Celebrating Dreams 2026: A Day of Connection and Opportunity

The space was buzzing hours before the event’s official start. Stations showcasing creative business ideas packed the area to the square meter. Women founders were making the rounds, swapping contact info and sharing strategies for success.

Celebrating Dreams is an annual event hosted by the Washington Women’s Business Center (WWBC), a program of Business Impact NW. Last year’s event, which was the 10th anniversary, took place at the Mercer Island Community & Event Center.

This year, it was held at Art Love Salon, a majestic gallery and gathering space spanning the entire top floor of a building next to the Seattle Art Museum. Soft sunshine spread throughout the place, illuminating the enthusiastic conversations among the 200+ attendees and the smorgasbord of delicacies set out for teatime.

The theme was “Nurturing Our Networks,” which perfectly encapsulates the source of all the energy. From expert networkers to the newly initiated, everyone was busy connecting, growing their business, and gaining the sorts of insights that only come from face-to-face conversations.

Wellness coaching, card games, and color-changing tea: Countless callings represented

Sorting the businesses into a few clear-cut categories would be an impossible task. Celebrating Dreams really did have everything.

A few examples: Vietnamese beef jerky (Diana Nguyen’s Khobo Jerky), a fantasy novel-inspired card game (Su Mon Han’s Dream Compendium), holistic skill development for adults missing out on generational knowledge and connection (Mia Roberson’s The Rooted Adult Co.), and even a consulting service for kitchen garden enthusiasts (Jackie Roy’s Palatino Garden Adventures).

Several founders have already won recognition for their work and creativity. Adfia Bristol of YES MA! Backyard Farm was the Business Impact NW’s Best Early Stage Business winner of last year’s IMPACT Pitch Competition. Applications for this year’s competition are currently open through June 1. Ife Thomas, owner of HER GLOW Candy Shop and HER GLOW Wellness for Women and Girls, is a Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) Rising Entrepreneur of the Year nominee.

Ife is a repeat attendee and presenter at Celebrating Dreams. “I like coming to these events because it’s a great chance to see what other businesses are doing,” she says. “I like to see how the community is doing, how people are showing up.”

Exciting times are ahead for many business owners. Su Mon Han’s “Legends of Gadia” card game is selling out in stores, and she’s taking off for Japan soon to participate in Tokyo Game Market—an opportunity she learned about through networking. Rini Choudhury of Enchanted Teas recently secured a deal with Pacific Place to keep her brick-and-mortar storefront going past the end of her time with Seattle Restored.

How a desire to build community was the driving force for many founders who immigrated to the U.S.

Rini, whose butterfly pea flower-infused concoctions turn from a deep blue to a cosmic magenta when given a spritz of citrus, spoke of starting her business as a way to connect with her childhood in India and strengthen her new roots in Seattle. She grew up drinking her grandmother’s herbal teas made with the delicate blue flower.

“When I moved to the U.S. in 2018, I did not know a lot of people,” she explains. “But I feel like Seattle is a very friendly and welcoming place, and it has so many opportunities!”

Fellow Pacific Place storefront owner, Nazia Siddiqui of Transcend Clothing, also took inspiration from her Indian roots. Whereas in the U.S. it’s rare to have people making clothes on-site at a retail shop, in India it’s commonplace. At Pacific Place—which has transitioned from a big-box retailer department store to a small business hub—Nazia boasts “a massive space where people can come and shop and also see the seamstresses who are making our local collections.”

Nazia’s approach to networking is unique. Not only does she network with her customer base, but she’s also been very active in cultivating relationships with other business owners in her building. “I was able to bring everybody together, and now we have a biweekly ‘founder’s breakfast’ that we do,” she says. “We’re thinking of being able to register as a nonprofit and go after funding as a collective.”

Nonstop networking punctuated by speeches of encouragement and inspiration

The energy of conversations rose throughout the afternoon, and the music’s energy rose with them. As guests gathered for remarks, WWBC Director Jessica Vidican-Neisius welcomed attendees; Nikolai Brown shared remarks on behalf of Presenting Sponsor Delta Dental of Washington; Business Impact NW CEO Joe Sky-Tucker reflected on the power of connection; and Seattle District SBA Director Melanie Norton closed with words of encouragement.

Melanie shared an inspirational quote from bestselling author, speaker, and filmmaker Greg Reid: “A dream written down with a date becomes a goal. A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan. A plan backed by action makes your dreams come true.”

Breaking away from working in isolation

Despite its centrality to a business’ success, networking can be daunting, especially when there are so many other things demanding a founder’s attention. Several business owners described how easy it can be to get bogged down in the day-to-day, isolated from chances to connect with their peers.

“It means a lot to me to meet people face-to-face,” explains Mercedes Berberian, founder (and patent holder) of Hi-Lo Footwear. “I’m usually always online, behind computers, so this is really nice to see other women in business. It’s really empowering.”

Adfia of YES MA! Feels similarly. “Many times, we’re doing this on our own. My first year was just getting the farm started, but then last year was about: How do I connect with people? How do we collaborate? And that has led to a lot more programs and things that I’m involved with, and I’m really thankful for. I want to continue that, because I can’t do it alone—none of us can!”

The opportunity to turbocharge connection and collaboration is why this event (currently in its 11th year!) is so vital.

There’s no substitute for networking events like Celebrating Dreams

In this world of increasingly automated creativity, with generative AI tools promising to smooth away the hard work of writing, graphic design, and many other quintessentially human endeavors, relationship-building remains stubbornly out of technology’s reach. You can’t do it without actually showing up.

“As a small business, you cannot understate the importance of connections and relationships,” says Tynan Gable, co-founder of Citrus Wellness Co. “Experiences like this are invaluable—just to get our name out there and meet people that are working on the same types of problems that we are.”

Chance encounters often turn into real opportunities. April Vian, founder of social benefit corporation Bridging the Gap, says she’s gotten help with banking, finances, and marketing through previous Celebrating Dreams events. “Already today, I met somebody who was referring a corporation that she thinks would benefit from my services!” she smiles.

We’re excited to see how many other chance connections at Celebrating Dreams turn into pivotal opportunities!

After the event, Jessica Vidican-Neisius, Director of the WWBC, reflected on what the afternoon meant:

“Celebrating Dreams 2026 was everything we hoped it would be and more. Seeing 46 incredible women-owned businesses fill that room with their energy, their stories, and their passion reminded me exactly why we do this work. Our guests, resource partners, Champions, and Mentors showed up with such generosity of spirit — it was truly a community celebration. I am so proud of every single entrepreneur who showcased that evening, and so deeply grateful to everyone who came out to support them. When women thrive, communities thrive, and nights like this one prove it.”

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Thank you to Celebrating Dreams 2026 Presenting Sponsor, Delta Dental of Washington, for helping make the event possible. We’re also grateful to our event sponsors, KeyBank and Evergreen BizLink, for their commitment to women-owned small businesses.

Looking for support with your own business journey? Explore Business Impact NW’s funding support and options, free business coaching, and classes.

You can also revisit the 2026 Online Showcase through May 15.