Tulalip Nation citizen Anthony Henry turned his passion for fishing into a successful business with the help of a Native CDFI named Pacific Northwest Tribal Lending, becoming the captain of his own commercial fishing boat and preserving Tribal fishing rights.

In 2008, the salon where Julie Painter worked at while she was a student in cosmetology school was about to shut down because the owner was leaving to work in education. Painter's options were to work at a different salon two hours away in Asheville, N.C. — or buy the Visage Salon where she worked and become a business owner.

"There were two options in front of me," Painter, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, said. "And I went with option two.”

Painter admits that she “was in a terrible place for starting a business” at the time. She had a low credit score and no experience running a business, but she was determined.

Then she met Russ Seagle and the Sequoyah Fund, Inc. Here's their story.

In Eagle Butte, S.D., on the Cheyenne River Lakota Reservation, tribal citizens can find high-quality traditional foods, such as bison and wild rice, at Wóyute Natural Foods & Apothecary.

For owner Donita Fischer (Cheyenne River Lakota), the business she launched in 2023 is a testament to food sovereignty and a commitment to her community.

“Access to healthy foods is really important to me,” Fischer said. “Watching my parents and grandparents succumb to different ailments because of the Western diet introduced to our areas made access to healthy foods a key issue for me.”

Like many Native Americans of their generation who didn't have access to their traditional diets, Fischer's grandparents and mother had diabetes.

“My mom never wanted any of us to get diabetes,” Fischer said. “This is all kind of like a legacy to her.”

Supported by Four Bands Community Fund, a certified Native CDFI, Wóyute is thriving in a business incubator that provides essential services and a low-risk environment for growth. Executive Director Lakota Vogel shares insights on the importance of creating physical spaces for small businesses in underserved markets.

Tune in to the Difference Makers 2.0 podcast to hear Donita Fischer and Lakota Vogel discuss their journey and vision for a sustainable, community-focused food economy.

Despite a Native American population of nearly 800,000, California and Nevada have only one certified Native CDFI. The Native CDFI Network and Wells Fargo are launching a year-long initiative to change that.

Polluted waters once limited the Mi’kmaq Nation's access to brook trout. A new fish hatchery and expansion, supported by Four Directions, a Native CDFI, boosts subsistence and economic development.

Nixyaawii Community Financial Services helped Umatilla Citizen Sadie Mildenberger turn her dream of owning a business that serves innovative dishes with traditional ingredients into a reality.

Nine years ago, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians citizen Wayne Roberts had an opportunity to turn his decades-long experience in commercial flooring into a business. Discover how Native CDFI Chi-Ishobak helped Roberts with lending and mentorship to scale that opportunity into Great Lakes Flooring Specialists, a thriving family company serving commercial clients across southwest Michigan.

Discover how Gary and Sue Raccine's journey from a rejected loan to thriving entrepreneurship was fueled by NACDC Financial Services, a Native CDFI empowering Native American business owners in Montana.

Read the story on Tribal Business News.

Learn more about Native CDFIs.