We are an Indigenous-led firm that purposefully works to change power dynamics in health and wealth systems to build a world that our children and grandchildren will thrive in.
Our Fall 2024 Newsletter is out now!
Learn about our company culture!
Our Values
CO-CREATION
There is real power in the weaving of minds. When we create together we hold space for sharing, teaching, and love. Our strength builds by recognizing that we can share power, while respecting the voice and lived experience of each person. In doing so, the ingenuity of community and our gifts are amplified to create a better future for generations to come.
COURAGE
Courage is to lead and believe in our power. We bravely venture into spaces that challenge our ways of knowing and being. As we move through complex environments, we intentionally forge a pathway to guide our work for others.
CURIOSITY
Learning is sparked by curiosity. We lean into curiosity to shift mindsets to address complex problems and imagine new possibilities. Curiosity is how we hold space for growth. When others may see failure, we see opportunity.
HEALING
In order to be our full selves, we prioritize the care of our mind, body and spirit by creating spaces for healing in our day to day work. We create the conditions for brave and respectful conversations to explore the complexity of our world, and find a new way to move through it together.
HUMOR
Humor is invited into all our conversations. It is our medicine for the mind, body and spirit that softens the hard edges, and allows us to connect with one another. Humor is an energy that rebalances our spirit to help us move through challenging moments in our lives.
TRUTH
We speak truth to power. It is important to tell our stories based on our lived experiences. We are actively unlearning settler colonial history in order to relearn, reclaim, and revive our Indigenous communities.
We are unapologetically building a world where Indigenous ways of knowing and being are at the center of everything we do. We bring our lived experience of work and life to reimagine and design meaningful systems. We accomplish this by using our Indigenous worldview to co-create solutions to complex problems.
WHAT WE DO
Incubation & Development
Research and Evaluation
Ecosystems Development
Project Design & Development
Advisory & Strategy
Project Planning & Implementation
Meet the Team
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Melissa Begay
Rematriating Economies Apprenticeship (REA) PROGRAM MANAGER
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Mereya Blanco
Center Native COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR
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Melissa Colbert-Taylor
OPERATIONS MANAGER
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Justine Correa
FUND BUILDING SPECIALIST
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Elyse V. Dempsey
SENIOR CAPITAL STRATEGIES ASSOCIATE
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Shawna Douma
SENIOR RESEARCH AND EVALUATION ASSOCIATE
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Chelsea Griffin
DIRECTOR OF PEOPLE AND STRATEGY
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Casey Long
SENIOR RESEARCH AND EVALUATION MANAGER
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Mateo Perez
DESIGN AND MARKETING MANAGER
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Olivia Roanhorse, MPH
COO / PORTFOLIO LEAD
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Vanessa Roanhorse
CEO / PORTFOLIO LEAD
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Stacey Wells
CALENDAR SPECIALIST
Projects & Highlights
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A funder landscape with learning sessions on the challenges Native Entrepreneurs experience accessing capital. Learn about Asset Funders Network
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The Micro Loan Program is a relationship-based loan program designed to increase access to capital in underserved communities by not using the 5’Cs of credit across the southwest region. Learn more about Nusenda Credit Union.
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Partner with EHF to co-create an equitable evaluation model for their Equity Healing Framework and partnership with grantees. Learn more about Empire Health Foundation.
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A collective group of Indigenous public and private organizations/people creating a network that centers Indigenous knowledge and values in evaluation approaches for New Mexico. Partners include; NB3 Foundation, UNM College of Population Health Center for Participatory Research, Presbyterian Healthcare Services, National Indian Education Association, and RCLLC.
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Partner with NM and national funders in the implementation of the Native American Recovery Fund Zone Grant, a Native-led participatory fund to center and grow Native-led organizations and leaders. Learn more about New Mexico Foundation.
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Is an effort that began in 2020, when Pivotal Ventures engaged 10 women of color to identify the needs beyond the quantitative data approach, but instead through lived experience. “Pivotal’s Women of Color Design Council is built to leverage the wisdom, experience and collaborative capacity of women and girls of color — not as subjects of philanthropic work or recipients of charitable giving, but as leaders who know how to explore, test and implement much-needed solutions.“ Ada Prince Williams, Pivotal Ventures Director of Program Strategy and Investment. Learn more about Pivotal Ventures.
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Is a five-year award from the Equality Can’t Wait Challenge to support 3,000 Indigenous women entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses. RCLLC is one of the partners, including Native Women Lead and New Mexico Community Capital. We oversee the capital strategies work, inclusive of the Rematriating Economies Apprenticeship (REA) and the Matriarch Funds.
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The Rooted Relative Fund is a 5-year pilot, launching 2024, with the goal to be a long-term and sustainable fund, focused on providing equitable alternative lending capital that works with Indigenous-led community partners to self-determine how they need to fund entrepreneurs in their communities. RCLLC is a partner.
A platform to strengthen our ecosystem of Indigenous-led organizations and leaders in New Mexico and on the Navajo Nation.
REA is the ONLY apprenticeship program designed for Indigenous women by Indigenous women.