Hi. This is Paul Zellizer, and welcome to the Awarepreneurs podcast. On the show, we dive deep into wisdom from some of the world's leading social entrepreneurs. Our goal is to help you increase your positive impact, your profitability, and your quality of life. Before we get into today's topic, I have 1 request. If you could hit subscribe and do a review on your favorite podcast app, that helps more people learn how to have a positive impact through values based business. Thank you so much. Today, I am thrilled to introduce you to Cecilia Pacheco, and our topic is supporting social entrepreneurship in Indian country.

Cecilia is a program manager, tribal entrepreneurship at the University of New Mexico's Coast Rainforest Innovations and the host of the Indigenous Entrepreneurship Podcast. Welcome to the show, Cecilia.

Hi. Thank you for having me.

Thanks for saying yes. I I reached out to Cecilia after we kind of been, like, overlapping a little bit here in the New Mexico ecosystem. I'm like, wait. An indigenous entrepreneur's podcast. Wait. A tribal entrepreneurship program. Please come on the show and tell our listeners about it. So thank you so much for taking time in your busy schedule.

Yeah. Of course. Happy to be here.

Yeah. So before we get into the awesome work you're doing, Cecilia, give us a little bit. What would somebody wanna know about your back story and just who is Cecilia so we get a sense of who's doing this awesome work.

Okay. So my name is Cecilia Pacheco. I am Born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico, like multi generational New Mexican. I grew up in Santa Fe. I attended the University of New Mexico where, originally, I wanted to go into physical therapy, but then I switched And just got a liberal arts degree and ended up in UNM's MBA program, which I really enjoyed. And during my time there, started an internship at what was, at that point in time, called stc.unm, which is now known as UNM Rainforest Innovations. So I started in 2017 as an innovation intern at The technology transfer and patenting and then economic development office of UNM. And so I did that internship for about a year.

And when I graduated with my MBA, they hired me on as a full time staff member, which I've been a full time staff member ever since, marking various roles. I started off Doing a lot of marketing and some economic development work with our technologies. That was my first role and then Transitioned to just focusing in on economic development where I was the project coordinator for our university center program, which set the foundation for now our tribal entrepreneurship program. So I transitioned from that role into my current role last year in, like, May of 2022. And so Now I'm really working just focused on tribal entrepreneurship and economic development in that realm.

Thanks for that background, and a shout out to the general kind of overall umbrella of UNM. Listeners. If you've been around for a while, you might remember we had now dean of the business school at UNM, Riley White. A couple years back, we did a conference here in New Mexico on social entrepreneurship and impact investing, and it was a university and private sector business folks partnering to talk more about how to get that conversation going in a more robust ways. So UNM's got a lot of good things going, and the leadership there has just been really supportive of impact investing in social entrepreneurship. So just a big shout out to UNL.

Now Riley White was my finance professor for my MBA program, and he's really great.

He's awesome. And then Wellington, he was more on the, impact investing side of things. And, Wellington septic, I think, is still there. I don't actually know. It was more on the social entrepreneur. The 2 of them partnered and then a dear friend of mine who's also been a guest on this podcast and just did Thanksgiving at her house, Genevieve Chavez Mitchell, who's writing a book called Sacred Money. Genevieve was more the community member working on impact investing. She and her husband have been impact investing with their retirement funds for more than 25 years, and I was more there to be sort of the community representative on social entrepreneur side.

So, anyway, Just a little bit of background, folks, that you get a sense that there's a real willingness at very high levels at UNM to have these conversations. And, yeah, just a big shout out, and I'll put a link to that episode. So the tribal entrepreneurship program, like, has that been going on for a while. Cecilia, is that new at UNM? Tell us

a little bit about that program. So our program was Funded by an EDA ARPA grant in 2022.

So we Somebody is like, what do all those initials mean? What what is that?

