This nationwide competition is a competitive fellowship. A selection committee would choose 320 entrepreneurs every year for the next 6 years with the goal of getting a business up and running. It would provide health care or student loan support, even a stipend, while the entrepreneurs work with mentors to hone their business plan or their pitch to investors.

It’s about making it as “easy as possible for these entrepreneurs, that work really hard and have great ideas, to grow their businesses in our community,” Crow said.

Resources for Indigenous-owned natural products businesses

Here are several resources that lend support to Native American entrepreneurs specifically, from networking groups to grant opportunities.

Study: Montana ranks among 10 least stressed states

“Montana is the ninth least stressed state. … it boasts short commutes and high job security,” Wallethub analysts Jill Gonzalez said. “Its residents also have high credit scores, and less than a third of adults worry about money.”