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News from Seattle's Office of Economic Development

Small Business of the Month: Bich Kieu Jewelry

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Small Business of the Month certificate on top of a display case

Listen: Origin Story – Bich Kieu Jewelry

Bich Kieu Jewelry is a family-owned custom jewelry retailer and repair shop that has been doing business in Seattle for over 25 years—though the business is much older than that. “This is fourth generation—my great grandparents were in the jewelry business in Vietnam,” says owner Pham Lang. “When we came over here as refugees, we wanted to continue the tradition. So my parents reopened the business under the same name we had back in Saigon, Vietnam.” 

Lang has a passion for jewelry design, and the business’s high-quality custom work and fast, friendly customer service have earned them a dedicated customer base both in the Vietnamese community and in the broader Seattle community as well. The business counts Macklemore as one of its loyal customers, in fact: Lang tells us that the rapper has been buying custom pieces and gifts for his family from Bich Kieu for years.

Lang first came to the U.S. in 1980 and lived in Portland, Oregon until he was able to sponsor the rest of his family, who were living as refugees in Germany at the time, to join him in the States. After settling in Seattle, Lang’s parents opened Bich Kieu’s original location at 1228 South Jackson Street in 1991 while Lang worked as an engineer at Boeing. “Then, back in 1995, they decided to pass the legacy to me, to carry on. So ever since then, I run the store,” he says.  

A necklace and bracelets displayed

Running the family business with his wife, Quyen, was very different from his career at Boeing. “It’s harder to be your own boss—you have a lot of responsibility as well as working seven days a week,” Lang says. “But I love it. That’s the only reason why we still carry on.” Quyen works at the store alongside Lang and is a great business partner. “She is a good QA, you know. I have to pass quality control,” he says. “You always want a second opinion.”

Several years ago, the business ran into a familiar problem for many small business owners: frustration with their landlord. When the owner of the South Jackson Street location was unwilling to sell the space to Bich Kieu, Lang ultimately found and bought their current space at 423 Rainier Ave South in Little Saigon, where they’ve been ever since.  

People dreaming of starting their own small business should focus on doing things right the first time, Lang advises, and work on finding their niche in the face of competition from retail giants. Bich Kieu, for example, has found its niche in custom jewelry and repair and through its connection to the local Vietnamese community.  

Small business owners should also be prepared to work hard: “Lot of people, they just want five days a week, 9-5 and go home,” he says. “But I guess I love the jewelry business. The only thing I ever worry is if my wife will ever fire me!” 

You can visit Bich Kieu Jewelry at 423 Rainier Ave South in Seattle’s Little Saigon neighborhood. Drop by to check out their selection, commission a custom gift, or just get your watch battery replaced, seven days a week.  

Interested in small business resources and support? Check out our website or reach out to us anytime.   

Owner Pham Lang helping customers at Bich Kieu Jewelry
Owner Pham Lang helping customers.

Small Business of the Month: Seattle Capoeira Center

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A circle of people watching two people in the center playing Capoeira
Students, teachers and community members during a Sunday afternoon roda – a traditional Capoeira Angola game.

Listen: Origin Story – Seattle Capoeira Center

If you haven’t heard of Capoeira—an African cultural art from Brazil that combines self-defense, dance, acrobatics and music—then Seattle Capoeira Center owner Syed Taqi wants to change that. “The goal is like, thousands of people playing Capoeira. Hundreds of people walking around with berimbaus, like [people walk around with] yoga mats.” 

Syed Taqi is Syed’s citizen name, as he puts it—if you train at Seattle Capoeira Center, you may know him as Contramestre (Assistant Master) Mangangá. Capoeira is Syed’s life passion: he has been teaching Capoeira in Seattle since he was 19 years old, and is the highest-ranked Seattleite in Capoeira. When he was a teenager, Syed left his home in Beacon Hill to train in Brazil with his mentor, Grande Mestre (Grand Master) Nô, with the goal of returning home to share Capoeira with his community.  

a row of people sitting and playing berimbaus
Syed Taqi (seated second from the right) plays berimbaus with the group.

Practicing Capoeira with his sister in Seattle, Syed found that they stuck out in their class, which was mostly comprised of white, middle class men. “Me and my sister, being South Asian Muslims, didn’t really fit into the group,” Syed remembers. “My sister, you know, she quit doing Capoeira, and she was like, ‘One day, when you become a master, I’ll come back and do Capoeira.’ She wanted to be in a place where she could practice Capoeira in a safe space for women, especially women of color.” 

