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Clients Speak Out: No Cuts to Native Prosperity!
The Urgent Call to Protect Small Business Support As Portland's small business community faces a critical moment, entrepreneurs across the city are raising their voices to protect vital resources that have been a lifeline for many. The proposed elimination of $13.1 million in general fund dollars from Prosper Portland threatens to dismantle years of intentional work building equitable economic development systems – particularly the highly effective Inclusive Business Resource Network (IBRN).
Why Small Businesses Need Prosper Portland Funding The IBRN program has been crucial for countless Portland entrepreneurs. Through comprehensive business mentorship, targeted small business resources, essential legal and professional referrals, and access to much-needed grants, this program provides the foundation many underrepresented business owners need to survive and thrive in today's challenging economic landscape. Without this vital support system, many of Portland's most vulnerable small businesses would face insurmountable barriers to success. This support is crucial for business owners of color, immigrants, women, and other underrepresented entrepreneurs. Removing this safety net would leave vulnerable communities at risk at a time when small businesses are already navigating immense challenges, especially in the wake of the pandemic. The IBRN has made a measurable impact in our community, connecting entrepreneurs with programs that truly understand their struggles and prioritize their long-term success. Stories from Portland's Small Business Owners Behind the numbers and policy debates are real people whose livelihoods depend on these programs.
Here are just a few of their stories: From Homelessness to Business Owner "NAYA helped me restore my pride. I was homeless and out of a job in the winter months sleeping in my car. Then I joined NAYA programs. I honestly can say without this program I don't know where I would be. With the training programs and financial support NAYA provided, that gave me an opportunity to better myself. I went from homelessness to having my own place. I went from not having a job to owning a business." — Monty Vann, Executive Manager, Rokee Security The First Black-Owned Mobile Beauty Supply "...being a part of IBRN with NAYA has been a true game-changer. The program has provided me with consistent guidance, encouragement, and access to resources, especially funding, that I would not have had otherwise... This kind of support isn't just helpful—it's necessary for Black-owned businesses like mine to thrive, especially in industries and systems where we are often overlooked and underfunded." — Nicole Mason, Owner, Elegant Boutique Beauty Supply A 24-Year Family Business Stays Afloat "The inclusive business resource network is so important to small businesses like ours. We are Caribbean Spice; a specialty grocery store located on the corner of 42nd and Prescott and family-owned and operated over the last 24 years. We are so grateful to IBRN for one-on-one business advice and consistent notifications about happenings and opportunities around the city as owning a business can be an isolated experience." — Aruna, Fitzroy, Christopher, and Catherine Anderson, Caribbean Spice Building Resilience Through Crisis "As a small business, we have faced numerous challenges, particularly during some of the most difficult times in recent years. From the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to a devastating kitchen fire, repeated break-ins, vandalism with graffiti on our building, and yet another recent fire incident, NAYA has remained a constant and reliable partner. They've helped us navigate each of these crises, whether through technical assistance, emotional support, or helping us identify and secure the financial resources necessary for recovery." — Ae Sangasy, Owner, Khao Niew Lao Street Food Community Transformation "I've watched the neighborhood blossom. From new exterior painting, and fresh fauna adoring the reclaimed doorways that have now become alive again with fresh thoughts, skill, desire and love. From a diving neighborhood moving into the direction of the dark; to a thriving community literally shining with new lighting... I'm Jerald Todd McDade, and I own The Moving Guy, built by the IBRN program and NAYA. Ending these programs will put this neighborhood and many more like it back into the dark." — Jerald Todd McDade, Executive Director, The Moving Guy PDX Stand with Portland’s Small Business Community The stories shared here represent just a fraction of the lives transformed through Prosper Portland’s programs. Behind each small business, there is a person, there is a dream and a community that also benefits from the success of each of these entrepreneurs. As budget decisions loom, the future of these programs and of the businesses that rely on them hang in the balance.
The time to act is now. Click here to learn how you can support Prosper Portland and NAYA! Your voice matters! Raise it in support of community businesses TODAY.
“This is an incredible and significant opportunity for NAYA and the Native community,” said NAYA’s CEO Oscar Arana (Chichimeca). “This will positively change the future of our work and organization. We believe this moment can help define what meaningful land return looks like in an urban city, not just acknowledgment, but action that creates long-term stability, healing, and opportunity.”
The NAYA Board of Directors unanimously authorized moving forward with accepting the property, signaling strong alignment around a development vision centered on permanence, dignity, and intergenerational care. Early plans include the creation of permanently affordable housing, with a focus on Elder housing, potentially in the form of condominium-style homes that remain accessible across generations.
The Oregon Synod’s decision emerges from years of discernment, theological reflection, and engagement with Indigenous leaders. The church’s history, like many institutions in the United States, is intertwined with displacement, colonization, and systemic inequities, including settlement patterns shaped by land dispossession and racial exclusion.
“This project expands the definition of Land Back,” the NAYA CEO added. “It recognizes that Native communities are not only on tribal reservations, but also in cities, and that land return in urban contexts can directly address urgent needs like affordable housing.”
NAYA’s initial vision for the site is intentionally ambitious. Beyond creating permanently affordable, culturally grounded community space, the project represents another major step in the growing Indigenous Cultural Corridor emerging along Northeast 42nd Avenue in Portland’s Cully neighborhood. Led by Native community advocates and organizations including NAYA, the corridor envisions a connected network of Native housing, public art, cultural spaces, and BIPOC-owned businesses that honor the region’s original inhabitants while creating long-term community stability. Developments like the nearby Mamook Tokatee apartments and this land return initiative demonstrate how land justice, affordable housing, Native art, and cultural visibility can work together as part of a broader community development strategy. This project could serve as a framework for faith-based institutions, municipalities, and community organizations exploring land return and Indigenous cultural investment as pathways toward justice.
Further details, including development plans and opportunities for community engagement, will be announced in the coming months.
Check out the article from OPB covering this historic event!
From Sacred Land to Future Housing
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