In the Spotlight: Some enterprising women entrepreneurs in Washington
#WomenInBusiness #WashingtonEntrepreneurs #FemaleFounders
Washington state is a thriving hub for women entrepreneurs, with numerous initiatives and organizations dedicated to supporting female founders. According to the Washington State Department of Commerce, women-owned businesses made up 38% of the state’s total businesses in 2020, which reflected a robust and growing community of women entrepreneurs. Key organizations, such as the Washington Women’s Foundation, provide essential grants and resources, fostering a supportive environment for women-led enterprises.
Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in Washington: A Growing Movement
It is significant that at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business, the Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship offers comprehensive training, mentoring, and networking opportunities, ensuring that women have the skills and connections they need to succeed. Furthermore, incubators and accelerator programmes like the Women’s Startup Lab and the Startup Garage are pivotal in nurturing women-led startups, offering tailored support and guidance.
These resources are not just about financial aid; they encompass mentorship, skill development, and networking, creating a holistic ecosystem that empowers women to launch, grow & sustain successful businesses. As the landscape for women entrepreneurs in Washington continues to evolve, these initiatives play a crucial role in driving innovation and economic growth.
Join us as we look at some enterprising women entrepreneurs and discover how Washington is paving the way for the next generation of female entrepreneurs.
> Laurie Gillman, Founder, East City Bookshop
The love of books made Laurie Gillman seek out a bookstore wherever she went. And in 2015, the entrepreneur took it upon herself to learn everything about opening her own shop.
By 2016, Gillman’s East City Bookshop was launched and has since become a community gathering place. The Capitol Hill locale typically hosts author events and book clubs and also carries a selection of gift items. East City also strives to make the world a better place through its consignment programme, which supports local and independent authors.
The shop also offers antiracism starter kits, curated by Keian Mayfield (a family research scholar and antiracism researcher).
> Virginia Blanca Arrisueño, Founder, Steadfast Supply
It was in 2016 that Virginia Blanca Arrisueño started Steadfast Supply as a pop-up incubator for independent designers and brands. It is noteworthy that the community-driven concept was derived from Arrisueño’s Latin upbringing, family entrepreneurial success, her mother and father’s interests and her own background as a fashion designer.
Now, the same mission applies to the brick-and-mortar at The Yards which offers unique gifts from a variety of makers, including candles, books, jewellery, homeware and handmade items.
> Stacy Price, Co-Founder, Shop Made in DC
This is unique and the name says it all. There’s no better way to pay witness to DC’s creator community than by stepping inside a Shop Made in DC location.
Interestingly, back in 2016, the DC city council passed legislation to certify, promote and support local artisans and businesses through the “Made in DC” program, which now has more than 300 members. A year later, community-based business consultant Stacy Price, a champion for area artisans, got together with Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s Michael Babin
to launch the Shop Made in DC concept, which now boasts of many locations.
What’s special is that you can pick up everything here – from locally sourced mumbo sauce cider to original artworks, jewellery, home goods and legitimately cool DC souvenirs.
> Alexes Haggins, Owner, Flowers by Alexes y Alexes
You can stop and smell the flowers in Pet worth at Flowers by Alexes. Tracing her background, although owner and namesake Alexes Haggins started in real estate, she is now continuing her father’s legacy. Bernard Haggins started as a delivery driver for the previous florist, became the
owner himself and started a family and community in the neighborhood.
Backed by decades of family history and a desire to reconnect to that community, Flowers by Alexes reopened in 2022 on the corner around from the original location and offers fresh and bold floral arrangements to the DC area.
> Angela Maria Spring, Founder, Duende District Du District
What’s different about this setup is that it is a mobile boutique bookshop that describes itself as “by and for people of colour,” Duende District invites anyone and everyone into its collaborative pop-ups.
Owner Angela Maria Spring is a Latino poet, editor, journalist and has been a bookseller for nearly two decades. Her shops offer a curated selection of the best new trade adult and children’s books in English and Spanish.
> Jessica Shea, Founder, Cheers in a Box
Have you been stuck at the time of giving gifts? Here is an answer. Give the gift of Cheers in a Box. After in-person events shifted during the pandemic COVID, and with 20 years of industry experience, Jessica Shea sought out to connect with her clients in a different way. And it worked out!
So, you can now engage with employees, guests and customers with curated gift boxes that feature items from mostly female-owned or local businesses, or personalize the experience even further by creating your own mix or adding a virtual engagement component.
Source: https://washington.org/visit-dc/shop-women-owned-businesses
Avtar Madan
Himanshu
Shree Lahiri
