"“Taryn is very sharp,” he said. “She doesn’t sugar-coat it. She tells it like it is.” — Troy Picou "
Troy Picou
BELLINGHAM, Wash.—When cases of COVID-19 started emerging in the United States, Washington state was the epicenter of the emerging public health and economic disaster. When Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued his Stay Home, Stay Safe order in mid-March, Andi Vann, owner of Pure Bliss Desserts, was alarmed, but not panicked. February had been their biggest … Read more
AUBURN, Wash. — Joshua Wilke had been a successful one-man tree removal service for more than a dozen years when he started working with a Washington Small Business Development Center (SBDC) business advisor at Highline College in 2016. Since then, he has transformed what was essentially self-employment into a business of value that supports not … Read more
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
"Highline College StartZone and the Washington SBDC have provided technical assistance and continued support that have allowed me start and manage my business. I want to express my gratitude and emphasize how important these programs are to the immigrant community. "
Catherine Kamau
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
