A $10,000 grant will be provided to each selected Fellow. Please note that all innovators own and retain the rights to their own work, technology, data, and intellectual property—the Indigenous Communities Fellowship serves to provide Native innovators with the support and resources they need to advance their work.

For generations, Indigenous leaders have put community first, innovating for social benefit and mutual gain to create a world that is prosperous for all beings. From the blooming fields of the Southwest to the libraries of Iolani Palace to the solar farms of the Dakotas, Indigenous leaders across the country continue to harness a blend of cutting edge technology and ancestral knowledge to provide their people with the best life possible. 

The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare institutionalized inequalities ranging from public health systems to education and infrastructure, and slowed efforts towards nation self-determination. Faced with another pandemic, Native communities independently mobilized to ensure that the most vulnerable have access to household necessities; enacted travel limitations based on tribal sovereignty; and maintained language and cultural revitalization efforts. Similarly, while Native businesses have seen broad declines in revenue, layoffs are lower than non-Native businesses due to community ties and values. 

As we begin to contain and then recover from the pandemic, it is more essential than ever to support the countless Indigenous innovators who are supporting their communities across the country, harnessing their culture and technology to forge a resilient and prosperous path forward. 

Solve’s Indigenous Communities Fellowship seeks solutions by Native innovators across the US that consider both technology and traditional knowledge to support and scale positive impact. For 2021, Solve welcomes Native-led solutions that:

• Increase access to community wealth, including through access to new economic sectors and diverse forms of capital. 

• Support culturally-grounded K-16 education, including language, cultural revitalization, and non-traditional learners 

• Provide greater access to healthy and sovereign food, sustainable energy, and safe water. 

• Improve healthcare access and outcomes, including around telehealth, health systems infrastructure, and availability of traditional and Western medicines 

Solve's 2021 Indigenous Communities Fellowship is made possible in part by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.