When the producers of Rez Ball, a film about basketball on the Navajo Nation produced by LeBron James and released on Netflix, came looking for someone to design the uniforms, they found Denetso. What began as a commission for one team’s uniforms expanded quickly, with Denetso ending up designing uniforms and assorted items for both teams.  

The production company gave Denetso full creative freedom to design as he saw fit, which made the work meaningful on his own terms. The shop’s name carries deep personal significance as it honors his grandmother, with the premiere being shadowed by the memory of his mother who had passed away the year before. 

The film brought newfound visibility, but visibility alone does not build a business on the reservation – not when access to capital, reliable infrastructure and markets beyond the community remain persistent obstacles for Native entrepreneurs. 

Historically Absent Capital 

For Native entrepreneurs like Denetso, one of the most persistent challenges is not ambition or talent. It is access to capital. Navajo Nation has long faced shortages of business and mortgage lending. Conventional underwriting models were not built with reservation lands in mind, where land ownership structures create barriers that no amount of creditworthiness can overcome. Borrowers get labeled high-risk not because of their business model, but because of where they live. 

That structural gap is exactly what Change Labs, a NCRC Field Empowerment Fund (FEF) grantee, works to address. Headquartered in Tuba City, AZ and Shiprock, NM, Change Labs is a Native-led community development organization whose lending programs provide relationship-based capital, financial education and business coaching to Native entrepreneurs. High credit scores and ample collateral are not required. Trust is at the core of their underwriting model. 

Since launching their Kinship Lending program in 2020, Change Labs has deployed over $441,000 across 76 businesses. With FEF’s support, the organization has scaled from roughly 20 loans per year to 20 loans per month. This transformation in both their volume and systems capacity that has positioned Change Labs to steward millions in public capital through New Mexico’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) allocation. 

The impact is visible in the lives of the community members they serve. Cheryln Yazzie, a farmer and Kinship Lending borrower, used her loan to construct caterpillar tunnels that extended her growing season and stabilized her community supported agriculture (CSA) operation. She repaid the loan within a year and she now serves on the Navajo Nation Council. Capital deployed with cultural competence and trust does not just grow businesses, but it supports entire communities. 

Building on the Reservation 

Back in Shiprock, Roddell Denetso keeps building. Things have been bumpy, as he put it. Limited capital, inconsistent revenue, a home-based operation with limited room to scale and the geographic isolation of a rural community are not small obstacles. That is the honest reality of entrepreneurship in a community that has not always had the infrastructure, capital or institutional support that businesses in other markets take for granted. But, he is making it happen and thinking bigger when it comes to expanding his business operations and job opportunities to make a larger community impact. 

His message to young people on the reservation is simple: Do not let bureaucratic red tape and negative stereotypes stop you from pursuing what you want to build. 

That message reflects something Change Labs has built its entire model around: the idea that Native entrepreneurs are not high-risk. They are under-resourced. The difference matters. High-risk suggests the problem is with the person. Under-resourced identifies that it’s the system that needs to change. 

NCRC’s Field Empowerment Fund exists to support organizations doing exactly this work. Organizations like Change Labs are not waiting for traditional financial systems to catch up but are building the infrastructure that communities on the Navajo Nation have always deserved. Roddell Denetso’s story is one thread in that larger fabric. Black Streak Apparel did not end up on a Netflix screen by accident. It got there because someone believed the work was worth doing, kept doing it and found partners willing to invest in the vision. 

Doug Mollett is the Economic Mobility Program Manager with NCRC’s Economic Mobility team. 

Photo courtesy of Black Streak Apparel.

“SNAP E&T is not an easy program to understand and differs in many ways from other federal workforce programs, creating a steep learning curve for workforce training providers who might otherwise be a good fit for the program,” said Doug Mollett, NCRC’s economic mobility manager. “This new toolkit builds on the work of the US Department of Agriculture and NCRC’s other national partners to provide a one-stop shop for organizations that want to better understand SNAP E&T and prepare an application to become a third-party partner.” 

