Success Stories

Creating Her Own Way
Creating Her Own Way

Bonnie LeBeau reflects on 25 years of partnering with Four Bands and a lifetime of quilting. Although Bonnie LeBeau, a Navy veteran and member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe,

[VIDEO] What We Came Here For
[VIDEO] What We Came Here For

April 10, 2025 From Hope to Home Tammy Granados used a loan from Four Bands to purchase her home. Learn more about her homeownership journey in this short video produced

Community Support Drives Business Growth
Community Support Drives Business Growth

Tori Chasing Hawk achieves sweet success with side hustle. What started out as a way for Tori Chasing Hawk to make some extra cash has grown into a booming business

Alternative Ag Financing
Alternative Ag Financing

Patient capital model enables Dean Dupris and Kristen Lawrence to achieve herd growth. Nearly a decade ago, Dean Dupris was introduced to Four Bands through our CREATE (Cheyenne River Entrepreneurial

More Dreams Come True
More Dreams Come True

Kelsie Kay’s Coffee Depot graduates from incubator program and moves to new location. In 2018, when Kelsie Kay Haskell participated in our revamped credit builder program – called our Financial

Hometown Furniture Celebrates 10 Years
Hometown Furniture Celebrates 10 Years

Hometown Furniture Celebrates 10 Years A decade ago, Dennis and Elaine Neigel were at an exciting, but uncertain point. Starting a business of their own was something the couple had

Hickory Street Kitchen & Cocktails Celebrates Five Years
Hickory Street Kitchen & Cocktails Celebrates Five Years

Hickory Street Kitchen & Cocktails Celebrates Five Years July 7, 2021 As the COVID-19 pandemic winds down around the country, many restaurants are picking up the pieces and struggling to

COVID-19 Inspires Innovation
COVID-19 Inspires Innovation

Troy Vrooman integrates digital technology into agricultural operation. November 19, 2020 As a lifelong rancher on Cheyenne River, Troy Vrooman has seen tremendous results from his new working relationship with

Home is Where Family Comes Together
Home is Where Family Comes Together

Justin LaPlante and Julie Yardley Stay the Path to Homeownership   Justin LaPlante and Julia Yardley’s blended family has been living in two separate households for several years, but not

Ubetcha Wateca Celebrates First Anniversary
Ubetcha Wateca Celebrates First Anniversary

Shari Ducheneaux Commits to Success Despite Pandemic-Induced Downturn June 9, 2020 In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ubetcha Wateca celebrated one year at their new location in the Four

Building Credit and Creating a Bright Future
Building Credit and Creating a Bright Future

Stottin Newbrough Opens Doors of Opportunity by Increasing Credit Score The summer of 2010 was filled with milestones for Stottin Newbrough. By participating in Four Bands’ youth entrepreneur internship program,

Building Credit and Confidence
Building Credit and Confidence

Karen Ducheneaux Improves Credit Score Karen Ducheneaux came to Four Bands, because despite being financially responsible and paying her bills on time, her credit score was lower than expected.  “It

Traveling the Path to Home
Traveling the Path to Home

Robbie Knight sets foundation for homeownership by participating in credit builder program. For Robbie Knight, her homeownership journey began with her desire to move out of her apartment. Although it

Supporting Youth Entrepreneurs in South Dakota
Supporting Youth Entrepreneurs in South Dakota

Kaiden White Bear uses business loan to grow his farrier business. Kaiden White Bear (Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Fort Peck) has been shoeing horses since he was 19 years

A Permanent Solution to the Revolving Debt Cycle
A Permanent Solution to the Revolving Debt Cycle

Kelsie Kay Haskell is one of the first to participate in the redesigned credit builder program. Four Bands Community Fund has been deploying credit builder loans for over 10 years,

Meeting Market Demand
Meeting Market Demand

Jeremy Ferguson’s new business brings essential services to Cheyenne River. Pumping septic tanks probably isn’t the dream job most people hope to land someday. For Jeremy Ferguson it’s not even

Seeking to Strengthen Local Markets
Seeking to Strengthen Local Markets

Next Generation of Agricultural Leaders Takes the Reins As Dace Harper and his partner, Mason Dietterle, wrap up their first month as new owners of the Faith Livestock Commission Company

Celebrating the First Year in Business
Celebrating the First Year in Business

Native-Owned Restaurant on Lake Traverse Reservation Celebrates One Year One year ago, Nik (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate) and Tracey Sing, were making a dream come true by opening the doors to

Risk Transformed to Reward
Risk Transformed to Reward

Walt Swan Finds Success by Trying Again According to Bloomberg, 8 out of 10 entrepreneurs who start businesses fail within 18 months. For entrepreneurs, failure is not only a very

Creating Her Own Destiny
Creating Her Own Destiny

Michelle Antone Leaves Career as Financial Professional to Become Entrepreneur Michelle Antone (Cheyenne River Sioux) is celebrating her first year as owner of Edible Arrangements, a shop that offers hand-cut

A Home They Will Always Call Their Own
A Home They Will Always Call Their Own

Jennifer Aberle Saves Her Way to Homeownership Jennifer Aberle (Cheyenne River Sioux) of Timber Lake, South Dakota says participating in Four Bands’ Individual Development Account (IDA) Program was an “amazing,

Greening Cheyenne River One Home at a Time
Greening Cheyenne River One Home at a Time

Marcella Gilbert Uses Green Consumer Loan to Increase Energy Efficiency by Improving Home’s Water Systems For Marcella Gilbert, a loan from Four Bands dramatically changed her home environment. As a

Creating Her Own Opportunity
Creating Her Own Opportunity

Morgan Lawrence Builds a Business in Her Hometown After graduating from Cheyenne Eagle Butte High School in 2010, Morgan Lawrence, a lifetime resident of the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation, knew

Re-Discovering Life’s Simple Pleasures
Re-Discovering Life’s Simple Pleasures

  Robi Miller Starts Local Bakery with Support from Four Bands Today’s society is a far cry from the lifestyle our grandparents – or even parents – led. These days

Starting a Trend Towards Higher Education
Starting a Trend Towards Higher Education

Jessie Carlson Grows Her College Fund This tax season Jesse Carlson, a 2013 graduate from Dupree High School, staffed the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site hosted by Four Bands.

A Stepping Stone to Homeownership
A Stepping Stone to Homeownership

Aaron Runs After Uses Credit Builder Loan to Improve Credit and Become Mortgage Ready The past year has been full of accomplishments for Aaron Runs After, a member of the

Bringing Opportunity Back to “The Rez”
Bringing Opportunity Back to “The Rez”

Kali Hale Dreams of Using College Education to Help Cheyenne River Youth “I always knew I wanted to go to college, but I didn’t know how. I didn’t grow up

Gaining Confidence to Achieve Dreams
Gaining Confidence to Achieve Dreams

  Megan Bagola Finds More Than Tuition as She Saves for a College Education Reflecting on her participation in the Four Bands Youth Entrepreneur Internship Program during her Senior year,