It's the Economic Development Administration under the federal government. They do a lot of funding of really great projects, And ours is one of the projects that they're funding. And so we started This particular program when we received that funding in 2022, but we had received Previous funding from them for our university center program, which laid the foundation for the tribal entrepreneurship program. So I guess you could say, like, the development of this program started back in 2018 with the university center program. So that was also funded by an ADA grant, and it allowed us to Take, like, the entrepreneur training, ecommerce training, and, like, entrepreneurial ecosystem building that we've been doing here in Albuquerque and take it out to rural New Mexico. So we used the UNM branch campuses to Do that and started creating relationships in those different communities through UNM, and then it just kind of evolved from there. And that was a 5 year grant. So we worked with UNM Gallup, UNM Los Alamos, UNM Taos, and UNM Valencia in different capacities to start establishing just that entrepreneurial mindset and training in those communities.

And then through that program, we saw a need to really focus in on tribal communities, And so that's where we applied for this ARPA funding where we received a grant to do what we're doing now. And we received that grant in May of 2022, and it's really building on that foundation of the university center And focusing in on providing that entrepreneur support to indigenous communities, but it's kind of developed into an even different type of program than what our university center was originally.

Right, and we'll get more into that. Before we do, if somebody doesn't know New Mexico very well or isn't very familiar with some of the specific needs that indigenous entrepreneurs are facing. Like, what what would somebody who cares but isn't have a lot of experience with these issues? What would you say are some of the unique needs of native entrepreneurs in New Mexico.

So I would say New Mexico in general has a lot of unique needs, like not just when it comes to indigenous populations, but our population in general is very unique When you think about, like, the greater US, so we are a huge state geographically, But population wise, we're smaller, so we have a lot of rural and, frontier communities that are really important to our state, our way of life, like, the mindset that our state carries, But sometimes are underfunded or just don't get access to a lot of the resources that you would find in Albuquerque or Santa Fe. And so, I think one of the biggest needs is just that connectivity and just, You know, showing rural communities and indigenous communities that we see you, we know you're here, and These resources in the bigger city aren't just available to people, like, in the big city. They're available to you as well. So I think that that visibility of these communities is a huge need and then also listening to the needs Because oftentimes, especially when it comes to economic development, you get parties who may come in and say, oh, this is what you need, and it's just not culturally Aware, I guess you could say. And so, really, one of the big needs when it comes to this type of economic development is listening To those rural and indigenous communities, hearing their stories, what are the challenges they're facing, And then taking that information and planning programming around it so that the communities really are the ones driving That economic development and like those programmings that'll help get them to where they wanna be.

Yeah. Yeah. For folks who don't live with New Mexico or don't know much about it, we have about 2,200,000 people in a state the size of Colorado or Arizona. Right? So either the Phoenix area is much bigger population than the entire state of New Mexico Alright. Denver may be about if you count the whole Denver metro. Right? So it's rural, in our infrastructure as a real estate. I mean, I live in downtown Albuquerque, and oftentimes when I'm recording an episode, my Internet will start to get a little and I have the resources to pay for good Internet, and I live in downtown Albuquerque, which probably has better Internet than much of the state. And I can't even count on the Internet working all of the time.

Right? It's just part of living here. Right? And if you live in a rural area, even basic things like you might not be able to count on power, or maybe power doesn't even go to your house, or Yeah. Water may or may not be accessible all the time. So so things that many modern humans would, at least in more developed countries like the US, you you can't necessarily assume in more rural areas in New Mexico that these things are a given. And then when you try to start a business on top of that, It can make it, you know, just a little more complicated. Is that fair to say, Cecilia?

Oh, yeah. That's definitely, I think, painting the picture of what it's like Starting a business in rural and tribal New Mexico. Like you said, a lot of these communities when it especially when it comes to Internet access, I think that is one of the huge needs and also barriers, especially if people wanna do an online business. Like, sometimes that's not even an unless you go to the library or and you might live 30 minutes away from Somewhere that you can even get Internet access. And then, like you said, the some of those basic needs that we take for granted, even just living here in Albuquerque, like water, on Most of the Pueblos and reservations, like, you know, people have to haul water, and It's just you know, it creates it makes it even harder to start a business when you're just trying to focus on, like survival and meeting those basic needs for you and your family. But There's a lot of people who have started businesses, a lot of people who are entrepreneurs or who are business owners and they don't even realize it Because they've just been doing it as a means of survival of a way to make money to pay that Electricity bill or something like that. So

Yeah. So in that context, what do you find works well in terms of helping indigenous entrepreneurs, a, realize they're entrepreneurs, and, b, get the support they need to really grow something that'll move the needle on their quality of life for them and their family. Mhmm.