The toolkit provides an overview of SNAP E&T and how the program operates before diving into the steps and requirements for getting involved. It also includes a step-by-step, fillable workbook with guided exercises and tools that organizations can use to record important information in one place. By the end of this toolkit, organizations will be well-positioned to get in touch with state SNAP representatives and complete a third-party provider application, bringing them one step closer to earning additional support for providing important workforce training services.

To find the toolkit, visit ncrc.org/snap.

Skills-based training programs are often found for high-demand industries, such as healthcare, construction, IT, advanced manufacturing and other trades and are critical to filling labor supply gaps in regional economies. However, self-employment and entrepreneurship training are often overlooked in workforce development systems despite their crucial role in driving economic mobility and financial security in the modern economy. 

Small businesses are the cornerstone of America. Mom and pop stores across the country are not only beloved by their communities, but are also key contributors to economic growth and innovation by providing vital goods and services and creating quality jobs. However, the barriers to entry for first-time entrepreneurs prevents many from starting a business. This is especially true for women, immigrants, people of color and people with disabilities. 

Self-employment and entrepreneurship training programs help to dismantle the barriers to starting businesses by equipping people with the knowledge and abilities required to explore various entrepreneurial opportunities, create sustainable value propositions and deal with the risks of running a business. They also provide valuable guidance on how to conduct market analysis, manage finances, design marketing plans and how to comply with legal requirements, which are some of the key factors for becoming a successful entrepreneur. 

Self-employment and entrepreneurship training help drive small business creation and ownership at a time when local economic self-reliance is more important than ever. In the current economic climate, corporate profits, price discrimination and the rise in the economic might of large corporations are further compounding the growing affordability crisis sweeping across America. After an initial recovery period following the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy has become increasingly divided so much that most workers struggle to make ends meet while the wealthy have never done better. This “K-shaped recovery” has sunken most of the country into a financially uncertain future. 

In the past year alone, sweeping tariffs, changes to Medicaid and SNAP and unprecedented revocations of federal grants to community organizations have all made essential goods and services less affordable at the same time that job growth and wage increases have slowed. As the cost of living continues to increase for working families, paychecks have failed to keep up, making it more difficult for many Americans to get by.

At this moment, the need for small and local businesses is critical, not just for entrepreneurs but also for their communities. Thriving small businesses promote resilience in local economies and can help to reduce inequality in the areas they serve. Self-employment and entrepreneurship training programs can be pathways to small businesses and microenterprise ownership. 

Furthermore, they also increase the diversity of the local workforce by offering pathways to careers for people who may otherwise be overlooked by traditional career pathways, such as returning citizens, non-primary English speakers, single parents, disabled people, rural residents and tribal community members. 

NCRC is helping to support the expansion of workforce training services under the SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) program, which will include self-employment and entrepreneurship training offerings. This will allow organizations that offer self-employment training services to low-income populations to receive federal reimbursement dollars, helping to increase provider capacity and maintain sustainable funding. 

NCRC is designing a pilot program with Arizona’s Department of Economic Security to align the state’s SNAP E&T framework for defining self-employment training with the programs several organizations already offer. Based on the results of the pilot, NCRC hopes to expand the model into other states to increase the number of states who are supporting self-employment and entrepreneurship training programs. 

Expanding self-employment and entrepreneurship training within workforce systems is not just a programmatic adjustment; it is a strategic investment in shared prosperity. When public systems recognize business ownership as a legitimate pathway to economic mobility, they unlock opportunity for individuals who have long been excluded from traditional labor markets. 

By aligning federal resources, state agencies and community-based providers around this vision, we can strengthen local economies, promote wealth-building in underserved communities and ensure that economic mobility is not limited to those who fit a narrow definition of employability. Supporting entrepreneurship through SNAP E&T and similar frameworks is a practical, scalable step toward building a more inclusive economy.

Doug Mollett is the Economic Mobility Manager with NCRC’s Economic Mobility team.

Simon Wang is the Economic Mobility Specialist with NCRC’s Economic Mobility team.

Photo courtesy of NCRC member Groundswell Capital.

