- Details
- By Tribal Business News Content Studios
- Sponsored Content
Kelly Price learned the art of Native traditions at her grandmother’s side in Oklahoma. Growing up in Medicine Park and later Lawton, she was shaped by the deep influence of her elders — her grandmother, a full-blood Kiowa and grandfather, a full-blood Comanche.
Price fondly recalls watching her grandmother craft quilts and shawls and going to powwows as a family. But there is one thing that stands out among the rest of her memories: Grandma's frybread.
"My frybread-making skills came from watching my grandmother with her recipe and how she made it," Price shared. "Being at the table with my grandma, learning her cooking ways, is where it all started."
What began as a cherished family tradition grew into something bigger six years ago, when Price used her grandmother’s receipt to help a neighbor in need. During a harsh winter, a family in Medicine Park faced severe medical hardships, prompting Price to organize a fundraiser during the town's annual Polar Plunge event. Armed with her grandmother’s time-tested frybread recipe, Price set up shop selling Indian tacos to raise money for the family.
"I figured, you know, I can do something about this," she recalled. It was an act of kindness that changed her life.
The fundraiser was an overwhelming success. Hungry for more, Price's friends and family encouraged her to turn the family recipe into something more. She and a friend transformed a travel trailer into a food truck and launched Redbone Indian Tacos, and began traveling on the weekends to events around the state, selling fry bread tacos.
Despite the demands of juggling her full-time job in corporate sales with weekend events, the business flourished. As demand grew, Price decided to take a leap of faith. With no formal business background, she crafted a business plan using online resources and presented it to Felicia Freeman at the Citizen Potawatomi Community Development Corporation (CPCDC), a Native community development financial institution (CDFI).
Freeman immediately recognized Price's marketing prowess and community commitment.
"Kelly sells herself. She's not lazy at all. If she sees something that needs to be done, she goes and does it," Freeman remarked. "That's huge. That's an entrepreneur."
CPCDC’s initial loan helped Price establish her business formally, and additional funding followed — including crucial support during the COVID-19 pandemic. The support allowed Price to expand her operations, introducing a pizza trailer featuring frybread pizzas and planning a brick-and-mortar location in Lawton. "I couldn't have done it without them," Price said. "Felicia believed in me, and that's why I continue to grow."
The frybread venture’s success stems from CPCDC’s support and a community that championed Price from day one. The business has truly become family-oriented, with her son working alongside her Redbone Indian Tacos. "It's like a little family-owned business that I run with him," Price noted. "I wanted to do more for the community, and this is how."
As she prepares to open its first permanent location, Price continues to honor her grandmother's legacy—one frybread taco at a time—while inspiring others to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. CPCDC’s Freeman hopes Price’s story inspires other Native entrepreneurs.
"Reach out to a Native CDFI close to you," Freeman advised. "There's lots of technical assistance, lots of partners, and lots of ability to get the help you need. Dreams are endless, endless possibilities. Always chase your dreams. Never say no, and don't ever give up at the first no."
Difference Makers 2.0 is a new yearlong series that highlights how Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) work alongside their small business clients to accelerate change and create economic opportunities in Native communities. Join the Native CDFI Network and Tribal Business News as they shine a spotlight on the people accelerating economic change in Indian Country. Read the stories here and be sure to tune into the Difference Makers 2.0 podcast.