Difference Makers
Difference Makers is a podcast series from the Native CDFI Network and Tribal Business News that explores how Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) are reshaping the future of tribal economies — one loan, one partnership, one bold idea at a time.
Episodes
Mid-Year Update
The first half of 2026 brought both momentum and uncertainty for Native community development financial institutions.Native CDFIs continue to expand their reach, with about 65 certified institutions nationwide and nearly three dozen more organizations working toward certification. The Native CDFI Network has also launched new initiatives to support emerging lenders, strengthen lending expertise an
Why Only Three?
California is home to the largest Native population in the United States and 109 federally recognized tribes. Yet only three Native CDFIs currently operate in the state.Recorded during and after the 2026 California CDFI Summit in Sacramento, this episode explores the effort to strengthen existing Native CDFIs, support the creation of new Native-led financial institutions and expand access to capit
The Treasurer Visits Blackfeet
U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach recently traveled to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Browning, Montana, for his first trip to Montana since taking office — part of a broader swing through Indian Country that also included visits to the Flathead and Coeur d’Alene reservations.In Episode 6 of Difference Makers 3.0, Brian Edwards and Native CDFI Network CEO Pete Upton sit down with Beach after a day
The Next Builders
There are about 65 certified Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) in the United States — roughly the same number as a decade ago.But that’s starting to change.In Episode 5 of Difference Makers 3.0, Brian Edwards speaks with leaders building new Native CDFIs in Oklahoma, Hawai‘i and the Northeast — part of a growing wave of more than 30 emerging efforts working to expand acce
The Flour Mill
Large-scale economic development deals in Indian Country are typically financed through complex capital stacks — combining banks, tax credits and outside investors — with Native CDFIs often left out.That may be starting to change.In Episode 4 of Difference Makers 3.0, Brian Edwards and Pete Upton speak with Ted Piccolo and Stephen Nunes of Mission Driven Finance about a $65 million flour mill proj
Philanthropy’s Blind Spot
Native communities receive less than one-half of 1% of philanthropic funding in the United States — roughly four or five dollars for every thousand dollars foundations give away.In Episode 3 of Difference Makers 3.0, Brian Edwards speaks with Kevin Walker, President and CEO of the Northwest Area Foundation, about why Indian Country remains on the margins of mainstream philanthropy — and what chang
From Policy to Practice
How Native CDFIs grew from federal study into a sovereign finance movementIn 2001, the U.S. Treasury Department released the Native American Lending Study, identifying 17 structural barriers to capital access in Indian Country. The report helped catalyze what would become the modern Native CDFI movement.Fifteen years later, Treasury published a follow-up report, Access to Capital and Credit in Nat
Before the Banks
The legal foundations of tribal economiesLong before federal banking systems or modern economic policy, Native nations were building trade networks, governing territory and sustaining complex economies.In Episode 1 of Difference Makers 3.0, legal scholar Robert J. Miller — a citizen of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe and professor of law — joins Brian Edwards and Pete Upton to examine the historical and
Difference Makers 3.0 Trailer
Difference Makers 3.0 is a yearlong podcast series from the Native CDFI Network and Tribal Business News that explores how Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) are reshaping the future of tribal economies — one loan, one partnership, one bold idea at a time.This season, the podcast moves beyond small business stories to spotlight the full spectrum of what Native CDFIs do — f
SEASON WRAP: Native CDFIs Fuel Small Business Success Across Indian Country
In the season finale of Difference Makers 2.0, host Elyse Wild revisits Native entrepreneurs nearly a year after their first interviews to see how their businesses have grown—and how Native CDFIs continue to fuel their success. From rebuilding after Hurricane Helene to expanding RV repair services and turning a beloved food truck into a brick-and-mortar restaurant, these stories highlight resilien
FUTURE OF NATIVE CDFI FUNDING: A Conversation with Pete Upton
Pete Upton, CEO of Native CDFI Network, warns of an "existential threat" to the NACA program—the only federal funding stream specifically for Native CDFIs. With 86% of this year's funding at risk and potential complete elimination next year, 69 Native CDFIs serving banking deserts across Indian Country could lose their lifeline. The stakes? 46% of Native lands are banking deserts (1
HEALING CAPITAL | How Native American Bank Helped Pawnee Nation Build a Behavioral Health Solution
With just 3,600 enrolled members and limited financial resources, the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma faced a challenging question: How could they fund a multi-million-dollar behavioral health center to address the opioid crisis in their community? The answer came through a strategic partnership with Native American Bank, whose expertise in both tribal lending and New Markets Tax Credits made the seemin
HARVESTING SUCCESS | How Taala Fund’s Cedar Root Business Center Has Helped a Quinault Edler Turn Storytelling and Art into a Thriving Business
When Quinault Nation elder Harvest Moon changed course from pursuing a medical career to becoming a basketweaver and storyteller, she found her true calling. With support from the Cedar Root Business Center, Moon has transformed her cultural artistry into a thriving business, sharing Quinault traditions with audiences ranging from schoolchildren to major corporations like Microsoft and REI.Differe
