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Jaime Gloshay
FINALIST

Jaime Gloshay

Native Women Lead

Native Women Lead (NWL) works to revolutionize systems and inspire innovation by investing in businesses owned and operated by Native women

VISIT WEBSITE

ABOUT

  • ISSUE AREA: Indigenous Economy & Solidarity
  • ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET: $2,000,000
  • GEOGRAPHY: United States (Albuquerque, NM w/ reach and operations in Arizona, Colorado, and Texas)

KEY FINDINGS

  • Established alternative financial health checks to counter the inequities of traditional finance systems. NWL has cultivated a community of Native-led businesses that do not run credit checks, uses borrower character interviews, and assesses whether an individual does work in the community so that they can access cash flow
  • The alternative financial practices have been adopted by some traditional banking institutions too. Because of NWL, there are a growing number of community development financial institutions (CDFIs) that consider a person’s rental history and utility, phone, and water payments as opposed to financial statements and credit checks
  • The executive director is interested in coaching opportunities and professional development focused on non-traditional leadership roles and management
  • NWL is looking to potential partners like Elevate to help them craft the story on what indigenous entrepreneurship looks like and why it should be a model for the future