Béeso Marketplace

nDigitize

Béeso Marketplace

A mobile marketplace and certification platform enabling Indigenous artisans to sell and protect their work without banks or broadband.

Albuquerque, NM, USA

USA

For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models

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Indigenous entrepreneurs and artisans are excluded from digital commerce due to limited broadband, lack of banking access, and weak enforcement of protections for cultural intellectual property. Many rely on platforms like Facebook, Etsy, or Shopify, which expose them to scammers and do not offer culturally grounded safeguards. There are over 500,000 Native-owned businesses in the U.S. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2022), but many operate informally due to infrastructure and capital barriers. On the Navajo Nation, 32% of homes lack broadband, and 20% of residents are unbanked—making most digital tools inaccessible. Globally, Indigenous communities face similar challenges where colonial legacies have disrupted economic autonomy. Additionally, the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, intended to protect Native-made goods, is rarely enforced. This allows counterfeit products to enter the market, harming both the economy and cultural integrity of Indigenous Peoples. Béeso will provide a culturally grounded digital and SMS-based platform for payments, marketplace listings, and certificates of authenticity. By prioritizing access, cultural protection, and trust, Béeso reconnects excluded communities with the digital economy while ensuring data and value remain in Indigenous hands.

Béeso is a proposed culturally grounded digital payment and mobile marketplace platform designed by a Native-owned digital agency to empower Indigenous entrepreneurs and artisans. Once developed, the platform will enable users to securely list, certify, and sell authentic Indigenous-made goods, using blockchain-backed certificates of authenticity to combat fraud and misrepresentation. Béeso also envisions supporting a localized circular economy by partnering with trusted local establishments—such as trading posts, gas stations, and chapter houses—to serve as cash-in/cash-out hubs. This will help users manage funds without relying on traditional banking infrastructure. We aim aim to include SMS-based tools to accommodate communities with limited or no broadband access. The platform’s projected revenue model includes small transaction fees, certificate generation fees, optional storefront subscriptions with advanced analytics, and strategic licensing to tribes, nonprofits, or Native artist collectives. By offering digital tools rooted in Indigenous values and sovereignty, Béeso seeks to strengthen Native economies, protect cultural integrity, and create pathways for equitable participation in digital commerce.

Béeso will be designed to serve Indigenous entrepreneurs and artisans—particularly those living in rural, reservation, or low-broadband areas—who are often excluded from digital and financial systems. Many operate in cash-based, informal economies without access to secure online marketplaces, business tools, or reliable banking. They face cultural exploitation, digital invisibility, and limited opportunities to grow or protect their creative work. This solution will directly impact their lives by providing accessible digital storefronts, tools to certify authentic Indigenous-made goods, and culturally relevant pathways to participate in e-commerce. By incorporating blockchain-backed certificates, Béeso helps protect their cultural and creative IP, and by partnering with local establishments for cash-in/cash-out services, it provides flexibility to users without bank accounts. For Indigenous sellers, Béeso will offer income-generation opportunities, visibility, and a sense of sovereignty over how their work is shared and valued. For buyers, it builds trust in authenticity and strengthens direct-to-artist commerce. In the long term, Béeso aims to support a self-sustaining ecosystem of Native-led commerce, reduce dependency on exploitative platforms, and uplift historically marginalized entrepreneurs.