So in our program, I think One of the key components is our tribal liaisons. So they are our boots on the ground people who we've contracted to work with us. They are themselves members of various different tribes throughout the state. They live in those communities, so They're aware of, first of all, what it's like to live where they live. They're culturally aware, and that helps them develop trust with the people and the entrepreneurs that they're speaking with, and they themselves are entrepreneurs so they've Done it. They are running their own businesses. They know what needs to be done in order to navigate the various systems and things in order to start. And then, again, like I said, they have that shared background, and they really are our eyes and ears and the ones Having these conversations with entrepreneurs about what their needs and barriers are and what their goals are for their business, and They kind of walk them through, like, oh, this is like, you are an entrepreneur.

You know? Like, you can You can keep doing what you're doing or you can expand and grow if you want. Here's some resources. Here's some funding opportunities that you might be interested in, just kind of walking with them and being that person in their community. Again, not that, like, outsider coming in. It's more of someone in the community who cares about their community who wants to see it develop and thrive that I think has been really essential to our program.

Love that. So the the tribal liaisons are one of the keys, and it's that finding that person who It's like they're from the community, and you didn't say this, but I'm am I wrong in implying? It's like somebody the community would know and trust, not just Any old person in the community, but somebody like, hey. This person has a sense of like people have a sense as a quality person. They're not just looking out for themselves. They're trying to do something good for the whole community, and they're they're higher than average in that. Is that would that be fair to say?

Yes. Definitely. All of our liaisons are really advocates for their communities in a lot of ways. They definitely like, they're all entrepreneurs, but they are all social entrepreneurs in one way or another. They have that heart for their community and for their people, and they're not just in business to make money for themselves. Of course, they are trying to grow generational wealth for Them and their families, but that kind of expands out into their communities in that they are Running starting their business and running it on their homeland because they want to create Better systems and more sustainability and better, like I said, wealth for their community. So it's very much from a social entrepreneurial mindset.

Yeah. When we were talking before we hit record, so so you made a comment that The number of social entrepreneurs on the reservations or from the tribes is much higher than I. Like, almost everybody is an entrepreneur. That that and I I think there is some cultural values on the in the tribes in New Mexico. We're looking out for more than just yourself is just part of how the enculturation works in the tribe. Is that fair to say if somebody is not familiar with how tribes work?

Yeah. And I can't speak for every tribe, but generally, when it comes to, like, indigenous values, You're taught that you don't take more than you need, and if you have more than you need, you give it back. And so a lot of these Native American businesses are run with that mindset.

Yeah. Yeah. That that's been I've lived here since 1993, and in my previous career as a social worker, community mental health person, 15 years did decent amount of work with the tribes, and that was my experience as well. Yeah. Absolutely. So what would be if somebody is like, okay. That makes sense. Tribal liaisons, great, but, like, give me give me some examples.

Or, like, what are some examples of New Mexico businesses or or tribal businesses in what would modern day be called New Mexico, where people are doing something really awesome in terms of both growing a sustainable business, but also having some of that positive impact that you're referring to.

There's a lot. One example that I refer to often is one of our tribal liaisons, Zachariah Ben. He is from the Navajo Nation, and he has a farm out in Shiprock and a business called Biddy Baby Foods. So him and his wife started their business, I wanna say 3 years ago or so, And they grow corn and then they steam it and process it in the traditional Navajo way, And they create it into like a cornmeal that's like can be made as baby food. So think of like cream of wheat kind of, except it tastes different. So that can be used for babies. It can be used to feed elders and you can I even eat it as breakfast sometimes? And so their business comes from very much, like, farming and then nutrition. So they're trying to provide those cultural foods for their community, and They have an interesting model where they have their for profit business and then they have a nonprofit, which allows them to provide their food to the community at an affordable cost.

I think they also are able to take WIC and SNAP, And then they partner with, like, the hospital and, like, different prenatal programs and stuff like that. So they have Their business, but it really is, like, I would say 90%, like, social impact business Because they really are trying to provide that nutrition and that food and education to their community. And then on top of that, they have a farmer in residency program where they train people who want to start their own farms, so that also is helping to build that economy and that Generational wealth. So teaching others to do what they're doing as well.

