Travois

What Travois does

Travois is a Kansas City, Missouri-based professional services firm founded in 1995 by David W. Bland and Marianne Roos that specializes in affordable housing and economic development for Tribal nations and Tribally Designated Housing Entities (TDHEs). The firm operates four integrated service lines: Housing Development Services, which secures Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity and federal grants; Architecture Services, an in-house team of 13+ architects and designers producing culturally meaningful housing, community, and economic development facilities; Economic Development Services, delivered through its federally certified Community Development Entity (CDE) subsidiary Travois New Markets, which allocates New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) gap financing; and Asset Management and Compliance Services, which monitors 160+ developments and 5,060+ housing units under regulatory compliance. The firm also runs a training and certification program (CTHP, NSPIRE/HOTMA, Fair Housing, Maintenance) and an annual conference for Tribal housing professionals.

Travois generates revenue primarily through professional services fees on housing development consulting, architectural design engagements, and ongoing asset management retainers, with supplementary income from CDE-related fees on NMTC allocations (it received a record $45M allocation in December 2025), training course registrations, and conference sponsorships. The firm operates a relationship-driven, consultative go-to-market targeting Tribal governments and TDHEs across 23 states, supported by content marketing (webinars with the Native Learning Center), training events, and partnerships with institutional tax credit syndicators including U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance, Raymond James, RBC, Red Stone Equity Partners, and CNCDE.

Cumulatively, Travois reports facilitating $2.7B in development across 293 client developments serving 118 Native organizations, with 6,742 homes built or rehabilitated, 91 architectural projects designed, 60+ economic development projects supported, $648M in NMTC deployed, and 7,100+ jobs created. The firm is privately held under founder-family control (Elizabeth Bland Glynn serves as CEO, Phil Glynn as President, Ashley Bland as COO) and is a Certified B Corporation since 2019.

Name

Travois

Legal name

Travois Holdings, Inc.

Website

https://travois.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tribal Housing and Economic Development Consulting

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Affordable housing consulting
• Tribal economic development
• Tax credit financing
• Architectural design services
• Compliance training

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Housing Development Services: Housing development consulting services for Tribal nations including funding acquisition through LIHTC program, grant applications, and project management. Services include assessing community needs, educating Tribal leaders, submitting tax credit applications, leading investor closing processes.
2. Architecture Services: Custom architectural design services for Tribal nations including housing, community facilities, and economic development projects. Services include preliminary planning, construction documents, bid process coordination, site visits, and sustainable design integration.
3. Economic Development Services: New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) financing services including identifying funding needs, providing information to Tribal councils, securing NMTC funding, structuring and closing transactions. Travois New Markets is a Community Development Entity (CDE) certified to allocate NMTCs.
4. Asset Management and Compliance Services: Regulatory compliance navigation, policy development, investor fund disbursement management, tenant qualification, and training/technical assistance for housing developments.
5. Training and Certification: Training courses including Certified Tribal Housing Professional (CTHP) certification, NSPIRE & HOTMA training, Fair Housing training, and Maintenance training. Courses offered in-person at various locations with registration fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Travois is a professional services firm that partners with Tribal nations to develop affordable housing and economic development projects. The firm specializes in securing Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) financing, provides custom architectural design, delivers asset management and regulatory compliance services, and offers certification training for Tribal housing professionals. Clients retain full ownership of every project supported.

Product overview

Travois is a consulting services firm offering a portfolio of interconnected services for Tribal housing and economic development. The core offerings include Housing Development Services (leveraging LIHTC and grants), Architecture Services (custom design), Economic Development Services (NMTC gap funding), and Asset Management and Compliance Services. These are complemented by training programs including the Certified Tribal Housing Professional (CTHP) certification, NSPIRE & HOTMA compliance training, Fair Housing training, and Maintenance training. The company also hosts an Annual Conference and regular webinars for professional development. All services are designed to help Tribal nations build affordable housing and grow their economies while maintaining full ownership and sovereignty over their projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Travois New Markets: A nationally certified Community Development Entity (CDE) that receives New Markets Tax Credit allocations from the U.S. Treasury's CDFI Fund to support economic development in Native communities.