Several years later, Syed became an instructor of the Capoeira Angola Palmares group under Grande Mestre Nô. With Grande Mestre Nô’s permission, Syed then formed his own Capoeira group, which evolved into the Seattle Capoeira Center when Syed signed the lease on the business’s studio in 2014. Seattle Capoeira Group originated out of the original Capoeira school that formed in Seattle during the 1980s under Mestre Elísio. Seattle’s Capoeria tradition is one of the longest standing in the United States.

Three young girls seated on the studio floor together
Watching the roda.

The location of the Seattle Capoeira Center—right by the Mount Baker light rail station on Rainier Ave South—is important to Syed because it maintains his connection to the community he grew up in. “It motivated me, because this is where I’m from,” he says. “I’m born and raised in Chicago, but I grew up on Beacon Hill. And I just thought me starting a business here would be meaningful.” 

Syed seized the opportunity to lease the studio at 2909 Rainier Avenue South and began to grow his business from there. “It’s not easy,” he says. “I spend a lot of time away from my family trying to figure out how to promote the business, how to create and cultivate community. This isn’t a retail store where people come in for 20 minutes and then they leave, this is transmitting a cultural tradition, and to do it in an honest, authentic way takes a lot of time, because there is no real blueprint for a business like this. You can’t really go to school to learn how to build community.”  

Part of the challenge for Syed is spreading the word about Capoeira and convincing Seattleites to value it amongst dozens of other fitness options, while at the same time maintaining the existing community and deep respect for the practice. Syed draws a comparison to the ease of selling a yoga class in Seattle: “Yoga has been colonized in the city and all over. White people value that, you know, they’ll drop thousands of dollars. With Capoeira, it’s a struggle.”

A man and a woman seated on the floor pointing towards the center of the circle
Capoeira players encourage a young student to enter the roda circle.

Syed built the student base at Seattle Capoeira Center slowly over the years, in part through investing in advertising and keeping membership fees competitive, but also by doubling down on his commitment to his community. “You gotta find your niche,” he says. “As a fitness center, I can’t compete with 24 Hour Fitness, I can’t compete with the Bouldering Project, I can’t compete with some of these yoga schools. So I narrowed down the niche to community building. That’s something these other places can’t do as well as I can.” 

Syed has relied on his community in learning how to run the business as well. “Throughout the years a lot of my students have helped me at different stages of the business,” he says. “Definitely my wife helps me a lot. She knows a lot of the HR, how to treat people right, and how to cultivate community. She’s probably helped me more than anyone.” Syed also found some business education through Washington CASH, and took advantage of free business resources from the Seattle Public Library. 

If you’re planning to start your own business, Syed recommends focusing on your niche audience, just like he and others have done. “My friends at The Station have their niche demographic that they target to, my friends at That Brown Girl Cooks, they have their niche that they target to. So these businesses that are run by people of color that are successful, they’re tapping into spaces that aren’t occupied by others,” he says. 

More than anything else, Syed invites you to come be part of the Seattle Capoeira community. “Stop by a Sunday Roda session, from 2-4:00pm. That’s where we celebrate Capoeira and maintain the tradition.” The weekly roda is a chance for all families to come experience Capoeira, whether you’re a regular player or you just want to watch and learn.  

You’re also invited to Capoeira Life 3.0 on May 26, 2019 where you’ll have the chance to join in on a basic class, watch a live Capoeira demonstration with music, and celebrate Syed’s promotion from Contramestre to Mestre (Master)—a huge milestone, as Syed will be the second-ever North American student of Mestre Nô to become a Mestre. You can also sign up for a free week of classes at Seattle Capoeira Center, and follow them on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.  

Interested in small business resources and support? Check out our website or reach out to us anytime.   

Small Business of the Month: QueenCare

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Listen: Origin Story – QueenCare

QueenCare staff members Kiana, Monika Mathews, Eva and Ashley McCarver standing beside a sign that reads "Show love, shop local with QueenCare"

Kiana, Monika Mathews, Eva and Ashley McCarver outside their store in Columbia City.

 

QueenCare in Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood is much more than a beauty supply store. Opened in December 2018, QueenCare employs young women of color and provides them with mentorship, job training and support. On top of all of this, they sell amazing-smelling, all-natural skincare products at the same time. QueenCare founder and owner Monika Mathews has made it her life’s work to create opportunity and supportive community for young people.  

