NACIA (Native American Investment and Capital Alliance) is proud to announce the closing of our first NACIA Growth Capital Program. Designed to support Native founders navigating growth with clarity, confidence, and cultural alignment, the program brought together founders, investors, and diverse capital allocators committed to reframing capital as a tool for long-term stewardship.
Program Leadership
The Growth Capital Program was led by a dedicated instructional team with experience across venture capital, entrepreneurship, and Native economic development: Amber Begay, Joe Ironhawk-Little, and Alice Loy, alongside mentors and guest speakers who contributed their knowledge and lived experience throughout the program. These mentors included:
- Dr. Lee Francis IV — Founder & Chief Imagination Officer, Indigenous Imagination
- Valerie Redhorse-Mohl — Deputy CIO, Responsible Investing, NYC Comptroller
- Nate Lee — Vice President, Business Banking, Bank of America
- Betsy Fore — Founding Partner, Velveteen Venture
- Cece Meadows — Founder & CEO, Prados Beauty
- Jonathan Booth — Credit Administration Officer, Native American Bank
- Althea Wishloff — General Partner, Raven Capital
The eight-month program was structured to meet founders where they are while building toward scalable, values-aligned growth. The curriculum progressed from vision and values into technical topics such as capital planning, market development, and understanding financing options. Each module paired expert guidance with hands-on activities and group discussion, giving founders time to apply concepts to their own businesses while learning alongside peers and building community. Together, these elements equipped founders with the tools, relationships, and resources needed to move toward capital readiness.
The Cohort Experience
- 46 participating founders representing 36 Tribal affiliations
- Roughly 50% of founders were pre-revenue or early validation, with the remaining cohort operating revenue-generating businesses across a range of growth stages.
- Industries included food & beverage, arts & culture, agriculture, consulting, construction, media, tourism, and more.
This diversity reflects the breadth of Native entrepreneurship and the need for flexible, culturally grounded capital pathways. The impact of the Growth Capital Program is best reflected in the voices of the founders themselves, who shared how the experience shaped their approach to capital, community, and growth.
“My most valuable takeaway from the first session was realizing how deeply NACIA is committed to reframing capital in a way that respects Indigenous identity and lived experience.
It was empowering to be in a space where Native entrepreneurs weren’t being asked to compromise their values for access to funding but instead were supported in building economic systems rooted in our own ways of being.”
— Bernina Gray, nDigitize
“My biggest takeaway has been reframing capital as a relationship, not a transaction. The program encouraged us to seek alignment — shared mission, time horizon, and stewardship — and showed that confidence grows when investors and founders co-create around values, not just valuation.
That affirmation matters: we can pursue investable growth and maintain cultural integrity at the same time.”
— Sinjin Wolf, Sinjin Wolf Inc.
“I have really enjoyed getting to know the other business owners and being in community, and I plan to keep in touch after the program. I truly appreciated how thorough but also accessible the curriculum is.
Being able to answer the workbook questions about my own current and future businesses is going to be crucial as I grow and adapt.”
— Mari Hicks, Scattering Seedlings
Looking Ahead
As NACIA looks toward the next phase of programming, we remain committed to building pathways to capital that honor Indigenous values, strengthen founder-investor relationships, and support long-term economic sovereignty.
We extend our deepest gratitude to the founders, mentors, faculty, and partners who made this year’s Growth Capital Program possible. We look forward to continuing this work together.