Josh Smith (Osage Nation) has had a transformative impact on both the Osage Nation and Indian Country through his work as a Dreamstarter and as the founder of Ekowah Coffee, a Native-owned roasting company that fuses entrepreneurship with community service.
Through the Running Strong for American Indian Youth® Dreamstarter Program, Josh received a $10,000 grant that enabled him to establish Ekowah Coffee as a social enterprise grounded in Indigenous values. His vision was not simply to create a business, but to build a model of “entrepreneurial philanthropy”—an approach that views economic success as inseparable from collective well-being and cultural responsibility. Ekowah Coffee, meaning “friend” in Osage, operates with the guiding principle that business should embody the respect and reciprocity of friendship at every level.
From its inception, Ekowah Coffee has invested back into the Osage community, providing direct financial aid to local families in need and partnering with nonprofits to meet urgent challenges. One early example of this was when the company collaborated with community partners to support a family whose primary earner suffered a debilitating stroke—covering six months of utility bills and a year of mortgage payments. This act reflected Josh’s belief that Native entrepreneurship must be rooted in compassion and mutual aid, not just profit.
With mentorship and national visibility from the Dreamstarter Program, Josh scaled his vision into what Running Strong later formalized as the Microenterprise Development Program (MDP)—a program he now manages. The MDP provides interest-free microloans, training, and mentorship to emerging Native-owned small businesses, particularly in rural tribal communities. This initiative has already empowered entrepreneurs across tribal nations—from Osage and Oglala Lakota to Crow and Hoopa—creating new jobs, strengthening local economies, and supporting Native business owners in realizing their dreams.
Under Josh’s guidance, the Microenterprise Program has become a cornerstone of Running Strong’s economic sovereignty work. Businesses supported by the program—like Roots and Blooms and Dirty Laundry Saloon—report that their microloans helped expand operations, create local employment, and provide mentorship for Native youth.
Through both Ekowah Coffee and the Microenterprise Program, Josh Smith demonstrates how modern Indigenous entrepreneurship can serve as a vehicle for social change, cultural renewal, and intergenerational resilience. His philosophy—that business can be an act of community empowerment—has influenced a new wave of Native leaders across Indian Country, showing that economic sovereignty and cultural integrity are not opposing forces, but complementary paths toward a thriving future.
Josh Smith has redefined what Native business ownership looks like in the 21st century: profitable yet generous, innovative yet traditional, and always community-centered. His ongoing work continues to ripple through the Osage Nation and beyond, strengthening Native economies and inspiring the next generation of Indigenous entrepreneurs to dream boldly and give back.