Very cool. So That's one great example. What what would be another example? Be like, yeah. What they're doing right there, that's really cool.

Yeah. There's a lot. There is this one, and I don't remember the name of her. And she hasn't worked directly with our program, but she's doing stuff with drones for, like, land serving, and she just started. And she's on the Navajo Nation in Arizona. But I thought that was really cool because, you know, I think a lot of times Native American businesses are just thought of as, like, artisans, But there's a lot of other stuff going on. We have one of our new new tribal liaisons. His name is Joseph Toledo, and him and his mother started tribe 275, And they are brand new, like, brand new startup company, but their whole thing is they want to open these, like, Small scale manufacturing facilities for microchips and, like, computer components out in Jemez Pueblo.

And so The social impact aspect of their business is that it would employ the tribe and they would have, like, Training so you don't necessarily need to have the skill or the education offhand to be employed. Like, they will provide that training for people in the tribe. That way There's good paying jobs close to home. That way, a lot of times, people feel like they have to move off of their homeland to get any opportunity. So their whole concept is really cool. They are very new, So they're still in the, like, super, super early stages, but I think his Model has a lot of potential to be employed in other tribes, and his goal is to not just Do this in Hemez, but to kinda provide a model for other other tribes to follow. Yeah.

I love that. And, again, somebody's not familiar with how things can work in tribal like, what some of the tribal issues are that a lot of young people who want to have a sustainable livelihood feel like they need to leave, and it's hard for a tribe to sustain itself when some of the most energetic and really talented people leave. It It just makes it really hard for a community, especially if it's a smaller tribe with just a couple 1,000 people in it, like like MS Pueblo. Right? It's not a massive tribe. Like, even the bigger ones are struggling with this, but the smaller tribes, if if a large percentage of the young people leave, it's very hard for the culture to thrive and sustain itself. So I I can just imagine what that would mean for a small community like Hemez or other small, tribal communities to have good paying jobs right there so people can both live and work and stay a part of the culture. That would be a very impactful kind of a business.

And that's, like, one of the reasons why I think a lot of Native Americans are drawn to entrepreneurship is because they want to stay close to home Because there's a lot of you know, they have traditions. They have ceremonies. They wanna stay in that space, But a lot of times they feel like they can't because there's not a lot of opportunity. But At the same time, it still is really hard to start a business on tribal land. So a lot of times, They start and then they start running into a lot of barriers, and they're just like, oh, this is why, like, more people haven't done this. So I would say a lot of people in this space right now, they are trailblazers because they're Figuring it out, and they have that vision for their community of how social impact entrepreneurship could really benefit their communities in a positive way.

So let's do this. In a moment, I wanna come back and share a little bit more about those barriers. And also, what are you and the program you represent, Cecilia, what are you doing to help with some of those barriers and to help create a more viable ecosystem for native businesses in New Mexico. But before we do that, I just wanna take a quick break and hear a word from our sponsor. It's no secret that I'm a big fan of LinkedIn. In fact, I've recently been sharing some of the experiences I've had of getting business consulting contracts from my LinkedIn connections. But let me give you a few data points that'll help you understand why I'm so excited. LinkedIn has users in over 200 countries, and 53% of LinkedIn users have a high monthly income.

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So welcome back, everybody. We are here with Cecilia Pacheco, we are talking about social entrepreneurship in Indian country and all the great work that you, Cecilia, and that UNM through the tribal entrepreneurship program are doing. So and before the break, we're talking about some of the unique sorta challenges, like the infrastructure isn't always there in Indian country. Like, what what would somebody who's trying to those challenges, and then I wanna get to, like, how do you help? But before you, like, talk about the solution, sometimes you just need to understand a little bit what are some of the barriers or the challenges. What what would somebody who's trying to understand it better wanna

know? So oh, gosh. That's that's a lot. But

hours later, we just touched on it. Right?

Yeah. Okay. So I think the way I'll approach this is just basically, you know, for someone who's really not Aware of what the tribes are, I guess, in a sense is, you know, they are sovereign Nations. So they have their own governments, their own laws, but they are There's like the overhead, which is the federal government. So you have federal, Tribal and then state government, all with different policies, all with different requirements, And sometimes those do not align, so it's already really hard to start a business off of tribal land. Like, navigating that in itself is hard. When you add, like, the tribal Government rules and regulations, it makes it even more hard to navigate sometimes. So I would say that is one barrier.

