"He took everything I wrote and made it better. If I didn’t have (my SBDC business advisor), I don’t think the bank would have given me the loan. "
Tashauna Davis
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Ana Seidel had been experimenting with developing and selling nail care products since 2012. When her husband, Cory Seidel, got laid off from his IT job a few months after she started selling her homemade nail oil, the two decided their best opportunity for supporting themselves and their four children, then ages … Read more
OLYMPIA, Wash.—If only owning a day spa were as restful as being a patron at one. When clients walk into Ballaura Wellness Spa in Olympia, they are greeted by the warm, modern farmhouse look of whitewashed brick and shiplap walls, wood flooring, and blue and pink upholstered furniture. The peaceful, serene feeling created by the … Read more
Grandview, Wash.—David Ruelas was working in agricultural fields near his home in Sunnyside, following in the footsteps of his parents and older brother, when a door opened and he became an apprentice to a diesel mechanic in Yakima. Within a year, at age 21, he was a lead mechanic at the shop. The 45-minute drive … Read more
"“(My SBDC advisor) always took the panic out of the conversation." — Andi Vann "
Andi Vann
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
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
"(My SBDC advisor) became an amazing resource. She was diligent to learn about me and my business in order to address my needs. "
Melissa & Jacob Gillaspy
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
KENT, Wash.—If a serial entrepreneur is someone who hops from business to business, what do you call someone who lands on an idea while still in middle school, keeps it going through high school and college, and then puts his degree to work building it into a profitable business that provides for him and his … Read more
