As a U.S. Army veteran exploring what opportunities Seattle’s burgeoning startup scene offered, Jason Cavness found that entrepreneurs were so focused on aspects of business development such as product market fit, that they completely forgot about the HR components integral to hiring, onboarding and supporting staff. So he founded CavnessHR in September 2017 to do just that – “deliver HR to companies with 49 or fewer people while retaining the human touch.”
Derek Voelker learned to dive in the Marine Corps who honored him with a Medal for Combat Valor for his service during the Battle of Fallujah. Since his time in the Marines, Derek graduated from one of the most renowned underwater welding and commercial diving schools in the country, the Diver’s Institute of Technology, obtained a Bachelor’s from the University of Washington and collected twelve diving certifications. This June marks another noteworthy achievement for the Seattle native as he celebrates the two year anniversary of his burgeoning business, Seattle Dive Company (SDC).
Business Impact NW and the Ethnic Chambers of Commerce Coalition (ECCC) are now providing free outreach, education, and technical assistance to business owners on the Seattle Labor Standards ordinances through a partnership with the City of Seattle Office of Labor Standards (OLS) under the Business Outreach and Education Fund (BOEF).
Dr. Corey Fish was a primary care pediatrician when he realized the need for an urgent care clinic geared specifically towards children. “Kids are not little adults,” he likes to tell people, and before he opened Pacific Crest Urgent Care in Portland, parents were left with limited options when their child required urgent medical care. Most often the emergency room is a family’s only option and “seventy plus percent of the time, an ER isn’t really necessary for the child to go to,” he added, “and that’s just a really wasteful way to practice medicine.”
In honor of Pride Month, we have outlined some of the best organizations in Seattle supporting members of the LGBTQ+ community, small business owners, and underrepresented entrepreneurs.
1. Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA)
The GSBA is the “largest LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce in North America”. They represent over the 1,300 small businesses, corporate and nonprofit members that share the same values and desire for equality and diversity in workplaces. This nonprofit believes in “small businesses, community, and advocacy investing $3.4 million dollars in scholars, since 1991”. GSBA Scholars are chosen for their proven leadership skills, strong academic achievement, and commitment to making a positive difference in the world.
On May 30, 2019 the Washington Women’s Business Center hosted their fourth-annual Celebrating Dreams, a night elevating female entrepreneurship presented by Verity Credit Union. Every year Celebrating Dreams empowers women to follow their entrepreneurial dreams while providing a platform to local entrepreneurs to showcase their businesses to new audiences and connect with mentors, community partners, resources and leaders in the field.
For Tina Narron, increasing the diversity of business owners is one of the biggest needs we face in the Seattle business community.
This is why she is an advocate for Business Impact NW, and even more specifically the Washington Women’s Business Center (WWBC).
The WWBC, one of the programs offered by Business Impact NW, provides free business training and workshops in an effort to increase the number of women-owned businesses and encourage profitability of those businesses.
Inspiring Facts about Female Entrepreneurship: Women-owned businesses (WOB) have grown 114% versus the overall national growth rate of 44% for all businesses over the past two decades (1997-2017). (Source: The State of Women-Owned Businesses, 2017, Commissioned by American Express) Women owned approximately 20% of all employer businesses nationwide in 2015. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau’s 2016
Couch to Active
Lyn Lindbergh traded in a 20-year corporate career to follow her life-long dream of opening her own business: what was to become Couch to Active. Frustrated by cultural norms in the fitness industry, Lyn wanted to find a way to address how difficult it can be to live an active lifestyle. She said her life
