- Details
- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Indigenous Entrepreneurs
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma will invest $1 million to establish a 3,500-square-foot Chahtapreneur Coworking and Business Center in McAlester as part of a $9 million renovation of the McAlester Public Library, tribal officials announced Feb. 13.
The investment, funded through the Choctaw Development Fund, positions the library as a workforce and small-business hub serving Choctaw entrepreneurs in southeast Oklahoma. The coworking center, to be located on the library’s lower level, will include high-speed internet, secure access, a separate entrance and designated green space. Choctaw Small Business Development staff will manage the facility.
For tribal member-owned businesses, the center is designed to provide direct access to business advising, training and capital pathways under one roof. Choctaw Small Business Development offers services including business planning, marketing assistance, 8(a) certification information, contract and bid support, and connections to lenders and procurement opportunities. Programs also include a $5,000 forgivable loan initiative, marketing material assistance and training scholarships.
The McAlester site will join existing Chahtapreneur hubs in Durant and Idabel, expanding the tribe’s physical footprint for small-business support within its 10,923-square-mile reservation. “Chahtapreneur,” a term created in 2015 by Choctaw Small Business Development, combines “Chahta” and “entrepreneur” and serves as the brand for an exclusive network of Choctaw business owners who register with the program to access advisory services, capital connections and procurement opportunities.
The broader renovation effort, supported by the City of McAlester, the Puterbaugh Foundation, the Southeast Oklahoma Library System and the Fuggitt Foundation, will upgrade core infrastructure and expand community learning spaces.
In addition, the Southeast Oklahoma Library System will provide free library cards and systemwide access to its 17 outlets for Choctaw members, regardless of residency, including electronic career and research resources intended to support workforce and business development.
