More than 12 percent of New Mexico’s population is Indigenous, according to the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department. The business development organization WESST aims to help them start businesses. WESST is hosting a two-day Indigenous Entrepreneur Bootcamp September 23 to 24, 2026, in Farmington and online.
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RCAC Helps Prados Beauty Outperform
When Cece Meadows walked into rooms filled with prospective investors, she knew they saw a red flag.
During the height of the pandemic, her company, Prados Beauty, had donated 50 percent of its sales — not profits — to buy protective gear for Indigenous communities. To your typical venture capitalist or big-bank lender, that looked like a liability.
But for Meadows, a Xicana of Yaqui descent, that was the entire point. Meadows lives by her grandmother’s advice, which translates as “Everything you do with a good heart can never go wrong.”
Today, that model has a proven return on investment. Prados Beauty is the top-selling independent color cosmetics brand at JCPenney, moving products in 609 stores and becoming the first beauty line ever sold at the Smithsonian.
The brand reached these heights, in part, through Meadows’ partnership with the Rooted Relative Fund offered through the nonprofit lender Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC). Fund managers viewed Meadows’ commitment to community not as a “risk” but as the secret to her success.
Continue readingLearn How to Start a Business in New Mexico
Native American entrepreneurs, business owners, and community members in New Mexico can learn how to start a business at an online workshop hosted by the American Indian Business Enterprise Center at NMSU’s Arrowhead Center. The one-hour event, called From Idea to Enterprise, starts at 4:30 pm MDT on August 5, 2026. Registration is required.
Continue readingLoans Support Childcare Center
Clearinghouse CDFI has provided loans and funding for the Kewa Childcare Development Center, a new 22,000 square foot childcare facility located in the underserved community of Santo Domingo, New Mexico. When fully operational, this transformative project will provide critical early childhood development services to the surrounding community, supporting the next generation in a region facing significant economic challenges.
Continue readingNative American Farmer Incubator
The Native Farmer and Rancher Project is a year-long program that provides comprehensive support to Native producers to help them develop their agricultural businesses. The program, which starts on November 20, is accepting applications until November 6, 2025.
Continue readingEntrepreneurship Bootcamp
Native American Veterans interested in starting or growing a business are encouraged to apply to attend a two-month entrepreneurship bootcamp that combines online and in-person learning. Applications are being accepted until August 12, 2024.
Continue readingSpecialized Assistance for Native American Entrepreneurs
Native American business owners are encouraged to utilize the wide range of resources available to all New Mexico entrepreneurs, however, a number of opportunities focus exclusively on the growth of Native-owned businesses.
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