Led by faith and a passion for helping others, Attorney, President of Jackrabbit Development LLC, Executive Director of Jackrabbit Homes Inc., and NABEDC Client and Partner Tahda Ahtone, Esq., is helping new entrepreneurs establish their businesses and achieve success.  

At a young age Tahda was inspired by community and human rights advocates like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall to do meaningful work and drive meaningful change. Motivated by the desire to make a difference in people’s lives, Tahda’s company, Jackrabbit Development, LLC, provides sustainable community building; while her non-profit program, Jackrabbit Homes, Inc., works to provide education about clean food, water and energy, as well as, economic development to Tribal communities.

Always striving to achieve more, by the time Tahda was 16 years old she was an Olympic hopeful in Fencing, but her future lied in serving others. She continued to work hard to become an attorney, provided legal aid on the Navajo Nation, and subsequently became an advocate for sustainability. Now, having built successful businesses, earning a master’s degree, a Doctorate, and passing two bar exams, Tahda continues to work tirelessly to help others by providing services that create a long-term impact on people and communities.

NABEDC staff first had the pleasure of meeting Tahda when she sought help for the manufacturing of a product. Tahda’s expertise in law, business, and sustainability, as well as her exuberance for helping others, was so evident, that NABEDC Director, Kaaren-Lyn Graves, invited her to become a part of the NABEDC training team. As an instructor for “How to Start a Business”, Tahda provides a step-by-step approach to understanding business structures. The course is offered as part of the NABEDC set of classes and one-on-one assistance.

Tahda says NABEDC has been most helpful in providing her with a network of business resources that range from manufacturing experts to business strategy people. The NABEDC director and staff have also provided her with encouragement and belief in the work she does, which she says is something all entrepreneurs need from time to time.

Her advice for anyone wanting to start a business is, “follow your passion.” Stating, “the worst that can happen is that you fail. The best thing that can happen is that you lead a successful life that feels fulfilled…” She also recommends that you not quit your day job unless you are comfortably able to do so. Your current job provides a good, and often much a needed, source of income that can support you while you start your new business.  

Indeed, following her passion has provided Tahda with unique experiences that drive her to help communities and businesses. And once she has achieved one goal, there’s always another goal waiting to take its place. Tahda keeps moving forward, because “the need to help others will never go away.”  She says, “there will always be work to do.”