This combination of stability and scale allows them to deploy workforce investments strategically, creating tangible pathways for low- and moderate-income (LMI) residents to access well-paying jobs, vocational training and entrepreneurial opportunities. Across the US, multiple anchor institutions have launched programs that combine workforce training, community engagement and economic development.  

Their efforts show that when anchors intentionally design workforce investments, the impact can ripple far beyond individual hires. This strengthens the local economy and builds long-term mobility. 

Brown University: Anchoring Career Pathways in Rhode Island 

In 2026, Brown University committed $50 million over ten years to workforce development in Rhode Island, exemplifying how universities can act as engines for community economic mobility at a local level. As part of this initiative, Brown awarded two anchor grants totaling $3 million. The first grant supports the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) in launching a certificate program for early childhood education by offering scholarships and wraparound services for low-income, first-generation and multilingual students. These supports include mentoring, tutoring, transportation assistance and flexible class scheduling. The services are designed to ensure that participants not only complete their training but successfully enter the workforce. 

The second grant went to Building Futures, a nonprofit scaling registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs across high-demand sectors, including the healthcare, IT, construction and manufacturing industries. With incentives for employers and targeted support for populations like returning citizens, Building Futures aims to place more than 250 participants into career pathways over the next three years. 

Brown’s model illustrates how anchor grants can serve dual purposes: building workforce pipelines in critical industries while embedding equity into program design. By aligning financial support, training and employer engagement outcomes, universities can translate their economic clout into lasting mobility opportunities in their local communities. 

Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals: Health Systems Driving Local Employment 

Hospitals are another powerful type of anchor institution. In Cleveland, both the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals have leveraged their size and stability to implement workforce development initiatives with a strong local focus. These programs target LMI populations through career ladder initiatives, certified training programs and pre-apprenticeship opportunities in healthcare and allied industries. 

Beyond direct training and hiring, these hospitals incorporate workforce development into broader economic strategies, such as supplier diversity and procurement from minority-owned businesses. This integrated approach ensures that workforce gains are reinforced by opportunities in local business development, creating multiple pathways for residents to build income and assets. These hospitals demonstrate that anchor institutions can align internal employment, supplier strategies and community partnerships to create comprehensive, scalable economic mobility frameworks. 

West Side United: Collaboration Across Anchors 

Some communities are taking the anchor institution approach even further by creating multi-institution collaboratives. In Chicago, West Side United partners with several hospitals and partner organizations to implement coordinated workforce development programs in historically disinvested neighborhoods. The collaborative works with local residents to provide training, apprenticeships and placement into healthcare and related sectors, with a focus on measurable outcomes and equitable access. 

West Side United illustrates the potential of collaboration among anchors when they pool their resources, share best practices and align their workforce investments for scale and impact.  

Lessons for Economic Mobility 

Anchor institution workforce initiatives across sectors and regions demonstrate how place-based investment can translate institutional presence into measurable community outcomes. These examples highlight several key principles for effective anchor-driven workforce development: 

1. Intentionality matters. Programs that explicitly target LMI populations and embed equity considerations achieve more impactful results than those designed solely to fill workforce gaps. 
2. Wraparound supports improve outcomes. Mentoring, transportation assistance, flexible schedules and targeted financial support help participants complete training and secure employment. 
3. Integration amplifies impact. Linking workforce programs to procurement, small business development and sector partnerships multiplies benefits across communities. 
4. Collaboration enhances scale. Multi-anchor efforts demonstrate that coordinated approaches reach more residents, diversify opportunities and create replicable models for other regions. 

By investing strategically in workforce development, anchor institutions are creating pathways that connect training, employment and economic opportunities for those who need it the most. These programs show that meaningful economic mobility is built not through isolated efforts, but through coordinated action, intentional design and long-term commitment to the communities that anchor institutions call home. 

 Doug Mollett is the Economic Mobility Manager for NCRC’s Economic Mobility team.

Photo credit: Jay Brand via Pexels.

