Description

There are about 65 certified Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) in the United States — roughly the same number as a decade ago.

But that’s starting to change.

In Episode 5 of Difference Makers 3.0, Brian Edwards speaks with leaders building new Native CDFIs in Oklahoma, Hawai‘i and the Northeast — part of a growing wave of more than 30 emerging efforts working to expand access to capital in communities that still don’t have it.

The episode features Kristen Wagner of the Native CDFI Network, along with Riley Logsdon and Chris Coburn of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Community Development Corporation, Olani Lilly of Changemakers Community Economic Development, and Alexander “Brave Journey” Sterling of Turtle Island Community Capital.

Together, their stories show how the next generation of Native CDFIs is taking shape — not through a single model, but through approaches grounded in the needs, values and realities of the communities they serve.

In Oklahoma, a tribally affiliated lending organization is building toward certification while expanding access to small business and consumer lending in communities where predatory lending remains common.

In Hawai‘i, a community development organization is using finance as one tool within a broader, relationship-based approach — rooted in culture, community and long-term resilience.

And in the Northeast, a new Native CDFI effort is identifying significant unmet demand in a region that has historically lacked access to Native-led capital, with one estimate pointing to at least $180 million in investable opportunities.

In this episode:

• Why the number of Native CDFIs has remained relatively flat — and what’s changing
• How more than 30 emerging Native CDFIs are working toward certification
• What it takes to build a Native CDFI from the ground up
• How tribally affiliated lending models are developing in Oklahoma
• Why consumer lending matters in communities facing predatory lending
• How Native Hawaiian leaders are rethinking finance as a relationship-based system
• The scale of unmet demand for capital in regions like the Northeast
• What drives the next generation of Native CDFI leaders

Reading & Resources

🔗 Native CDFI Network RISE Initiative
https://nativecdfi.net/institute/ncn-ris

🔗 Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Community Development Corporation
https://cheyenneandarapahocdc.org/

🔗 Changemakers Community Economic Development
https://changemakershawaii.org/

🔗 Turtle Island Community Capital
https://turtleislandcommunitycapital.org/

Difference Makersexplores how Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) are expanding economic opportunity across Indian Country. From small business lending and homeownership to consumer loans, financial education, and technical assistance, Native CDFIs provide the capital and support that help Native communities build stronger local economies.

Join the Native CDFI Network and Tribal Business Newsas they spotlight the people, partnerships, and ideas driving economic change in Native communities.