Here's how one non-profit, Native Women Lead, is enabling Indigenous women's economic mobility:'It's up to use to close the racial wealth gap'Native Women Lead was founded in 2017 by eight Native American women entrepreneurs: Jaime Gloshay, Kalika Davis, Lisa Foreman, Kim Gleason, Vanessa Roanhorse, Alicia Ortega, Stephine Poston and Jaclyn Roessel. That conversation inspired the creation of Native Women Lead, an Albuquerque-based non-profit that aims to help Indigenous women entrepreneurs across the world access the capital, mentors, financial education and support needed to thrive in their careers and narrow the wealth gap. To date, Native Women Lead has provided about $500,000 to 65 Indigenous women entrepreneurs through the two funds, partnering with credit unions and investing firms such as Nusenda Credit Union and ImpactAssets to connect entrepreneurs with capital. While closing the wealth gap might start with funding opportunities, Native Women Lead views wealth as "more than just revenue or profits," Stephine Poston, one of the group's co-founders, says. Keeping this in mind, Native Women Lead offers wellness-focused retreats for Indigenous women as well as fireside chats on self-care practices, healing from trauma and other mental health topics.

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