In addition to that, something that has been identified by a lot of our entrepreneurs that we've spoken to is The federal trust land issues, which for people who aren't aware, a lot of Native land is federal trust land. Therefore, business owners can't really own, like their land or their business, which creates a lot of challenges and barriers, especially when it comes to finding funding for your business because that's a lot of banks don't wanna take that risk Because you can't put your business or your land up as an asset, so that's a huge barrier. And then when it comes again to, like, access to capital and funding, I think financial literacy is also something that we've identified A lot of people growing up on tribal land don't have that, like, generational knowledge when it comes to financial literacy. Due to a lot of historical traumas, they've also been living in survival mode. So it's just You can't really even think about your financial future because you're just trying to survive. So, you know, Having that education for personal finance and then building on top of that for business finance, there's still There's programming out there, but still not a lot of tools that are, like, culturally relevant, I guess you could say, or culturally sensitive. So I'd say top 3 barriers that we've identified through conversations, through Things that my our liaisons have shared with us and then also through the discovery that our liaisons have done. I would say just kind of that misalignment between, like, federal, tribal, and state policies is 1.

Number 2 is federal trust land issues, which relates to access to capital, and then 3 is financial literacy. So those are top 3. There's a lot of others, but those ones consistently come up.

Yeah. And so given those challenges, and thank you so much for outlining those, what what is your program doing at UNM, the Tribal Entrepreneurship Program, And what recommendations might you have for others who wanna be supportive to indigenous entrepreneurs, but it's a little intimidating? I'm like, wait. There's all these different jurisdictions and there's historical trauma, and there's a lot there's just a lot going on here, but I wanna help. Like, So, yeah, again, what are you doing as a program, and how can other ecosystem players who wanna be more helpful to indigenous entrepreneurs. What recommendations would you have?

So our program has spent this past year really doing that research on what are the barriers, and now we're starting to brainstorm more of the solutions. And a lot of all the solutions that I'm gonna mention have come from entrepreneurs that we've interviewed as well as our liaisons. So one thing that our liaisons have expressed as a potential solution is to encourage, like, state as well as tribal governments to have, like, an office of entrepreneurship or some sort of, like, Entrepreneurial council with entrepreneurs in the communities who have had to navigate the system where they can sit on, and it it could be like a volunteer thing, but just where they can give insight as to some of the laws or policies that are being discussed and share their personal experiences. That way, there's a voice of Someone who has actually had to navigate that system and can identify areas where maybe there needs to be a change or something could Be easier. So that is one of the solutions that we are expressing. Seeing it definitely is not an easy solution because that would require, you know, further discussion with tribal government, state government. And we have started some conversations with the state just on identifying these barriers so they're aware. But I think, you know, having that type of counsel or entrepreneurial voice in each of these individual communities is huge, And that in itself would probably result in a lot of other solutions.

So that is 1. And then I will say our liaisons themselves, like, the role that they play has been a solution in some ways because they connect. They connect those communities and the people that they interview with resources that we have available or that our partners have available Or that they're aware of. So they're really kind of that informational resource for the entrepreneurs, And they can really you know, they identify the needs, and then they're like, oh, I have a person who I can send you to for that, or here's An upcoming workshop that can help you with that. So that's been another huge solution, I guess, you could say, and I really do Advocate for the continued support of roles like the tribal liaison position, not just in our organization, but I think if other Organizations could start kind of mimicking our model, I guess you could say. I think it that would also help. And then another solution is just education. You know? So that financial literacy education, but then also just educating people on.

What what does it mean to be an individual entrepreneur? What are the resources available to you? What What does it mean to scale your business? You know? Like, why should you officially register your business. What benefits could come with that? Just that basic education. And, again, that's A role that that's where our liaisons come in. That's where we come in. That's where some other organizations like the American Indian Business enterprise center with NMSU, New Mexico Community Capital come in because they have a lot of programming surrounding that. So So I would say those are some solutions that we've kind of brainstormed and that the liaisons have brought to us. But one thing that I really want to emphasize is that all these solutions have been thought up by the liaisons, by the communities, by the entrepreneurs. I think especially when it comes to working with tribes and someone who wants to help.

