People. Culture. Community. Are the Economy.

Indigenous Community Collaborative (IndigenousCC) is an award-winning Native American, women-led organization based in Phoenix, AZ

 
 
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Who We Are

 
 

We are built on a truth mainstream systems are still learning.

Indigenous economies have always known what the world is only beginning to recognize: people, culture, and community aren't separate from the economy — they are the economy.

For too long, Indigenous peoples have been told to choose between economic opportunity and cultural identity. Between professional advancement and community connection. Between traditional values and business success.

We reject those false choices.

IndigenousCC is a community-rooted social organization founded on the belief that the strongest economies are built on cultural values. We operate through relationships rather than transactions. We measure success by community benefit and generational impact, not extraction.

We are Indigenous professionals, entrepreneurs, cultural practitioners, and community members. We are bridge-builders. We are accountable to the communities we serve and the ancestors whose wisdom guides us.

 

What We Do

 
 
 

three ways we strengthen indigenous economies

  1. Cultural Capacity Building

  2. Workforce & Entrepreneurship Pathways

  3. Storytelling & Convening for Systems Change

 

Workforce & Entrepreneurship Pathways

Economic advancement and cultural identity are not in tension — they strengthen each other.

We support full-spectrum economic participation. Entrepreneurs are not clients — they are relatives, innovators, and culture-bearers. We provide programs for Indigenous entrepreneurs to launch and grow businesses that drive job creation and community investment. We develop workforce pathways and leadership aligned with community priorities. We connect people to networks, resources, and opportunities that uphold their values.

Who this is for: Indigenous professionals and entrepreneurs at any stage, and the organizations that want to support them.

Cultural capacity building

Culture is infrastructure.

We translate Indigenous knowledge, values, and lived experience into spaces where they have long been excluded or misunderstood. We build cultural capacity, not compliance, within institutions, employers, and economic systems. We prepare Indigenous people to navigate Western systems while deepening their cultural identity. We create shared understanding that aligns economic activity with values, responsibility, and reciprocity.

Who this is for: Employers, institutions, and systems ready to move beyond box-checking to genuine partnership.

 

Storytelling & Convening for Systems Change

When stories change, systems change.

Through storytelling and convening, we shift narratives about Indigenous participation in the economy. Stories are knowledge. Events are gatherings, not marketing. We curate experiences for truth-telling and future-making. We elevate Indigenous talent and leadership through platforms that build visibility and agency. We create gatherings — like our signature Matriarch Mixer — that build real relationships between Indigenous communities and economic partners.

Who this is for: Funders, sponsors, media, and partners who want to move from tokenization to genuine investment.

 

How We Work

Convener. Connector. Protector. Relationship Holder.

We build economies through relationships.

We are a community-rooted social enterprise working at the intersection of culture and economy. We work with Indigenous communities, entrepreneurs, professionals, employers, and institutions — and we hold ourselves accountable to all of them.

Our role is Convenor. Connector. Sister. Protector. Relationship Holder.

We don't extract. We circulate. Every partnership, program, and platform we build is designed to stimulate Indigenous and local economies — hiring Indigenous-owned businesses, artists, and musicians; utilizing Indigenous-owned venues; and creating platforms that expand access to economic opportunity.

Who We Serve

You Belong Here if…

 

You’re an employer or institution

Ready to build authentic relationships with Indigenous Communities, not a check box.

You’re an Indigenous entrepreneur or professional

Looking for programs, networks, and pathways that strengthen your identity.

 You’re a funder or sponsor

who wants your investment to create real, generational community impact.

You’re a partner or collaborator

aligned with the values of reciprocity, sovereignty, and cultural strength.

 
 

Signature Programs

 

Signature Programs & Initiatives

Matriarch Mixer — Our flagship convening connecting Indigenous entrepreneurs, professionals, and community members in a regenerative economy model.

REZponse Podcast — Stories from the intersection of culture and economy, told through Indigenous voices and lived experience.

Rooted Relative Fund / Rooted in Arizona — Access to capital for Indigenous entrepreneurs.

Workforce Pathways — Career development and leadership programs rooted in community priorities.

 

Let’s Collaborate

 

Our Track Record

  • 12+ years of experience across Indian Country

  • Award-winning, Native American, women-led organization

  • Based in Phoenix, AZ and across Indian Country — working locally and nationally

  • Partners include: Startup Tucson, Local First Arizona, State Forty Eight Foundation, Roanhorse Consulting

Ready to Build Something Together?

Whether you're an employer, entrepreneur, funder, or community partner — we'd love to connect. Let's start a real conversation about what's possible. Book a meeting…