About this Event
This virtual event will be moderated by a special surprise guest. Prominent local start-up entrepreneurs will discuss the steps they took to achieve business success in Tacoma, as well as the resources and funding available for start-up businesses through the City of Tacoma and the Minority Business Development Agency.
Start-Up Business Panelists:
Quincy Henry, Campfire Coffee
“Quincy Henry is Co-Owner of Campfire Coffee in Downtown Tacoma, America’s first and only black/female/veteran owned open flame coffee roasting operation. Campfire was launched at the start of the covid-19 pandemic and has since been featured in NPR, Roast Magazine, The News Tribune and more. Campfire was listed as one of Roast Magazine’s 20 Coffee Shops in 2021 and won both the Grand Prize and Public Favorite awards at Kitsap Bank’s Edg3 Fund competition. Prior to going into coffee, Quincy worked as Partner in a Seattle based Marketing agency after a 5 year stint as a 2x Grammy nominated, full time touring musician. Quincy recently completed his Doctoral studies in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and serves on the UW Tacoma Milgard School of Business Executive Council. “
Katherine Raz, The Fernseed
“The Fernseed is a modern plant shop and floral studio with two storefront locations in Tacoma. Owner Katherine Raz launched the shop in 2018 as an online store that sold unique handmade designs for potting and displaying houseplants, and opened the first brick-and-mortar location in April, 2019.
The shop was forced to close for nearly three months during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which the staff launched nationwide shipping, local delivery, and several new products offerings, including plant grams and plant-along-at-home kits.
In September, 2020, Fernseed opened a second storefront location on Tacoma’s historic South Tacoma Way. The shop now offers a floral stem bar and floral arrangements for grab-and-go pickup, and local delivery, 60% of which are sourced from small flower farms in Washington, Idaho, California, Oregon, and British Columbia.”
Jill Nealy-Moore, Humming
“Humming is building the world’s most accessible and affordable advertising platform. Their mission is to bring access and tools to those who might otherwise struggle, leveling the playing field. After starting in Seattle, Humming moved to Tacoma in 2019 for it’s quality of life and to align with a community that is focused on growth. Now a team of 22, Humming serves agencies and brands by providing managed access to the complex ecosystem of digital advertising, and they are building a truly self-serve model to serve all. Trained as a health psychologist, co-founder and COO Jill brought strengths in data science and a focus on healthy team culture to Humming. “
Abe Fox, Wooden City