“A common challenge for organizations participating in SNAP’s E&T program is securing non-federal funds to operate their program before receiving their 50% reimbursement from the federal government,” said Doug Mollett, NCRC’s economic mobility manager. “This new opportunity will focus on addressing this issue with an expanded geographic scope, including Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, as well as a revised curriculum equipping workforce-focused organizations with a foundational knowledge about community development and the financial sector as well as skills for building relationships and communicating with community developers and financial institutions.”

Sessions will include training presentations and individualized technical assistance on the fundamentals of community and economic development, such as the Community Reinvestment Act and Community Benefits Agreements. NCRC’s Economic Mobility team will also be making in-person visits during the spring to provide interactive sessions with participating organizations.

For any organizations interested in participating or learning more about NCRC’s SNAP E&T work, please read more here or contact a member of NCRC’s Economic Mobility team:

Doug Mollett
Economic Mobility Manager
dmollett@ncrc.org

Simon Wang
Economic Mobility Project Specialist
swang@ncrc.org 

A single lapse in federal funding brought SNAP to the brink of severe payment delays, reduced benefits and a widespread administrative breakdown. It is a clear reminder that families, local economies and community organizations often shoulder the consequences when public systems are not designed to withstand political or fiscal shocks. The multiple vulnerabilities of SNAP that were unearthed during the shutdown show how urgently the program needs to be strengthened and reformed.

SNAP is a federal food assistance program that works to combat food insecurity, supports workforce stability and drives local economic activity. SNAP provides food assistance to more than 42 million people every month. It is structured as an entitlement program, meaning certain benefits are guaranteed to members of a specific group (e.g., lower-income individuals). 

Typically, states issue the SNAP benefits themselves and then receive reimbursement from the federal government. This reimbursement structure is designed to shield states (and ultimately households) from disruptions by ensuring they have predictable, reimbursable funding to issue monthly benefits. In theory, it acts as a safeguard: states so families aren’t directly exposed to federal budget delays, with the federal government later settling the balance. When functioning properly, this system creates a buffer that keeps benefits flowing on time, even when federal appropriations stall or political negotiations drag on. 

However, during the shutdown, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) instructed states to pause the issuance of SNAP benefits for the month of November. USDA stated that they weren’t able to use their contingency funds to fill the funding gap either. In response, twenty-five states filed a lawsuit, with a federal judge ordering the Trump administration to resume payments by October 31. Even after this development, USDA announced that it would only be administering partial benefits because of allegedly limited funds, with questions about legal authority delaying the payment timeline even further.

For families navigating high food, housing and transportation costs, even the threat of a temporary pause in SNAP benefits shook household budgets. This shutdown demonstrated that SNAP’s program design does not fully protect beneficiaries from disruptions caused by political gridlock. A program that should operate as an economic stabilizer instead became another point of financial instability and political leverage. 

The shutdown revealed five key weaknesses with the current SNAP program structure:

1. Households can quickly become even more economically vulnerable. The shutdown created a real risk of food insecurity for millions of households. Many families would have been forced to stretch their groceries or redirect limited income away from rent, utilities or transportation. When families cannot rely on SNAP, they turn to food pantries, high-cost credit products or equally struggling loved ones to bridge the financial gap. These adjustments carry long-term financial consequences that remain even after benefits resume.
2. Local economies and small businesses suffer economically. SNAP dollars flow directly into grocery stores, farmers markets and small retailers. Research shows that every SNAP dollar generates economic activity in the local economy. When benefits are delayed, these businesses experience immediate revenue losses. The shutdown highlighted how much a community’s economic activity depends on consistent household food spending via SNAP benefits. Cashiers, stockers, delivery drivers and warehouse workers all feel the effects when the funds from SNAP beneficiaries slow down.
3. Workforce development agencies’ capacity is weakened. When households face food insecurity, daily work attendance drops, job retention weakens and participants struggle to focus on career training opportunities. Workforce development programs are subsequently forced to shift staff from focusing on providing job coaching and placement services to clients to resolving food-related crises, managing referrals and helping participants regain financial stability. Providers also experience higher program attrition rates, longer program timelines and greater wraparound service needs. Instability in SNAP ultimately forces workforce development systems to operate more like crisis-response programs than career advancement partners.
4. Community-based nonprofits can only fill so many gaps. When SNAP wavers, community-based organizations often fill the gaps, but many are already stretched thin. Shutdown-related disruptions forced food pantries, community action agencies and other local partners to prepare for increased demand without additional resources or clarity on the duration of the benefits disruption. For smaller and locally rooted organizations, these sudden surges are especially destabilizing. Their capacity to respond is limited and often depends on short-term fundraising or emergency donations.

