Foundation has contributed nearly $1,850,000 to the local community through donations to community schools, clinics, and the Mille Lacs Health Systems in Onamia, Minnesota, with the aim of improving lives. Additionally, MLCV and its casinos, the Grand Casino Mille Lacs, and the Grand Casino Hinckley, continue their commitment to supporting their local communities. In 2024, they donated $155,000 to nonprofit organizations across the state of Minnesota.
MLCV developed a commercial laundry facility in Hinckley in early 2015. We employ more than two dozen people and process all of the linens for our hospitality assets including Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Hinckley.
MLCV built a gas station and convenience store to serve each of our three reservation communities. The East Lake Convenience Store is located at 36040 State Highway 65, McGregor, Minnesota. Our stations provide steady employment with competitive wages for our Associates and a needed service for our local residents.
Located in Hinckley, Minnesota, this Convenience Store services the area around Grand Casino Hinckley.
In 2016, MLCV opened the Mille Lacs Super Stop and Taco John’s® on the corner of Highway 169 and Highway 27 in Onamia, Minnesota.
Located off US-169 in Onamia, Minnesota, the Tesoro Gas Bar services the Mille Lacs area and provides needed amenities to residents.
Located near Grand Casino Mille Lacs, this store provides community members with a much-needed place to pick up quick meals and basic staples. It also houses a local branch of the Woodlands National Bank.
— Michelle Palomaki | CEO, Wewinabi, Inc.
Dustin Goslin, Chief Talent Officer, and Beth Gruber, Director of Planning & Community Engagement, at the Mille Lacs Tribal Economy Summit 2025 Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures (MLCV) proudly hosted the fourth annual Mille Lacs Tribal Economy (MLTE) Summit on Wednesday, September 10, 2025. HOW TO ENABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH? WORKFORCE HOUSING...
Makwa Global, MLCV’s Government Contracting Enterprise Since receiving its 8(a) certification in March 2020, Makwa Global, a Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures company, has been building a successful portfolio of government contracts. Makwa Global has 4 overseas construction contracts with the State Department, each worth $10 – $20M over the next...
Futurist Garry Golden speaking at the 2023 MLCV Leadership Conference. It’s Tuesday morning, day one of the 2023 MLCV Leadership Conference, and keynote speaker Garry Golden is up first. Garry is a talented Futurist who received his master’s from the University of Houston Futures Studies program. The curriculum is one...
MLCV also operates in gaming, hospitality, cultivation, and more.
We are on a journey. And we invite you to join us on the path. Contact us today and our team will put you in touch with the right MLCV Associate.