“QueenCare has three tenants: indulge, engage and uplift,” Monika says. “We want people to indulge in our products that are made with all-natural ingredients. It’s all about self–care and loving your body and taking care of what you put on your skin. So that’s the indulge part, but we also want people to engage—we want people to engage with what’s happening in the community. This is more than just a program. We really are about changing lives.” 

Monika created her nonprofit Life Enrichment Group 16 years ago and runs several programs out of the organization, including Young Queens, a personal development program that focuses on self-love, personal development, academic achievement and sisterhood for young ladies. “Entrepreneurship training is one of those tenants that we really focus on, and three years ago at Rainier Beach High School, we got an opportunity from the United Way of King County in the way of funding to be able to start an innovative program that focuses on economic development in Seattle,” Monika explains. “And so that’s where QueenCare really was born.” Girls involved in the Young Queens program at Rainier Beach High began making QueenCare’s line of products and selling them at festivals and community gatherings.  

After sweeping awards at the Sharks at the Beach small business pitch event, Monika and her team began looking for ways to expand QueenCare beyond tabling at events. “I remember one day Monica was driving down the street and she goes, ‘Oh my god, there’s a building! We could open up a store, what do you think?’” QueenCare Executive Assistant Ashley McCarver recalls. “And I go, ‘Yeah let’s do it!’ So from September to November we were just driving by, thinking of great ideas, and about October or November, we got the space.” The store opened on December 8 last year, officially proclaimed QueenCare Day in the City of Seattle by Mayor Jenny Durkan. “When the day came, it was just so mind blowing—we really did this!”  

Youth staff members Eva and Kiana show off QueenCare products.

Young ladies from the Young Queens program were hired as staff to help run the store, including Kiana, a senior at Cleveland High School who currently works as Youth Manager at QueenCare. Kiana has been selling products with QueenCare since she was a freshman and took advantage of the opportunity to work at the store when it opened. “We get training in a lot of different aspects other than just, you know, interacting with customers and making the products,” Kiana says. “I gained a second support system outside of my family, and it’s good to know that I can come and have people that are there to support me and care about me. I’ve learned to open up to different things and take risks, and just be a lot more open-minded.”  

Eva, another student from Cleveland High and employee at QueenCare, agrees that she’s gained a new support system through working with Monika and Ashley. “I was literally just looking for a job and I saw [QueenCare] as a job opportunity, and I took it,” she says. “Now, it’s deeper than a just a job for me. I can rely on them if I need anything, I know that they got my back. There’s this sisterhood, and I know that they got my back too, so it’s one big community.” 

Monika knows first-hand that there aren’t enough programs to support young women of color like Eva and Kiana. “There were a lot of challenges that I faced [when I was a teenager] and unfortunately I did not have access to a lot of positive support, either adults or programs,” Monika says. “So when I started Life Enrichment Group, it was really important for me to provide some of those things that I knew I needed as a young person, just to make sure to support the holistic development of young ladies.” 

She continues, “At the same time, I saw a lot of young ladies really making not so good choices, like leading into criminal behavior, because they did not have a lot of opportunities to make money. And so that became very important to me, to really create something that young ladies could participate in and earn some cash in doing so, and also learn marketable skills that will help them in this ever-changing region that we’re in.” 

QueenCare body products displayed on a shelf

Customers can come in and try out QueenCare’s body lotions, scrubs, perfumes and more.

Monika says there’s been a learning curve in running the business: “It’s one thing to table at festivals versus actually having a brick and mortar store. So I think that’s been a challenge. But we have been supported by the Office of Economic Development in learning different things, and other entities as well.” Monika has a long-standing relationship with Office of Economic Development staff member Heidi Hall, who works with community members across Seattle’s business districts. “Heidi has been a supporter of QueenCare since day one, before we had these nice labels and everything,” Monika says. “Heidi has just been a wealth of information and a great go-to person for support and encouragement.” 

Monika and Ashley have big plans for QueenCare’s future. “The goals are to have more locations and definitely more products. We’re in the making of getting candles, and that’s definitely not the end of it,” says Ashley. Monika adds, “Another one of our goals is to expand our program offerings in the community…We want to have a transitional home, an educational day care center, and a youth development center where young people can come develop their skills and talents.”  

You can find QueenCare at 3702 S. Hudson St., just off of Rainier Ave S. in Columbia City. You can also shop online and check them out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  

If you’re interested in small business resources and support, check out our website or reach out to us anytime.  