It's essential that you put your listening ears on And that you don't come in thinking that you have the solutions because these communities are very unique And every tribe is different, and they know what they need. Right? So it's really important For especially as organizations for us to listen and to just help brainstorm solutions, but really Let those solutions be community led.

Thanks so much for bringing that up, Cecilia. I was thinking as you were talking, you know, the example you gave earlier of a food related business, right, the Bitty Baby Food, and how many misguided attempts to try to tell people in New Mexico to how to grow food here. Right? And it's a it's a, you know, high desert. We are one of the driest states in the in the union, and a lot of things that might work in New York or Kansas don't work here and create a lot of problems. Not just One example of many, but, like, I'm just trying to give somebody some reference point of how many times native peoples have, you know, somebody with power or got a grant or became important in some Administration came to a tribe and said, here's what you should do to fix it. Fix it in quotes, whatever the it is, and made things worse. That would be one example in terms of, like, trying to help get enough quality food, working on food security issues, and just so many messes were made and the damage to soils and disrupted traditional agricultural methods that worked given the environment that we have here, and people said, yeah, but you could grow a lot more food if you only did blah blah blah, and blah blah blah made things much worse and grew a lot less food, not more food. That's just one very small example that came to my mind as you were talking.

Yeah.

Yeah. There's a lot of knowledge and wisdom in indigenous communities that I think a lot of us could learn from, Especially when it comes to, you know, like, that social entrepreneur mindset. So, again, I think, you know, it's really important For it to be community led, but, you know, supported by organizations like UNM, Rainforest Innovations.

So you've been up and running, and you got these great liaisons, and you're starting to, like, Be a resource in these ways you've talked about, and thanks again, Cecilia, for sharing about that. Like, look ahead, like, 2 to 3 years from dial. Like, now that you have your infrastructure and you're starting to, like, work with entrepreneurs and the the liaisons are, like, in real granular conversations about a particular entrepreneur, and you're supporting people, like like yeah. Fast forward 3 years, what what do you hope it looks like?

Well okay. So first of all, I just wanna say that our grant is only for 3 years, so I would like

to 2 years.

Well, I would like to have more funding for us to continue to do the work we're doing. Like, that is one of our goals, you know, because we do think that what we're doing is having an impact. So I just wanna put that little that out there, you know, that we will probably be looking for funding in 3 years. But that aside, I do think our program is planting a lot of seeds that will result in future growth and fruits whether or not we get funding to continue with at least this particular program. But I so like I said, we're planting a lot of seeds. And 3 years from now, I would like to see, you know, Indigenous communities that already have, you know, entrepreneurial ecosystems just kind of nurturing Those ecosystems and valuing the entrepreneurs in their communities, you know, maybe conversations with Leadership about how we can make certain environments easier and systems easier for entrepreneurs to navigate eventually, you know, like and this would probably be 10 years plus, but I would love to see the different tribes really having their own sustainable economies where they don't have to rely on government funding or, you know, competing with border towns. Like, they have that economy. The wealth is staying, Like, within their borders for and being circulated amongst their people.

Ideally, like that, that's our Goal. I don't know how long it will take, for that to be accomplished, but I do see a lot of movement, Especially when it comes to indigenous entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurs like our tribal liaisons in their communities who have that similar vision, and I know that they are gonna continue to do the work that they're doing even, like, past the point of our current program funding just because it's not about, like, the money For them, you know, they are being compensated for their time that they're spending working on our program with us, but I know that they would be doing the work anyways just because that's what they care about. So, You know, I think just kind of planting those seeds and then that influence that entrepreneurs like our tribal liaisons will have on others in their communities. It just kind of I could see it creating a ripple effect that would hopefully Continue to empower indigenous entrepreneurs and communities.

Beautiful. Thanks for sharing that vision. So I'd be a really bad podcast host if I didn't ask you about being a podcast host. Right? That's right. We talked about the tribal entrepreneurship program. But before we let you go, tell us a little bit about the indigenous entrepreneurs podcast, why you started it, what you hope to accomplish with that part of your work.

