Ashlyn Colbert

Although Ashlyn Colbert currently resides in bustling New York City, she grew up in Sulphur, Oklahoma, where a waterfall from the Chickasaw Recreation Area flowed through her idyllic backyard. She remembers a childhood of playing in the mud with her sister and enjoying the natural beauty of Chickasaw Country. Eventually, her education took her to Oklahoma City for high school and then on to Norman, where she graduated from OU with an M.S. in Accounting and B.B.A. in Accounting and Finance.

Following her collegiate success, Ashlyn began her career as a CPA for BKD, auditing the Baker Group. She soon transitioned into the finance sector with her role in the Chickasaw Nation Department of Commerce. There, she concentrated her efforts on helping the Nation with investments and other opportunities. That role opened new doors for her in finance: "I was offered the opportunity to come to New York City and learn from some of the best in the industry and it was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up," she says. Working for the private equity firm Good Springs Capital, a strategic partner of the Chickasaw Nation, has given Ashlyn a closer look at just how much the Chickasaw Nation invests in the success and growth of Oklahoma across a diverse range of industries.

As Ashlyn looks toward the future, she's unsure about where her career will take her. However, she knows that her deep, ancestral connection with the Chickasaw Nation will always be a guiding light. "I'm proud to be Chickasaw. I feel really lucky for the opportunities that they provided me, and I truly credit them with where I am today."