Uplifting Futures, Honoring Heritage: How Native American Jump Start is Empowering the Next Generation

Born in the heart of the Tetons, Native American Jump Start (NAJS) is quietly transforming lives—one student, one opportunity, one dream at a time. Founded on the belief that every young Native person deserves the chance to succeed, NAJS is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Indigenous youth through scholarships, mentorship, and opportunities that celebrate and preserve Native culture.

Headquartered in Jackson Hole, Wyoming—ancestral land to 24 Native American tribes—NAJS serves a national community with a local heart. What began nearly three decades ago as a grassroots effort to fund internships on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation has grown into a powerful force for Indigenous empowerment.

Among the organization’s passionate supporters are Reggie and Christina, founders of The Benz Experience, a luxury travel company with deep personal ties to Native heritage. Christina, who is Assiniboine from the Fort Peck Reservation, and Reggie, who also has Indigenous roots, have made it part of their mission to give back. Their partnership with NAJS is more than philanthropy—it’s a reflection of shared values, cultural pride, and the desire to uplift the next generation.

We had the pleasure of speaking with the NAJS team to learn more about their mission, the youth they support, and the beautiful ways this community continues to grow.

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Q: Can you tell me about Native American Jump Start and the mission behind the organization?

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A: “The whole point of Jump Start is to remove barriers for Native American youth—primarily those who are pursuing postsecondary education or a trade. Sometimes a scholarship is for $100, sometimes $2,000. It all depends on what they need to succeed. And it’s not just tuition—we help with tools, books, laptops, clothing for interviews, anything they need to walk into that classroom or that job and be successful.

We've been around for 28 years, and for the first 25 years, we were very much a grassroots led, volunteer based organization where the founder had his network of friends that was providing donations to the organization on an annual basis, and they were creating a great impact, but certainly to a small group of people, because they weren't raising a ton of funding. Right after COVID in 2021 as an organization, we made the commitment to say, hey, we want to evolve from a grassroots organization to be much more of a larger scale organization, to be able to serve more Native American individuals across the country. So at that time, we brought on staff, we invested into organizational infrastructure, and over that time span, we almost doubled our fundraising on an annual basis.

In 2022, we raised $100,000. In 2023 we raised $200,000, 2024 we raised $400,000 and this year, we're shooting to raise $750,000 and what that allows us to do is to give back to more people as they pursue their educational and employment opportunities.”

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Q: How did your partnership with The Benz Experience come about?

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A: “Reggie and Christina came to the Teton Powwow and we had an instant connection. Christina has tribal affiliation and is really connected with our work. After the event, they asked, ‘What can we do to support you?’ Since then, The Benz Experience has committed a portion of their profits to NAJS, specifically to help students going into trades or sports programs. It’s been really impactful, and they’ve been just incredibly generous and kind.”

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Q: What’s the most meaningful case you’ve worked on, or an individual that stood out to you?

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A: “We had a young woman named Hunter Old Elk, who is from the Crow tribe, just on the Wyoming-Montana border. She was a Jump Start recipient during her undergraduate and her master's. She is now the curator at the Plains Indian Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. She's working to reframe Native representation in one of the most prominent Western museums in the country.

Another one is Sierra, Her Many Horses, who has led a Lakota language immersion program and stayed with her students from pre-K to sixth grade. She teaches adult Lakota classes four nights a week and is now getting her PhD in Native Hawaiian languages. She’s just so dedicated to keeping our languages alive.”

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Q: What impacts of NAJS do you see within the communities you work with?

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A: “A lot of our recipients come back and apply again. We also have an ambassador program where former students work with current students and help them apply. We’re seeing more and more youth reach back to lift others up. That’s really the heart of it. When our scholars succeed, they don’t just move forward—they bring others with them.”

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Q: Can you tell me more about The Teton Powwow?

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A: “The Teton Powwow is a beautiful, joyful event. Powwows—Wacipi—are intergenerational. They're cultural celebrations. There’s drumming, dancing, food, and it’s all open to the public. We want the community to come and experience it.

What’s also really important is that Jackson Hole is the ancestral land of 24 tribal nations. The Powwow is a way for Native people to return and share culture, while also educating the community that we're still here—and we're thriving.”

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Q: How can viewers contribute to this cause if they’re interested?

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A: “We always need support, and honestly, the easiest way is through donations. 100% of it goes directly to students. We’re all volunteer-based. Your gift could help someone buy a textbook, register for a class, or get a suit for their interview. That’s what changes lives.”

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A Shared Vision for the Future

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Native American Jump Start isn’t just helping students reach their goals—it’s helping them reclaim their narratives, reconnect with their culture, and rise as leaders in their communities.

Thanks to partners like The Benz Experience and supporters across the country, the future is brighter, more inclusive, and full of possibility.

Donate today!