Ultimately, the shutdown served as a warning. It exposed not only the immediate disruption to households but also the deeper structural weaknesses described above: SNAP’s current design leaves it vulnerable to political interpretation, lacks sustainable contingency funding, and offers states little federal guidance on how to maintain benefits during funding lapses. A program this essential cannot rely on last-minute legal decisions, temporary workarounds or fragile administrative assumptions. Families, frontline workers and local partners deserve a system that is modernized, resilient and predictable. State governments should be able to continue issuing benefits and sustaining operations even when federal uncertainty rises.

As we move forward, this experience should guide policymakers, advocates and administrators toward long-term reforms and investments that reinforce SNAP’s core purpose: ensuring every household can access consistent, dignified supplemental food assistance support no matter what the political climate may be.

Doug Mollett is the Economic Mobility Manager with NCRC’s Economic Mobility team.

Manan Shah is the Policy Advisor with NCRC’s Policy & Government Affairs team.

Photo credit: Mike Jones via Pexels.

While funding streams and sector strategies matter, we have to stay focused on the real people at the heart of our work. Workforce equity is built on trust, local relationships and meeting people where they are, which can only happen through cultivating meaningful partnerships. 

Effective workforce strategies are not created in isolation. They emerge through collaboration between housing providers, employers, small business leaders, training institutions and the communities themselves. For many NCRC members, workforce development is not a standalone effort, but one piece of a broader ecosystem connected to housing, entrepreneurship, credit access and small business development.  

These connections matter. They strengthen local economies and help close the gaps that often leave workers behind. An example of an organization that has taken this philosophy to heart is NCRC member Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV). WEV has long supported small business development and entrepreneurship in the Santa Barbara, California area, but their work is evolving.  

WEV’s team brought together single parents who have participated in their programs and asked candidly about the barriers they face, including childcare costs and the lack of reliable transportation. WEV then brought those insights directly to the table with local chambers of commerce, prospective employers and workforce development boards. Through these conversations and focus groups with single parents and community partners, WEV recognized that entrepreneurship, while important, is not always the best fit for everyone.  

Instead of drawing rigid lines between the workforce development and entrepreneurship fields, they are creating thoughtful connections across both. Because the program evaluation process was directly informed by participants’ voices, they were able to identify tangible, community-informed solutions. This is a clear reminder that community-based organizations (CBOs) do not just provide services: they shape systems. WEV is now building programming rooted in lived experience, with the result being a more inclusive and responsive approach to economic mobility. 

This kind of leadership is especially critical in cross-sector partnerships. When done well, these partnerships help CBOs, employers, training providers and public agencies get better aligned around shared goals for workforce development opportunities in high-demand industries. They help scale the right kinds of programming, address systemic inequities and connect people to real opportunities. But they only work when all partners, especially those closest to and based in the community, have a seat at the table from the start. 

Too often, CBOs are brought in after the fact. By then, the program design is set and their input becomes an afterthought. CBOs need to be a part of the process from the very beginning, helping to shape outreach strategies, establishing program timelines and deciding what success will actually look like. Strong partnerships value shared goals, complementary strengths and clear accountability measures. 

For CBOs looking to create and maintain strong partnerships, the following steps can be useful: 

• Aligning training with real-time demands. 
• Assigning roles in program design and strategy early in the process. 
• Sharing accountability measures for retention, advancement and long-term outcomes. 
• Providing visibility to funders and sector leaders through community-centered results. 

