About Bison Trail Capital
Searching for a great business to buy and operate​
We focus on working closely with the current owner to ensure a smooth transition, preserving what makes the business successful while identifying new opportunities for growth. Our goal is to build on your legacy and take the company to its next chapter with care and integrity.
Our Story
Joel Chastain
Founder and Managing Partner
Joel Chastain is the Founder and Managing Partner of Bison Trail Capital, an acquisition firm dedicated to preserving and growing businesses with care, integrity, and long-term vision—rooted in community and purpose.
​​
Over a 12-year career with the Chickasaw Nation, Joel held senior roles in finance and strategic development. He has advised the Lt. Governor, Cabinet Secretaries, and other executive leaders on enterprise-wide initiatives spanning strategic planning, process optimization, business development, and policy creation—leading high-impact projects that reinforced operational excellence and strengthened tribal sovereignty.
​
In 2015, Joel completed the Wilma Mankiller Fellowship at the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) in Washington, D.C., where he advanced tribal policy and governance efforts, supporting economic development and public policy initiatives across Indian Country.
​
Joel has earned his MBA from MIT Sloan, where he was a Dean’s Fellow—a merit-based award recognizing leadership and academic excellence, and his MPA from Harvard Kennedy School, where he served as Co-Chair of the Native & Indigenous Caucus. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Haskell Indian Nations University, where he played football and was an active member in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).
​
He has been invited to speak at the Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, Harvard Kennedy School, and Haskell Indian Nations University, and has presented and moderated panel discussions at national forums including the NCAI Annual Convention and the Inter-Tribal Council of Oklahoma.
Joel currently serves on the National Board of Regents at Haskell Indian Nations University, the Harvard Project on Indigenous Governance & Development Alumni Advisory Committee, and as Vice President of the Haskell Alumni Association. He is a recipient of the Native American 40 Under 40 Award given by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development.
​​​​
Family
Joel is an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation and is a descendant of the Laguna Pueblo and Navajo Nation. Alongside his wife of 15 years, Joni, they has been a dedicated foster parent through Indian Child Welfare Services for eight years, raising three boys—Oshi, Nikko, and Ukiah. Family is central to Joel’s life, and he enjoys spending quality time with them, whether it’s wrestling with his boys or enjoying date nights with his wife.
