Native American Heritage Month
Led audio selection and copy execution to highlight Native American-owned small businesses.
Last updated
Led audio selection and copy execution to highlight Native American-owned small businesses.
Last updated
GoDaddy wanted to bring awareness and attention to minority small business owners for Native American Heritage Month.
I collaborated with my partner Art Director and Creative Director for organic social activation to:
Conceptualize and pitch executions to key internal stakeholders
Apply guidance and feedback from GoDaddy's Native American employee resource group
Research census data about Native American-owned small businesses
Review audio assets to pull quotes from approved Native American customers
Aligned copy with GoDaddy's mission to make opportunity more inclusive for all
Native American-owned businesses contribute over $33 billion to the U.S. economy and employ over 200,000 people.
While $33 billion is big on its own, it’s a small percentage of the total US economy. Indigenous entrepreneurs deserve economic empowerment. That’s why for Native American Heritage Month, we’re highlighting both opportunities and challenges to inspire more support for Native-owned businesses. Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 2021
"Identity, culture, and authenticity... Whether they're a Michif, Dene or Lakota - it's a message that's sort of woven within their website, within social media."
Destiny Seymour is an Anishinaabe interior designer. When starting , she first took a step back to look at how she was representing the people from her region. Destiny’s choice to honor her tribe and stay true to her Native American heritage is a lesson any entrepreneur can learn from.
On average, Native American-owned companies have fewer than 10 employees.
Many Native-owned businesses in rural regions employ fewer people than those in urban areas. As support for Indigenous entrepreneurs grows, their ability to make a way for themselves and others will too. Creating more opportunity for one means creating more opportunity for all.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2021
"It goes back to the years when Native Americans were bartering and trading with one another... So they have always had an entrepreneurial spirit."
ONABEN is a non-profit that empowers Indianpreneurship, founded by four Oregon tribes to encourage economic development on their reservations. While the entrepreneurial spirit has always been present in Indigenous community, it hasn’t always been about scale or growth. It’s about sustainability.
"A purpose driven business is like being a good relative. It's knowing what your community needs, where need help, and you're there to provide that."
Cherilyn Yazzie founded Coffee Pot Farms on the belief that food is the first medicine and step in creating healthy communities. By recognizing the opportunity to serve her Navajo people like family, Cherilyn’s success is a lesson in how to be a purpose driven business.