Indian Pueblo Cultural Center opens new complex for entrepreneurs

The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center has a new arm aimed at boosting up entrepreneurs in the food and agricultural industries.

The Indian Entrepreneur Complex opened Friday on the 2400 block of 12th St. NW.

Seven years ago, the IPCC hatched plans to create a space to assist business owners. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus shifted slightly and the complex was designed to help people find success in the food industry.

"That kind of steered us in a new direction," said Bill Stimmel, entrepreneurial director of the IEC.

"Knowing that this can help entrepreneurs to be successful, but it can also help with improving food security for New Mexicans, especially for those who are on tribal land, and just making a general impact in the world of food in ways that we hadn't initially considered before COVID," he said.

The first phase of the complex opened Friday. The complex has space and resources for culinary workshops and industry training. Program managers will be available to teach business owners marketing skills, financial literacy, social media outreach and more.

"It's the first step in creating an ecosystem here on campus to support entrepreneurs," Stimmel said.

There are plans to continue to build additions to the complex.

Phase two will be the construction of a 1,500 square-foot standalone refrigerated unit to double the storage space. The third phase is remodeling the Pueblo classrooms into a business service center with workstations designed for the administrative side of the food industry, like shipping and packing.

“This complex will support — through facilities and services — the vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem that exists locally, especially amongst our Pueblo people," IPCC President and CEO Mike Canfield said in a statement. "... We have built a cultural and business corridor on this campus, and we’re anxious to extend these opportunities to the next generation of entrepreneurs and small business owners. This is the place to be.”

The $6.5 million complex has a commercial grade kitchen and bakery with high-volume ovens, tortilla presses, proofers and more. On the other side, large scale deep fryers and stove tops are available, along with other equipment. There is also a large space to process fresh produce, cold and dry storage and access to a refrigerated transit van.

Three large gardens surround the complex, ran by local San Felipe Pueblo farmers. The produce is sent to Native American community health centers. There will be a series of beginner farming trainings to teaching harvesting and agriculture.

The IEC is designed to help underserved communities and fuel economic independence and sustainability, said Stimmel.

"A lot of our clients and many in those communities define success in different ways and we want to be able to meet entrepreneurs at every point in their journey," he said.

The complex aims to build partnerships across the state to help develop curriculum.

To book a space, potential clients will submit an application on the IEC website. The complex goes through applications to make sure businesses are insured, have their licenses and have a food safety background. Entrepreneurs will schedule a consultation visit to discuss their goals and needs. The IEC and business owners will design a plan and discuss pricing.

IEC will begin taking on clients Sept. 5, and more than 50 potential clients have already submitted applications.

"I'm very passionate about providing support and space for these entrepreneurs," Stimmel said. "My next project is learning how to better connect business owners with the right people and sales outlets to help their companies grow."