Participant Spotlight | Indigenous Women in Business Cohort
How Kristine Locklear Urrutia Is Opening Doors for the Next Generation of Indigenous Leaders
For Kristine Locklear Urrutia, leadership is not about being the loudest voice in the room. It is about ensuring more voices have a seat at the table.
A citizen of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, co-founder of The JAN Collaborative, and Executive Director of the Catawba Nation Foundation, Kristine has spent more than three decades building bridges between communities, organizations, and opportunities. Throughout her career in philanthropy, nonprofit leadership, fundraising, and strategic partnerships, one principle has guided her work:
“Relationships are really at the center of everything I do.”
That belief has shaped not only her professional journey but also her vision for creating stronger, more equitable communities. It is a philosophy rooted in connection, collaboration, and recognizing the value that every person brings to the conversation.
Those values were on full display during her participation in the Indigenous Women in Business Cohort, a program designed to empower Indigenous women entrepreneurs and leaders through mentorship, professional development, peer learning, and relationship-building.
A Career Built on Community
Kristine’s path has taken her through many corners of the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, including fundraising, leadership development, organizational capacity building, and community engagement. Along the way, she developed a unique ability to connect people, ideas, and resources in ways that create lasting impact.
That experience ultimately led her to co-found The JAN Collaborative, a Native-founded consulting firm that partners with nonprofits, Tribal organizations, and mission-driven leaders to strengthen organizations and amplify their impact.
From strategic planning and leadership transitions to fundraising and partnership development, The JAN Collaborative helps organizations navigate complex challenges while remaining grounded in the needs of the communities they serve.
For Kristine, however, the work has always been about more than organizational success.
Over the years, she noticed a recurring challenge: Indigenous perspectives were too often absent from the conversations shaping funding priorities, organizational strategies, and community investments.
Rather than simply helping organizations navigate existing systems, she became committed to helping transform them.
“I didn’t just want to help organizations navigate the existing system better. I wanted to help create space for voices, knowledge, and perspectives that have historically been overlooked, particularly Indigenous voices.”
That mission continues to influence her work today. Whether supporting Tribal communities, collaborating with nonprofit leaders, or advancing philanthropic initiatives, Kristine remains focused on creating systems that are more inclusive, responsive, and community-centered.
Why Representation Matters
Across the country, Indigenous communities are leading innovative solutions in business, education, healthcare, philanthropy, and economic development. Yet representation in leadership and decision-making spaces remains an ongoing challenge.
Kristine believes communities thrive when the people most impacted by decisions have a meaningful voice in shaping them.
Her work reflects a growing movement to ensure Indigenous leaders are not only present in those spaces, but are helping define priorities, direct resources, and create solutions that reflect their communities’ strengths and values.
This perspective is especially important in philanthropy, where decisions about funding and investment can have lasting effects on communities. Through both The JAN Collaborative and the Catawba Nation Foundation, Kristine advocates for approaches that prioritize trust, partnership, and authentic engagement.
Her leadership serves as a reminder that meaningful change rarely happens in isolation. It happens through relationships.
The Power of the Cohort Experience
One of the most meaningful aspects of the Indigenous Women in Business Cohort for Kristine was the opportunity to connect with Indigenous women leaders and entrepreneurs from different Tribal communities, industries, and backgrounds.
While participants brought diverse experiences to the program, they shared a common commitment to growth, leadership, and community impact.
What stood out most to Kristine was not only the talent within the cohort but the generosity.
“There is so much talent in this group, but there is also generosity. People genuinely want to see one another succeed.”
For her, the experience reinforced a lesson that has shaped much of her career:
“Entrepreneurship doesn’t have to be an individual journey. We can build businesses while also building community.”
That sense of shared success reflects one of the cohort’s core objectives: creating a space where Indigenous women leaders can learn from one another, strengthen their networks, and grow together.
In a world that often celebrates individual achievement, the cohort highlights something equally important: the power of collective success.
Building a Legacy for Future Generations
When asked what she is building toward, Kristine’s answer is not centered on personal achievement or professional accolades.
Instead, she speaks about opportunity.
She envisions a future where more Indigenous leaders are guiding institutions, influencing philanthropy, launching businesses, shaping public policy, and defining success for their own communities.
Most importantly, she hopes future generations will not have to question whether they belong in those spaces.
“I want the next generation of Indigenous leaders to know from the beginning that they belong there.”
It is a simple statement, but one rooted in decades of experience, advocacy, and leadership.
As the Indigenous Women in Business Cohort continues to cultivate the next generation of Native entrepreneurs and changemakers, leaders like Kristine demonstrate what is possible when purpose and service guide a career. Through her commitment to opening doors, elevating Indigenous voices, and strengthening communities, she is creating a legacy that extends far beyond any single role or organization.
Her impact will be seen in the leaders she inspires, the organizations she strengthens, and the opportunities she helps create for generations to come.
And perhaps that is the true measure of leadership: not what we achieve for ourselves, but what we make possible for others.
About the Indigenous Women in Business Cohort
The Indigenous Women in Business Cohort, led by Jayson Crusenberry, NCGrowth’s Program Manager, Indigenous Economic Development, empowers Native women entrepreneurs and business leaders through mentorship, professional development, peer learning, and relationship-building. By fostering connection, shared learning, and mutual support, the cohort is helping cultivate a growing network of Indigenous women leaders who are driving economic growth, strengthening communities, and creating lasting change throughout Native Country.