Oh my gosh. Okay. So that was a project that was just kind of an idea that came from our advisory board for for the program, and then our liaisons expressed interest in it as well. So it's Another key component of our program is that storytelling aspect. So sharing narratives of successful indigenous entrepreneurs as well as creating a space where people can talk about Those challenges that they've faced, the barriers, potential solutions, you know, just sharing their entrepreneurial journey and experience as indigenous entrepreneurs. We just wanted to tell those stories and create a space for conversations like that to be had And then shared because, you know, a lot of times, people who need to hear certain messages. You know, if you put out on the the Internet, maybe people it'll bond to the right person's ears. You know? But I'd never been a podcast host before.

It's very much something that I had to figure out as I go. And if you watch or So it's video and audio. And if you listen to earlier episodes, the audio's not the best. The video's not the best. Like, it's you can tell that I'm, like, learning, but this the content is great. Like, the stories and all of that is every single episode, I think, is worth listening to, And I've definitely gotten better as I've just practiced, you know, and I've really gotten to hear a lot of awesome stories about people that are doing really amazing things. And and I really like, you know, sharing being able to share those stories and to give people that space to tell their story. And one thing I will mention, especially since this is the Awarepreneur's podcast is that every single indigenous entrepreneur that I have interviewed Has some social impact aspects to their business, whether they know it or not.

Like, sometimes they're aware and they're doing it, like, intentionally, But other times, it's just you know, it's part of those shared values, and they just have a heart to, you know, Use their business for good and to help not just their communities, but, you know, like, the greater world as a whole. So there's a lot of really good stories on there, and it's been a really great experience. I love The podcast, it's one of my favorite duties that I have to do as the program manager. And Another fun thing about it is that a lot of our liaisons now have been doing some interviews with entrepreneurs. So I do a lot of the interviews just because I have more time, but the liaisons also have started, you know, reaching out to entrepreneurs that they've been working with through their role as a liaison and scheduling interviews with them as well, and I I love that because those conversations are definitely different than the ones that I have with entrepreneurs, so It's it's cool to see that evolve and be kinda like a group project versus just something that I'm doing for the program.

I could so relate to everything you said to me. Such a such an honor, right, to help amplify these incredible people doing amazing things and help other people learn from them. It's just it's such an honor. Yeah.

Yeah.

Well, speaking of an honor, it's been an to interview you, Cecilia. I know you're really busy and our listeners are too. Before we let you go, I'll put a link to the tribal entrepreneurship program, to the indigenous entrepreneurs podcast, to Bitty Baby Food. Like, so it's all the links that I can remember. I wrote down as many, so so know that that we have that for our listeners. They can combine you and learn from what you're doing. Aside from go check out what you're doing with the program and the podcast, if there was something you were hoping we were gonna touch on and we haven't touched on it, Or is there something you wanna leave our listeners with on this topic of social entrepreneurship and indigenous communities? What would that be?

I think we touched on a lot of important things that I wanted to talk about. I think just A key thing that I would like to continue to emphasize is that indigenous entrepreneurs really are Social entrepreneurs and are, like, a really good example for other social entrepreneurs who aren't indigenous to follow. Like, you can learn a lot from just the way these business owners approach their business, The values that they hold. So if you really do have a heart for social entrepreneurship, which I assume you do if you're listening to this podcast. I would recommend, you know, listening to some of our podcast episodes or just Kind of looking more into indigenous values and entrepreneurship and, again, You know, be a listener and learn because there's a lot of wisdom that these communities and these entrepreneurs hold.

I agree a 100%. Cecilia, thank you so much for being on the show today. It's been an absolute pleasure to learn from you and hear what you're up to.

World. Thank you so much. I've enjoyed this. Thank you for having me and inviting me. I really appreciate it.

So listeners, let's do what we do. Go tell your friends and your colleagues about the tribal entrepreneurship program at UNM. Please let's get the word out about the indigenous entrepreneurs podcast. Go listen to some episodes. Go share them on social media. Let's amplify. Before we go, just a quick reminder, we love listeners suggested topics and guests. So you have an idea for an episode or somebody is doing something awesome in the social entrepreneur space.

Please go to the Awarepreneur's website. We have 3 simple guidelines. Take a look at those, and if you feel like it's a fit, we love when you send your ideas in. For now, I just wanna say thank you so much for listening. Please take really good care in these intense times, and thank you for all the positive impact that you're working for in our