FROM HER GRANDMA’S TABLE | How Citizen Potawatomi Community Development Corporation Helped Kelly Price Transform a Family Recipe into a Thriving Business
For Kelly Price, her grandmother's fry bread recipe was everything she loved about home. Six years ago, she made a batch to support a needy family in her community, an act of kindness that led her to quit her corporate job and launch Red Bone Indian Tacos. Today, she travels throughout Oklahoma, selling fry bread tacos from a food truck as she prepares to soon open the business's very fi
PROGRESS REPORT | Native CDFI Leaders Share Their Small Business Success Stories at Annual Summit
At the 5th annual Native CDFI Summit in Washington, D.C., Difference Makers host Elyse Wild caught up with Native CDFI leaders who are transforming their communities through small business support. From NACDC Financial Services' strategic property acquisitions in Montana to MNI Sota Fund's ambitious $19 million campaign in Minneapolis, these executives shared how they're creating sp
ROAD TO SUCCESS | How Rudy Serrano Launched a Thriving RV Repair Business with Help from the Tigua Community Development Corporation
From paralegal burnout to thriving entrepreneur: Rudy Serrano's story shows how the right support can transform a career. After 19 years in law, Rudy found his true calling in mobile RV repair, backed by the Tigua Community Development Corporation's comprehensive business development program.Today, Roadhouse Mobile RV Repair and Inspection serves travelers across the country, combining R
BEARS, BOATS, AND BUSINESS DREAMS | Native Entrepreneur Brings Tlingit Traditions to Tourism with Spruce Root's Help
Alaska Native John Hillman spent years working away from his hometown of Hoonah, a remote Tlingit community in Alaska's Alexander Archipelago. When cruise ships began bringing tourists to his community in 2019, he saw his chance to return home. With support from Native CDFI Spruce Root, he and his wife launched Wilderness Island Tours, the area's only Indigenous-owned tour operator, shar
FROM PRE-MED TO SWEET SUCCESS | Native-Owned Bakery Rises in Alaska with Help from Cook Inlet Lending Center
Meet Jamie Ann Bell (Ahtna Athabascan), who discovered baking was the perfect blend of her love for science and creativity. Starting with a homemade baby shower cake, she and business partner Linnaea Ward-Develice built Arctic Moon Bakery from scratch.Despite a pandemic derailing their initial funding and forcing them into a high-interest loan, they persevered. Thanks to Cook Inlet Lending Center,
MARKET TO MORTAR TO MOBILE | R-Eatz Grows on Winnebago Reservation with Native CDFI Help
Winnebago chef Reggie Frazier started his culinary career whipping up dishes on a hot plate at Ho-Chunk Village Farmer’s Market — or Nį̄šoc Wahāgi Hoci in the Ho-Chunk language. He quickly turned his passion for cooking into a thriving brick-and-mortar restaurant and, now, a new food truck with loans from Ho Chunk Community Capital, a Native CDFI. Learn how R-Eatz is feeding the community and insp
FROM SMALL LOANS TO BIG IMPACTS | How Native CDFIs Empower Communities and Tribal Sovereignty
“If you are not at the table, you are on the menu.”That sentiment guides Native CDFI Network CEO Pete Upton as he works to support Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs), advocating for policy and funding to elevate economic development across Indian Country. Upton always works to make sure Native CDFIs have a seat at the table when decisions are being made that affect Native
'ALWAYS A GOOD DAY ON THE SEA' | Pacific Northwest Tribal Lending Helps Fisherman Live His Big Dream
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.Difference Makers explores how Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) are expanding economic opportunity across Indian C
SINK OR SWIM | How a Native Cosmetologist Went From Student to Salon Owner with Help from Sequoyah Fund, Inc.
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 membe
WÓYUTE | Four Bands Community Fund Incubates Traditional Grocer
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,” Fis
INITIATING CHANGE: Wells Fargo and Native CDFI Network Partner to Bolster Economic Development for Native Americans in California, Nevada
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. Difference Makers explores how Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) are expanding economic opportunity across Indian Country. From small business lending and homeownersh
HARVESTING TRADITION | How Four Directions Development Corporation Helped Mi’kmaq Nation Expand a Fishery into an Enterprise
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.Difference Makers explores how Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) are expanding economic opportunity across Indian Country. From small business lending and homeownership to
TRADITIONAL FOODS, MODERN BUSINESS | Nixyaawii Community Financial Services Prepares Iniim Coffee Shop for Success
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. Difference Makers explores how Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) are expanding economic opportunity across Indian Country. From small business lending and homeownership to consumer
FROM THE GROUND UP: Native CDFI Chi-Ishobak Helps Great Lakes Flooring Specialists Lay Foundation for Growth
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.
A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS: How NACDC Financial Services Helped Big Sky Cafe Serve Up Success
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. Difference Makers explores how Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) are expanding economic opportun
TRAILER: How Native CDFIs are helping small businesses transform Native communities
Native-owned small businesses can make a big impact in tribal communities. But to do that, they need capital, technical assistance, community support, and even some mentoring from time to time. That’s what we’re going to talk about this season on Difference Makers 2.0 — a new podcast that highlights how Native CDFIs work alongside their small business clients to accelerate change and create econom
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