
Olga Estrada dedicated her life to raising her children. She was born in Nicaragua and joined her family in California more than 20 years ago to build a better life. Working in a data entry position, Olga didn’t have a lot of money but she always made ends meet.
Small individually owned enterprises have become an increasingly important economic base for Native communities. Yet, while efforts to promote entrepreneurship among low-income communities nationwide have grown dramatically over the past 20 years, only recently have Native communities begun to benefit from these programs and services.
CFED is committed to strengthening the supports for Native entrepreneurship across the country through research and innovation, policy, and field development. Primarily funded by the Northwest Area Foundation and the U.S. Department of Treasury CDFI Fund, this work is led by Kim Pate.