For employers looking to create and maintain strong partnerships, the following steps would be useful: 

• Building hiring pipelines that reflect the needs of the local community. 
• Improving retention practices and workplace stability challenges by addressing barriers to participation. 
• Supporting broader efforts around equity, inclusion and fostering economic mobility. 
• Creating a culture of continuous learning, feedback and adaptation. 

Setting clear expectations early is an important part of building trust in an intentional way. Memorandums of understanding (MOUs), appropriate planning tools and consistent communication help clarify roles and keep everyone aligned on overall outcomes. But a good process is not enough. Sustainable partnerships also require shared investment. That includes co-applying for grants, combining public and private resources in a way that leverages each partner’s strengths and ensuring that each partner’s capacity and mission complement one another. 

When workforce development initiatives treat CBOs like vendors rather than co-creators, the communities most in need suffer. When workforce programs prioritize job placement over job quality, they push participants into low-wage or unstable positions. When institutions fail to treat small and minority-owned businesses as equal partners, they limit sustainable economic mobility for entire communities. These missteps don’t just hurt programs, but they erode trust across the entire workforce development system. 

That is why minority-business enterprises (MBEs), women-business enterprises (WBEs) and small-business enterprises (SBEs) should be central to any truly effective workforce development strategy. They can act as trusted mentors as they are already deeply rooted in institutions in the communities they serve. Their involvement adds cultural knowledge and real-world insights that improve program outcomes. 

True systems change is about institutions moving in alignment, sharing power and building durable infrastructures together. We create equitable workforce systems by first creating equitable partnerships. 

At NCRC, we are proud to walk with our members as they do this important work. Our belief has remained unchanged: community expertise is not a footnote, but the foundation of what we do.  

This is the moment to invest in that expertise not just with dollars, but through relationships steeped in trust, understanding and shared decision-making power. When we center the people at the core of our partnerships, we can build more equitable systems for all.

Doug Mollett is the Economic Mobility Manager for NCRC’s National Training Academy team.

Photo courtesy of the Women’s Economic Ventures’ team.

“As a national convener of workforce and community development groups, NCRC is partnering closely with state SNAP agencies to design program cohorts that align directly with state priorities, helping providers build programs that expand opportunities for individuals to achieve long-term financial stability,” said Doug Mollett, NCRC economic mobility manager. “We are especially excited to explore opportunities for entrepreneurship as a viable career pathway for interested individuals .” 

NCRC will host two statewide cohorts in Maine and Kentucky, each consisting of 12-15 existing and potential SNAP E&T third-party providers aimed at providing guidance around program development and onboarding. Each five-month cohort will include virtual training sessions and conclude with an in-person workshop. NCRC will work in close partnership with state and local SNAP agencies to design a technical assistance curriculum that reflects each agency’s priorities and that aligns with SNAP E&T’s program goals. 

Monthly sessions will include training presentations, case studies and peer discussions focused on evaluating program alignment with SNAP E&T, assessing organizations’ capacity for successful participation and preparing a third-party provider application. Participants will receive individual technical assistance and complete short assignments with the help of NCRC facilitators modeled after the state’s SNAP E&T provider application process. The in-person convening will serve as a collaborative space to workshop draft program plans and engage directly with SNAP agency staff. Upon completion of the cohort, participating organizations should be well-positioned to submit a provider application to their state’s SNAP E&T agency.

In addition to providing training to traditional workforce development service providers, NCRC is exploring opportunities for states to incorporate self-employment training into their SNAP E&T framework. While entrepreneurship training programs are eligible for SNAP E&T reimbursement, only twenty states currently include this as part of their plan. Recognizing that entrepreneurship is a viable career pathway – especially for specialized populations like returning citizens, single parents and rural residents – NCRC hopes to expand self-employment training program offerings into the SNAP E&T system. This work is currently being launched in Arizona and will be expanded in the future.

For any organizations interested in participating or learning more about NCRC’s SNAP E&T work, please visit our new resource page or contact a member of NCRC’s Economic Mobility team:

Doug Mollett
Economic Mobility Manager
dmollett@ncrc.org

Simon Wang
Economic Mobility Project Specialist
swang@ncrc.org