Breaking the Blueprint is a blog that explores the unique challenges and opportunities faced by entrepreneurs and business owners who are underrepresented. Discover how these entrepreneurs have grown their businesses, created side hustles, or explored entrepreneurial ventures in their companies. Their stories will inspire you and help guide your success.
It’s no secret that Native entrepreneurs face an uphill battle when starting up their businesses. Indigenous businesses have hurdles at nearly every step of the process, whether it’s a lack of access to credit, trouble getting technical assistance or training, or a cultural barrier between investor expectations and business owner goals.
Some business owners, however, persist in overcoming obstacles to achieve success.
In the face of a surge in federal and tribe support, Native entrepreneurs are moving into diverse industries and creating profitable and impactful businesses. Indigenous people now have a greater presence in business. This post will introduce you to 3 native entrepreneurs that you should know.
Amber Buker Totem
Amber Buker, a tribal member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, knew she needed to find a bank that was specifically focused on Native American experiences and needs when she saw an “invisible” gap in traditional banking.
Buker was rejected by major banks, in part because they were unaware of the federal assistance available for Native American home loans. She said, “I felt like I was invisible in a broken system.” My tribe offered a downpayment program, but the bank would not help me.
Buker had a wider understanding of banks through her work with a friend. Native Americans were unable to access traditional banks or the wider economy because of basic security policies.
Buker stated that Native Americans are now the unbanked group in the United States. A report by Bankrate.com shows that 16 percent of Native Americans are completely disconnected from banking.
Under Buker’s leadership, the financial technology and banking company Totem is planning to change this.
Totem’s goal is to build a bank that understands Native users and their lived experiences. This will increase Natives’ engagement in a system that they have often found lacking. The company has launched spend accounts that are not only online accessible but also designed for connectivity fluctuations and weak signals, which can often be a challenge for rural Native tribe members living on remote reservation land.
Buker stated, “We wanted a free, safe account where benefits could be deposited, and we prioritized features that uphold Native Values.” Sending money from Totem to Totem is instant and free. “For example, auntie may need 20 dollars from time to time, so the ability to share funds with her is very important.”
Totem provides resources and information about the types of support available for Native homebuyers and healthcare users. It also offers utility assistance and other forms of Native homebuyer and healthcare assistance. Totem’s next step is to assist tribal governments in delivering benefits and payments directly into the hands of citizens. This will eliminate intermediaries such as paper checks and prepaid cards. Totem will allow more tribal members to keep their benefits dollars.
A prepaid card does not offer you any protections from regulation, nor does the FDIC insure it, nor can you easily replace it. Buker stated that these are the things that make banks valuable. “We are tackling the root cause of the problem, which is the lack of access to safe and good banking products.”
Justin Quis Quis Sacred Bev
Justin Quis Quis was a leader for the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in California. After his tenure as a leader of his tribe ended, Justin Quis Quis knew that he wanted more.
This time, the functional drinks were in question – think herbal teas or energy drinks. Quis Quis saw an expanding available beverage market and saw a place for Natives. He saw a way to incorporate Native traditional thinking in a product while also bringing attention to the fact that Indigenous people are still part of modern society.
Quis: “I have been exposed to Indian Country coast to coast. I’ve seen many areas where tribal community needed a spotlight. People needed to know both the struggles and the successes,” he said. “I noticed that there wasn’t sufficient exposure to this.”
Quis Quis attracted financial investors and partners to start SacredBev in San Diego. The company’s first three flavors- Immunity, Tranquility, and Wellness- were launched earlier this year. They have been a success, with a second batch of 17,200 cans being produced after an initial 7,200 cans. Quis says the drinks are sold everywhere, from grocery stores and convenience stores to the tribal casinos. The company has no plans to slow down anytime soon.
Quis Quis has been encouraged by the positive response to scale up his business. He is working with a Los Angeles cannery to grow his operation and expand with a distributor.
He said, “We’re thrilled.” We felt we had something special on our hands and have received some positive feedback. We have secured 14 accounts, some tribal and some off-reservation. And we’ve secured distributors who’ve sent hundreds of cases of our product to mini-marts, grocery stores, and other retailers. The IAC authenticated us. “The drinks are very popular.”
Quis Quis also has some ideas about who should lead Sacred Bev in the future. Quis Quis has many partners and investors who are from other tribes or his former San Manuel associates. He has also begun to reach out to other Native tribes in order to get as many of the ingredients used in his drinks, which include natural flavors such as prickly pear, blackberries, and pomegranates, as possible from Native sources.
Quis stated that the goal was to ensure that Sacred Bev remained under Native leadership if it were acquired.
He said, “A large part of our agreement is that this company will be owned by a tribe and run by them at the end of it all.” I want to be sure to obtain some of these plants and other Native herbs from Native communities. I haven’t found anyone through my sources. I hope someone will come with a large prickly-pear farm or tons of peppermint and ginger. There’s probably someone out there, but I can’t find them. “That would be best for us.”
Joe Valandra, Tribal Ready
Joe Valandra, a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, sees many opportunities in Indian Country amidst a historic surge of support for tribal broadband. Tribes are managing massive new projects that could have colossal effects on their communities.
Consultancies and contractors have emerged to assist in the distribution of dollars. Valandra is looking to use his experience in Indian Country, both as a gaming operator and as a contractor, to ensure tribes get the most for their money.
Valandra founded the Tribal Ready consultancy in January 2023. He described the first six months as “a whirlwind.” Tribal Ready partnered with Ready.net, a technology platform to help tribes determine everything from what kind of network best suits their needs to negotiating environmental impact and feasibility studies before building out.
“Indian Country still needs to gather all the funding needed to build tribal networks,” Valandra explained. They help tribes with feasibility studies, grant writing, and requests for proposals. “Our business model is evolving.” We are a Native-owned company, and we partner with tribes to look out for them.