Ben Jacobs was appointed as a member of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition on March 24, 2023, for a 2-year term.
Mr. Jacobs, a tribal member of the Osage Nation of northeast Oklahoma, is Co-founder of Tocabe: An American Indian Eatery and Tocabe Indigenous Marketplace based in Denver, Colorado. Tocabe restaurant first opened its doors in December 2008, adding a second location in 2015 and a food truck in 2016. In 2021, Jacobs and his business partner helped launch Tocabe Indigenous Marketplace, an online resource helping further advance the Native food system and develop a Native-specific supply chain. The marketplace is designed as a multifaceted concept supporting both the Native and Indigenous food systems while maintaining economic growth for underrepresented and economically disadvantaged communities.
For over a decade on a national level, Jacobs has worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). While advocating for feeding Native peoples, his work with FDPIR has included traveling to tribal communities supporting how best to incorporate local and traditional ingredients in collaboration with commodity ingredients to support better individual health and nutrition. Within Colorado, Jacobs is in his second term as a member of the Minority Business Office Advisory Council appointed by Governor Jared Polis (D-CO). He’s also a member of the Rocky Mountain Indian Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
