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 13-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.​
​
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).​
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 the Navajo Nation. Alongside his wife of 15 years, Joni, he has been a dedicated foster parent through Indian Child Welfare Services for 8 years, helping to raise many children, as well as being blessed to adopt his three sons—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.