Products and services

• Housing Development Services Secures funding for Tribal nations through the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program and federal housing grants to build or rehabilitate affordable homes. Services include assessing community needs, educating Tribal leaders, submitting tax credit applications, leading investor closing processes, and project management. Clients retain full ownership of every project supported.
• Architecture Services Custom architectural design services for Tribal communities including housing, community facilities, and economic development projects. Service scope spans preliminary planning, construction documents, bid process coordination, site visits, construction oversight, and integration of culturally meaningful and sustainable design elements.
• Economic Development Services Provides New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) gap financing for Tribal economic development projects including businesses, healthcare facilities, schools, and infrastructure. Travois New Markets is a nationally certified Community Development Entity (CDE) that identifies funding needs, informs Tribal councils, secures NMTC allocations, and structures and closes transactions.
• Asset Management and Compliance Services Helps Tribal housing entities navigate regulatory compliance, develop policies, manage investor fund disbursements, qualify tenants, and provides ongoing training and technical assistance. Services support housing developments across their full lifecycle.
• Certified Tribal Housing Professional (CTHP) Certification Multi-day in-person certification course equipping Tribally Designated Housing Entity (TDHE) employees to use the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) in conjunction with NAHASDA for affordable housing development. Includes course manual, online resources, and ongoing expert support.
• NSPIRE & HOTMA Training Comprehensive training courses covering the National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) and Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA) compliance requirements for Tribal housing organizations.
• Fair Housing Training Two-day in-person training covering Fair Housing Act fundamentals, protected classes, prohibited practices, reasonable accommodations and modifications, and compliance strategies for Tribal housing professionals. Includes digital training manuals, completion certificates, and meals.
• Maintenance Training Comprehensive training course on housing maintenance fundamentals, vacant-unit turns, inventory tracking, budgetary considerations, and preventive maintenance strategies for Tribal communities.
• Travois Annual Conference Three-day annual conference bringing together professionals dedicated to promoting housing and economic development in Tribal nations, featuring educational sessions, networking, pre-conference workshops, and the Superhero Awards ceremony. The 2026 event is scheduled for September 21-23 in San Francisco with complimentary registration for qualified Tribal attendees.
• Webinars Free webinars on affordable housing and economic development topics for professionals serving Native communities. Coverage includes planning, project funding, architectural design, construction monitoring, and compliance. Co-hosted with partners such as the Native Learning Center.

Quantifiable outcome

• $2.7B in total development facilitated across 293 client developments
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Native Learning Center (NLC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to offer additional training that supports safe, healthy, and self-sufficient Tribal communities. Co-host webinars on housing design and development topics for professionals serving Native communities.
• NovogradacminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuperhero sponsor of 2026 Travois Annual Conference. National professional services organization providing certified public accounting, valuation, and consulting services with expertise in LIHTC and NMTC programs.
• Red Stone Equity PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlatinum sponsor of 2026 conference. Leading real estate investment firm specializing in LIHTC syndication. Founded in 2007, raised over $11B in tax credit equity for 70,000+ units in 46 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
• Raymond James Affordable Housing InvestmentsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGold sponsor of 2026 conference. One of the largest LIHTC syndicators in the U.S., raising over $1B annually and $17B+ total for 2,600+ properties. Partnered with 60+ TDHEs on 150+ properties representing 4,600+ units.
• RBC Community InvestmentsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGold sponsor of 2026 conference. Leading syndicator of LIHTC, Renewable Energy Tax Credits, State Tax Credits, Historic Tax Credits, NMTCs, and workforce housing fund equity investments.
• First American PetroleumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNative American-owned fuel vendor providing fuel and consulting services for Elk Valley Tribal Fuel Mart. Supports Tribal economic development through services to Tribal-owned businesses.

Scale indicators21 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Enterprise Community Partners: One of the largest national CDFIs, providing affordable housing financing, LIHTC/NMTC advisory, and community development consulting. Overlaps with Travois in LIHTC/NMTC advisory but serves a broader set of underserved communities rather than specializing in Tribal nations.
• LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation): National CDFI offering affordable housing lending, NMTC allocation, and capacity-building services to community developers. Comparable to Travois in funding-mechanism expertise and consulting services but with broader geographic and demographic scope.
• Habitat for Humanity International: Global nonprofit affordable housing organization that builds, finances, and advocates for low-income homeownership. Comparable to Travois in mission and housing development focus but operates at much larger scale and across all underserved populations, not Tribal-specific.
• Capital Impact Partners: National CDFI providing loans, equity investments, and development services in affordable housing, healthcare, and community infrastructure. Similar consulting-plus-capital model to Travois, though serving broader underserved markets rather than specializing in Tribal nations.
• NeighborWorks America: National network supporting 240+ affordable housing and community development nonprofits with training, lending, and advocacy. Overlaps with Travois in capacity-building and training services for affordable housing organizations; broader scope but similar nonprofit/grant-supported model.

Direct peers

• Oweesta Corporation: Native-specific CDFI intermediary providing capital, training, and capacity-building to Native CDFIs and Tribal communities. Directly comparable to Travois in target market (Tribal/Native communities) and service mix (housing and economic development consulting), though more lending-focused.

Others

• Novogradac: National professional services firm providing CPA, valuation, and consulting services specifically in LIHTC, NMTC, and other community development tax credit programs. Competes with Travois for advisory work and is also a conference sponsor — overlapping in regulatory expertise if not customer base.
• National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC): National membership organization advocating for Tribal housing entities and providing training and technical assistance. While not a direct competitor, NAIHC serves the same Tribal/TDHE client base as Travois and overlaps in training, advocacy, and conference/event programming.

Regional players

• Cinnaire: Community development financial institution offering LIHTC/NMTC equity, lending, and consulting across multiple U.S. states. Comparable to Travois in financing-mechanism expertise but geographically concentrated in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic rather than nationally focused on Tribal communities.

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/travoiskc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/travois
• Instagraminstagram.com/travoiskc
• Xx.com/TravoisKC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Travois