Through its Microenterprise Development Program, Running Strong provides interest-free microloans of $5,000, mentorship, and business training to Native-owned enterprises—helping community members turn their ideas into income-generating ventures that serve and uplift their people.

Since the program’s founding by Josh Smith (Osage Nation)—a Dreamstarter whose Ekowah Coffee business models social responsibility and tribal philanthropy—Running Strong has empowered entrepreneurs across multiple reservations to launch and expand local businesses. Participants like Roots & Blooms and Dirty Laundry Saloon used their loans to create jobs, open new locations, and mentor Native youth, while others on Pine Ridge, Crow, Hoopa, and Osage Nations are building self-sustaining enterprises that keep resources circulating locally. Together, these efforts promote economic sovereignty, skill-building, and community reinvestment, continuing Running Strong’s legacy of fostering Native-led economic resilience.

Microenterprise as a Vehicle for Social Change

Studies show that micro-businesses make a more significant contribution to reducing poverty in rural communities than larger businesses. Micro-businesses contribute to the local economy by generating income, and they uniquely develop a community’s sense of place and personality. It’s been studied that found that more than half of all rural small businesses give charitable, with more than 90% of those contributions going to local programs and causes.