Economic and spiritual empowerment through tech careers, entrepreneurship, STEM education, mentorship, community and belonging.
Team Leader
Danielle Forward
Economic empowerment through tech careers, entrepreneurship, and AI education
Solution Pitch
The Problem
The problems Natives Rising is solving for the 9.7 million Native Americans in the US are complex, interconnected and multi-dimensional: financial hardship, poor access to STEM education, gender inequity in tech careers, and lack of self-confidence. Financial hardship is often a prerequisite to solve many other issues, so that remains a core focus.
The Solution
Natives Rising is a nonprofit organization that economically empowers Indigenous communities through tech careers and entrepreneurship. It offers an ecosystem of programs: the largest online community for Indigenous professionals in tech to network and find guidance, a fellowship for Native women college students studying technical majors, a STEM summer camp for Native high school seniors, and launching in 2024, a Founders Circle program for Native Founders to help them develop and launch their companies.
Within all of these programs, Native’s Rising provides mentorship, community, inspiring role models, and special coaching techniques that leverage the power of neuroplasticity to change self-limiting beliefs and reignite inner confidence and pride.
For its Women's Fellowship, Native’s Rising has monthly 1:1 coaching sessions with all of the fellows to further enhance their potential and give them necessary guidance for their career development. Natives Rising also provides scholarships so its fellows can finish their Bachelor's Degrees in tech.
Stats
10 women currently the solution’s fellowship program
10 Native entrepreneurs in the Natives Rising Founders Circle
50 participants in the Natives Rising STEM camp
Roughly 200 members in Slack/Linkedin community
Market Opportunity
9.7 million Native Americans, with a specific focus on Native American women between the ages of 15-25 years old.
Organization Highlights
For the STEM camps, Natives rising partners with local tech companies for programming and facilities. Most recently, this included Microsoft, Google, and George Washington University. For its Founders Program, Natives Rising partnered with Tiger Global.
Partnership Goals
Natives Rising seeks:
Grant funding opportunities and connections to grant writers.
Assistance in bringing programs to more college campuses for the Native community.
Support with pitch materials for its current fundraise and connections to donors.
What is the name of your organization?
Natives Rising
What is the name of your solution?
Natives Rising
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Economic empowerment through tech careers, entrepreneurship, and AI education
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
San Francisco, CA
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
United States
What type of organization is your solution team?
Nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
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What specific problem are you solving?
The 9.7 million Native Americans in the United States face interconnected structural barriers including financial hardship and limited access to tech skills. As AI rapidly reshapes the workforce, Indigenous communities risk being excluded from both job pathways and AI ownership opportunities. Without intervention, AI-driven economic shifts may widen existing inequities.
What is your solution?
Natives Rising economically empowers Indigenous communities through tech careers, AI education, and entrepreneurship. Our ecosystem includes the Native Women in Tech Fellowship, Indigenous AI and no-code AI training, industry recruiting partnerships with major technology companies, and the Founders Circle for Native entrepreneurs.
In 2026, we are expanding our AI training model to equip participants to build real-world apps, workflows, and AI agents for businesses using no-code tools. Natives Rising contracts trained participants to deliver AI solutions to companies, generating earned revenue while providing paid, hands-on experience and practical workforce readiness.
Across all programming, we provide culturally grounded mentorship, 1:1 coaching, and leadership development that builds confidence, technical capability, and long-term economic mobility in the AI-driven economy.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Natives Rising serves Indigenous students, early-career professionals, and Native founders who face systemic barriers to participating in the technology and AI economy. We support Native women in technical majors, Indigenous professionals seeking advancement in tech, and Native entrepreneurs building high-growth companies.
Across these populations, we address common challenges including limited access to industry networks, financial hardship, underrepresentation in tech, and lack of exposure to high-growth digital skills. Through AI education, no-code workforce training, direct hiring partnerships, founder mentorship, scholarships, and culturally grounded 1:1 coaching, we equip participants with the skills, networks, and confidence to access high-paying tech careers or launch scalable ventures.
As participants secure internships, jobs, and venture funding — or generate income building AI solutions for businesses — they gain not only financial security, but long-term economic mobility and leadership representation within the AI economy.
