EDMONDS, Wash. — Traveling abroad six years ago, Kris and Kali Kelnero encountered canned cocktails and thought, “we could do that.” After years of work and planning, the couple opened Kelnero cocktail bar in downtown Edmonds in February 2019 and, eight months later, contacted business advisor Janet Toth for help with their next step: Kelnero … Read more
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — Running an adult family home in South King County is a long way from handling HR issues at the largest bank in Kenya, but Catherine Kamau says the StartZone program at Highline College helped her realize an opportunity of a lifetime: owning her own business. StartZone helps South King County residents … Read more
ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Nurturing young children and their community of families has been a calling for Melissa Gillaspy since at least 2008, when she and her husband, Jacob, “fell in love with and remodeled” a charming building in a pastoral setting into Jack and Jill’s House Preschool. But when the Covid-19 pandemic closed the school … Read more
UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. – Many young mothers want more time with their kids, but not many determine to start their own business to get it. In February 2018, Samantha Grace founded Coastal Maintenance Solutions. As it has grown from just her to 12 employees in two locations, Grace’s aim has held fast on good pay … Read more
SEATTLE, Wash. – Fragrance is a journey for perfumer Molly Ray – a highly personalized itinerary begun in her grandparents’ home before meandering the world, lingering in hotels and airports and, now, alighting in a prestigious retail space in downtown Seattle’s Pacific Place. Her business, Molly Ray Parfums, will open the new boutique Nov. 1 … Read more
Rick provides training and one-on-one advice helping to emerging entrepreneurs on the Olympic Peninsula imagine new business opportunities, start businesses, and get businesses ready to grow. Rick brings extensive marketing and communications experience to his role as a business advisor for CIE. He has worked for a wide range of organizations, from large multinational corporations … Read more
Kirk Duncan joined the Washington SBDC as a business advisor in 2021. He is hosted locally by the Chelan Douglas Regional Authority and his office is located at 238 Olds Station Road in Wenatchee, Suite A100. Kirk assists business owners in starting, growing and/or transitioning their businesses. Kirk recognizes that every business owner knows their … Read more
Steve Burke is the Western Washington Regional Manager and is a Washington SBDC certified business advisor. Steve has 30 years of experience in the property asset management business, much of it underwriting small business financials and business plans for commercial leases. His passion is studying current trends in the economy, technology, business tools and techniques … Read more
Ursula Sanson is a Business Advisor with the Washington SBDC located in Spokane. She is passionate about serving others, and with Ursula, you can expect to find empathic, friendly, and helpful advising sessions. Ursula enjoys sharing with business owners all her knowledge and best practices through her personal “one-page business strategy”. She loves hearing their … Read more
Aziz has been a certified business advisor with the Washington SBDC network since 2015. The founder of three successful startups, he joined the network with more than 35 years of experience in various high technology disciplines and companies. In addition to his SBDC certification, Aziz has earned a certificate in technology consulting from the Institute … Read more
Micah provides Grow Ready, COVID-Ready, and Future-Ready assessments, trainings, and one-on-one counseling to existing Olympic Peninsula businesses. Micah joined CIE to contribute operational and financial experience from a wide variety of industries. A lifetime spent living and working in different rural areas throughout the country has exposed him to many of the problems facing rural … Read more
Lew Blakeney has been an SBDC certified business advisor since 2000, serving all of Okanogan County. His office is co-located with the Economic Alliance of Okanogan County. He earned a MBA degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a BS degree in engineering from the University of Cincinnati. He has traveled to the … Read more
The Washington Small Business Development Center network, hosted by Washington State University, is an accredited member of America’s SBDC. Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, institutions of higher education, economic development organizations and other public and private funding partners. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the SBA.
Washington SBDC services are extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Language assistance services are available for limited English proficient individuals. Email or phone the Washington SBDC.
Because we are federally funded, we cannot provide services for enterprises selling federally illegal products such as marijuana.
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