Danny Brigman (Spokane/Kamloops) was always prepared to give back—and his experience at Gonzaga University empowered him to make that desire a reality.

Growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation, Brigman says its sense of community inspired him to pursue an education.

“I realized I wanted to set the bar higher for my family and future kids,” he shares. “We have so much potential but there’s a lack of resources [here]. This being my home I wouldn’t feel right to get my education and never come back. This reservation and community have given so much to me, I want to give back.”

He credits his family for his success, as they were a big source of encouragement.

“I’m thankful for my parents. My dad helped build that [sense of community] with me,” Brigman says. “He took me hunting out here. My earliest memories were of spending time in the woods with him.”

After taking classes at Spokane Community College for two years, he transferred to Washington State University (WSU). In 2015, he earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics, with a focus on comparative ethnic studies.

While academics came naturally to Brigman, the first-gen student had to learn how to navigate college life—especially transitioning from a small high school to college classes with hundreds of students.

While attending WSU, Brigman learned about Gonzaga’s Master of Business Administration in American Indian Entrepreneurship (MBA-AIE), which JSF helped launch in 2001. The program aims to meet the unique needs of Indigenous students living on reservations and spark economic growth. It’s open to enrolled members of federally or state-recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes. To date, it’s the only MBA program of its kind in the United States.

“I knew the program was meant for me,” he says. A year after earning his bachelor’s, he began the program. During his time at Gonzaga, Brigman worked for the Spokane Tribe of Indians as a bookkeeper and later as the purchasing manager.

He shares that, in addition to honing specific business and technical skills, the MBA-AIE program helped him find his voice.

“MBAs prepare you, but you don’t realize it until you look back or a situation comes up,” he says. “Now, I have the confidence to give a solid answer—and people are listening. Before I would have ideas but not say anything. I feel like that’s a big part of what helped me get ready for my career.”

Brigman earned his MBA in 2018. Now, he’s the finance director for the Spokane Indian Housing Authority. Since undertaking the role, he has led a $3.49 million purchase of housing units in Spokane for tribal members. It was the first time the organization purchased housing outside of the reservation’s boundaries.

An avid runner, he’s also developing an app called Homelands, which brings land acknowledgment to the world of fitness—connecting people to the Native lands on which they walk, hike, run, or explore. 

The idea came in 2021 after Brigman learned about the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia, Canada where the remains of over 200 Native children were found. He wanted to respond in some way, especially since some of his relatives went through Kamloops.

His response? Raise awareness by running 215 miles for all 215 children. He organized a special relay event, which received an outpour of support—and participants.

Since then, Brigman has organized multiple events. In 2022, he organized a virtual run challenge, where participants logged their miles and flagged the Native lands on which they ran. That sparked an idea: engage everyday athletes by enabling them to track their fitness goals and learn the rich histories of Native lands and peoples.

He fleshed out the idea with an app development company—determining timelines and phases, branding the company, building a social media presence, and more. 

Eventually, Brigman envisions Wikipedia-type pages with aggregated data and verified oral histories of tribes. He also aspires to create a youth cross-country team on his reservation and inspire healthy living.

“I’m just looking to get [the app] out there,” he says. “I would love to take the profits of the app and put it back into my community. It might take a bit longer to build, but I’m open to seeing what happens next.”