Leadership
A History of Leading Together
Entrepreneurs and sisters, Marina TurningRobe and Monica Simeon have worked together in business and tribal economic development for decades.
In 1999, they founded Sister Sky Products, a natural body care company that began as a home-based business. In 2009, leveraging their experience in tribal gaming, workforce development, and small-business entrepreneurship, they diversified to create Sister Sky, Incorporated, a government contracting company that serves tribal communities in education, health, and wellness.
Marina and Monica grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation, immersed in the traditions, beauty, and wisdom of their culture. They also witnessed firsthand the need for growth, opportunity, and the chance to address social problems and recover from the damages of colonization. In the businesses they have built, Marina and Monica have always incorporated elements of culture, traditional knowledge, and a deep commitment to serve and benefit the communities of Indian Country through their work.
Marina and Monica continue this work in Holistic Native.
Always innovators, Marina and Monica created Holistic Native as another channel through which to bring restoration, growth, and wellness to Native American individuals and communities. They take an entrepreneurial approach to their nonprofit work, with the faith that the innovative approaches, collaborative partnerships, listening, and strategic vision that have served them well in business ventures will continue to lead to measurable impact for the communities they serve.
Monica Simeon, Executive Director
Monica Simeon (Spokane Tribe/Paquachin Band) has a strong background in marketing and communications strategy that has fueled the success of Sister Sky, Inc. and Sister Sky Products since 1999. Her skills in research, marketing, brand management, and strategic planning are a foundation of the careful growth the Sister Sky companies have experienced for two decades.
Monica has always conducted her business activities with sensitivity to and advocacy for the needs of minority and underrepresented populations. She has served as Vice President for AHANA (African American, Hispanic, Asian, Native American Business Association) in Spokane.
Monica is also a trainer for business and economic development rooted in traditional knowledge and an understanding of Native communities. She has provided training and technical assistance services to numerous tribes and tribal enterprises for workforce development, youth work readiness and life and culture skills, and healthy life and cultural enrichment skills.
Monica is a certified trainer in ONABEN’s Indianpreneurship curriculum. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the University of Washington, in Seattle, and is an alumna of the Minority Business Executive Program at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business.
Marina TurningRobe, Program Director
Marina Turning Robe (Spokane Tribe/Paquachin Band) is an entrepreneur, project and executive manager, and trainer. She and her sister cofounded Sister Sky Products, and Marina’s vision and strategic leadership identified and executed the expansion of Sister Sky Products into the umbrella company Sister Sky, Incorporated.
Today, Marina continues to help businesses and organizations chart a course for authentic and grounded growth, along with effectively serving the needs of the communities in which they are rooted. She has a diverse background in tribal gaming, business, and working in Native communities, providing training and technical assistance services to numerous tribes and tribal enterprises in workforce development, youth work readiness and life and culture skills, and healthy life and cultural enrichment skills.
Marina understands the value of collaborative relationships and works to build partnerships throughout Indian Country, serving on boards and lending her leadership to Native-led nonprofits such as Potlatch Fund and Northwest Native Development Fund.
She is a certified trainer in ONABEN’s Indianpreneurship curriculum, a curriculum focused on building entrepreneurship, economic opportunity, and growth for businesses and business owners in Indian Country. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Management from Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington.