Difference Makers

Hosts: Pete Upton, Brian Edwards, Elyse Wild | Producers: Native CDFI Network, Tribal Business News

5.0 (3)
Entrepreneurship
Semiweekly

Difference Makers is a podcast series from the Native CDFI Network and Tribal Business News that explores how Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) are reshaping the future of tribal economies — one loan, one partnership, one bold idea at a time.

2d ago

Q3 Update: The Work Continues

Elections bring new officials and new priorities. For Native CDFIs, the work of expanding access to capital continues. In this episode of Difference Makers 3.0, host Brian Edwards talks with Native CDFI Network CEO Pete Upton and policy consultant Ian Record about NCN’s third-quarter advocacy and the policy outlook heading into 2027. Record reviews efforts to get federal funding to Native lenders, respond to proposed federal grant rules and protect incentives for bank investment under the Community Reinvestment Act. He also discusses the AFFORD Act and a push to make a Native CDFI home lending pilot permanent and available nationwide. With midterm elections approaching, Upton explains why building relationships and educating policymakers remain central to NCN’s work. He encourages Native lenders to document the homes, businesses and jobs they support, prepare for certification requirements and develop new sources of capital. The conversation closes with a call for collective advocacy: Native CDFIs sharing their experiences and working with partners to demonstrate what access to capital makes possible in their communities. Resources and Links Native CDFI Network NCN Policy Action Hub CDFI Fund — Native Initiatives and Native American CDFI Assistance (NACA) Program CDFI Fund — CDFI Certification CDFI Fund — Award Announcements Difference Makers explores 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 News as they spotlight the people, partnerships, and ideas driving economic change in Native communities.
Oct 22

Muscle Memory

Native CDFIs know their communities. Turning that knowledge into a sustainable lending program takes testing, discipline and the right systems. In this episode of Difference Makers 3.0, host Brian Edwards talks with Pamela Boivin of the Native CDFI Network and Sheila Herrera, executive director of Tiwa Lending Services, about NCN’s FORGE Certificate Program. Boivin explains how FORGE helps Native CDFIs assess demand, pricing, staffing, underwriting, risk and capital before launching or refining a lending product. The goal is to develop a repeatable process that strengthens the organization alongside the loans it offers. Herrera shares how Tiwa is applying those lessons to a small business lending program shaped by young entrepreneurs’ ambitions and conversations with tribal leaders. She describes lending to a local bread maker, recognizing the need for consistent loan pricing and learning from other Native CDFIs. That work has also prompted her to revisit Tiwa’s home loan policies. As Boivin puts it, FORGE is helping Native CDFIs develop “muscle memory” — the capacity to respond to community needs again and again. Resources and Links Native CDFI Network NCN FORGE Certificate Program Tiwa Lending Services — About Tiwa Lending Services — Loan Programs Tiwa Lending Services — Financial and Homeownership Education Difference Makers explores 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 News as they spotlight the people, partnerships, and ideas driving economic change in Native communities.
Aug 20

Beyond the Grants

Native CDFIs know their communities. Banks have capital. But bringing the two together takes more than a grant. In this episode of Difference Makers 3.0, host Brian Edwards and co-host Pete Upton talk with Wells Fargo Senior Vice President Tim Rios about how banks and Native CDFIs can build stronger, long-term financial partnerships. The conversation explores relationship banking, patient capital, risk and familiarity, and what banks need to understand before investing in Native CDFIs. Rios and Upton also discuss Wells Fargo’s support for efforts to develop and strengthen Native CDFIs in California and Nevada — and why successful partnerships require banks and Native CDFIs to understand each other’s goals and build trust over time. Resources and Links Native CDFI Network Wells Fargo — Indigenous Peoples Statement NCN RISE — Emerging Native CDFI Development Oweesta Corporation — Native CDFI Capital Access Convening Wells Fargo — CDFI Lending and Investment Difference Makers explores 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 News as they spotlight the people, partnerships, and ideas driving economic change in Native communities.
Jul 9

Mid-Year Update

The first half of 2026 brought both momentum and uncertainty for Native community development financial institutions. Native CDFIs continue to expand their reach, with about 65 certified institutions nationwide and nearly three dozen more organizations working toward certification. The Native CDFI Network has also launched new initiatives to support emerging lenders, strengthen lending expertise and build capacity across the industry. At the same time, Native CDFIs are navigating a rapidly changing policy environment in Washington. In this mid-year update, host Brian Edwards sits down with Native CDFI Network CEO Pete Upton and NCN policy consultant Ian Record to discuss the push for increased Native American CDFI Assistance funding, proposed changes to federal grant programs, bipartisan efforts to strengthen Native entrepreneurship, and the importance of building relationships with policymakers. The conversation also looks at what comes next for a movement that continues to grow despite uncertainty in Washington. Guests and voices in this episode: • Pete Upton, Native CDFI Network • Ian Record, Native CDFI Network Resources and Links Native CDFI Network https://nativecdfi.net RISE Initiative (Native CDFI Network) https://nativecdfi.net/rise CDFI Fund — Native Initiatives https://www.cdfifund.gov/programs-training/programs/native-initiatives Administration for Native Americans https://acf.gov/ana Tribal Business News https://tribalbusinessnews.com Difference Makers explores 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 News as they spotlight the people, partnerships, and ideas driving economic change in Native communities.
Jun 18

Why Only Three?

California is home to the largest Native population in the United States and 109 federally recognized tribes. Yet only three Native CDFIs currently operate in the state. Recorded during and after the 2026 California CDFI Summit in Sacramento, this episode explores the effort to strengthen existing Native CDFIs, support the creation of new Native-led financial institutions and expand access to capital in Native communities throughout California. Guests and voices in this episode: • Nate Schaffran, California Coalition for Community Investment (CalCCI) • Teresa Boardman, Five Rivers Loan Fund, Inc. • Pete Upton, Native CDFI Network • Jodi Fischer, Native CDFI Network • Jessica Kaczmarek, The James Irvine Foundation Resources and Links Native CDFI Network https://nativecdfi.net RISE Initiative (Native CDFI Network) https://nativecdfi.net/rise California Coalition for Community Investment https://www.calcii.org Five Rivers Loan Fund https://www.fiveriversloanfund.org The James Irvine Foundation https://www.irvine.org Tribal Business News https://tribalbusinessnews.com Difference Makers explores 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 News as they spotlight the people, partnerships, and ideas driving economic change in Native communities.
May 21

The Treasurer Visits Blackfeet

U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach recently traveled to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Browning, Montana, for his first trip to Montana since taking office — part of a broader swing through Indian Country that also included visits to the Flathead and Coeur d’Alene reservations. In Episode 6 of Difference Makers 3.0, Brian Edwards and Native CDFI Network CEO Pete Upton sit down with Beach after a day of touring Native-owned businesses, meeting with tribal leaders and Native lenders, and attending a regional gathering hosted by Native CDFI Network and NACDC Financial Services. The conversation explores infrastructure, banking access, broadband connectivity, private investment, federal contracting and the barriers tribes still face attracting outside capital. Beach also discusses why he believes tribes possess major economic advantages many policymakers still underestimate — including sovereignty, entrepreneurial energy and cultural ties that encourage younger citizens to return home. Along the way, the episode touches on Native CDFIs, financial literacy, diversification beyond gaming and the challenge of building long-term economic growth in rural reservation communities. Show Notes: Native CDFI Network https://nativecdfi.net/ NACDC Financial Services https://nacdcfinancialservices.com/ Tribal Business News https://tribalbusinessnews.com/ U.S. Treasury Office of Tribal and Native Affairs https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/tribal-affairs Difference Makers explores 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 News as they spotlight the people, partnerships, and ideas driving economic change in Native communities.
May 4

The Next Builders

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 changingHow more than 30 emerging Native CDFIs are working toward certificationWhat it takes to build a Native CDFI from the ground upHow tribally affiliated lending models are developing in OklahomaWhy consumer lending matters in communities facing predatory lendingHow Native Hawaiian leaders are rethinking finance as a relationship-based systemThe scale of unmet demand for capital in regions like the NortheastWhat drives the next generation of Native CDFI leadersReading & 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 Makers explores 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 News as they spotlight the people, partnerships, and ideas driving economic change in Native communities.
Mar 26

The Flour Mill

Large-scale economic development deals in Indian Country are typically financed through complex capital stacks — combining banks, tax credits and outside investors — with Native CDFIs often left out. That may be starting to change. In Episode 4 of Difference Makers 3.0, Brian Edwards and Pete Upton speak with Ted Piccolo and Stephen Nunes of Mission Driven Finance about a $65 million flour mill project on the Umatilla Indian Reservation — and how Native CDFIs helped finance a critical piece of the deal. The Blue Mountain Mill project brought together tribal equity, senior debt from Native American Bank and a $9 million subordinated loan from eight Native CDFIs across the country. In this conversation, Piccolo and Nunes explain how that financing came together, why Native lenders were brought in early, and how a collaborative structure — what Piccolo calls a “capital weave” — could shape future Native-led projects. In this episode: • How eight Native CDFIs came together to finance a $9M gap in the capital stack • Why Native lenders have historically been left out of larger deals • How the “missing middle” can stall projects — and how it was filled • What a “capital weave” is — and how it works in practice • How participation builds capacity for Native CDFIs to take on larger deals • Why this model could extend to energy, infrastructure and other sectors Reading & Resources: 🔗 Mission Driven Finance https://missiondrivenfinance.com 🔗 Native CDFI Network https://nativecdfi.net 🔗 Tribal Business News coverage of the Blue Mountain Mill https://tribalbusinessnews.com Difference Makers explores 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 News as they spotlight the people, partnerships, and ideas driving economic change in Native communities.

See All (32)

5

out of 5

3 Ratings

Difference Makers is a podcast series from the Native CDFI Network and Tribal Business News that explores how Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) are reshaping the future of tribal economies — one loan, one partnership, one bold idea at a time.

Creator

Hosts: Pete Upton, Brian Edwards, Elyse Wild | Producers: Native CDFI Network, Tribal Business News
Years Active

2024 - 2026
Episodes

32
Rating

Clean
Show Website

Difference Makers

Difference Makers

Q3 Update: The Work Continues

Muscle Memory

Beyond the Grants

Mid-Year Update

Why Only Three?

The Treasurer Visits Blackfeet

The Next Builders

The Flour Mill

Trailers