Shop the Squeeze campaign launches to support small businesses and promote alternative transit

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Shop the Squeeze logo with cartoon of a Sasquatch and a squirrel enjoying drinks together in a shop

The Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) and Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) are excited to launch #ShoptheSqueeze: a campaign to encourage locals to visit small businesses Downtown during the Seattle Squeeze—the period of transition Seattle faces over the next five years as public and private construction projects continue to change how we get around Downtown.

Driven primarily by weekly social media photo contests, the campaign encourages participants to visit their favorite Downtown small businesses via alternative transportation and share their stories. Alternative transportation includes walking, or traveling by bike, bus, ferry, Link light rail, Streetcar, or carpool – anything that helps ease traffic Downtown. Each month will feature a different small business sector, such as restaurants or art galleries, as a theme. Participants are entered to win prizes including $100 pre-loaded ORCA cards and Visa gift cards. Full contest details here.

Shop the Squeeze will focus primarily on Belltown, Pioneer Square, the Chinatown-International District , and the downtown retail core as the neighborhoods most impacted by upcoming transportation changes. The campaign mascots, Simon the Sasquatch and Pearl the Squirrel, will deliver family-friendly campaign messaging about important transit milestones, ideas for creative commuting, and photo contest details via social media, transit advertising, and our website: seattle.gov/shopthesqueeze.

While the new State Route 99 tunnel is now open, the Squeeze is long from over. Major changes to our transportation system are still on the horizon—our next big impact will hit on March 23, when the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel becomes Link light rail-only and hundreds of buses will move up to our surface streets. The Shop the Squeeze campaign is intended to keep people shopping and exploring Downtown neighborhoods in order to minimize the impacts of the remaining years of the #SeattleSqueeze on small businesses.

#ShoptheSqueeze rolled out Friday, March 15th, 2019 and will continue at least for the remainder of 2019. To participate, follow @SeattleEconomy on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website: seattle.gov/shopthesqueeze.

[Read more…]

Ada’s Technical Books builds quirky community on Capitol Hill

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A view of Ada's bookstore, with shelves on the right and a customer seating area to the left.

Photo: Cindy Apple

Ada’s Technical Books, established at their current location in 2013, embraces Seattle’s nerdy population, old and new, and is dedicated to building community in the neighborhood in partnership with the 15th Ave Merchants Association. Owners Danielle and David Hulton combine bookstore, café, coworking space, tech paradise, and event space all into one. “When we moved in, it was super run down and it was still laid out as a house – which gave us a lot of freedom to do whatever we wanted to the space,” says Danielle Hulton.

As proud, long-time Capitol Hill residents, the Hultons were passionate about keeping the exterior of the store looking the same as it has for years, choosing to build around and include existing elements of the house in the storefront. Before Ada’s, the space was Horizon Books, another bookstore and a longstanding staple of the 15th Ave community. To Danielle, Ada’s is a space for the newer tech community to gather, for café-goers to stumble upon, and for everyone to explore. “Someone might come in and be looking for a cup of coffee but then start playing with the puzzles on the shelf… and if that piques their interest, then that’s a win.” Danielle says.

A barista grabbing a cup behind the counter at the Ada's cafe.

Photo credit: Cindy Apple.

Ada’s is a meld of Danielle’s background in electrical engineering and various wide-spread interests.  In the beginning, Ada’s was a staple spot for books about all things technical, from coding and programming manuals to children’s books to hands-on logic puzzles. The Hultons’ aim was to represent every aspect of the tech community. A good friend of Danielle’s used her food science background to get the in-house vegetarian and vegan restaurant menu off the ground in the cafe. As the years went on, the demand for a gathering space grew, and Ada’s listened. In 2016, The Lab at Ada’s became a rentable event space hosting public and private events, available for anything from work celebrations, anniversaries, and themed parties. Many pieces of furniture at Ada’s were made locally or especially for the space, and the Marie Curie-themed Lab even offers specialty cocktails concocted by the Ada’s staff. The Office, which opened in 2014, gives monthly desk renters 24/7 access to the space and a place to call home right on 15th Ave.

Moving to 15th Ave in 2013 was a jump of faith that Hulton says would not have been the same without the support of their neighbors and the 15th Ave Merchants Association. As a business district organization, the 15th Ave Merchants Association organizes community-wide events such as the 15th Ave Street Fest, where local businesses come together to celebrate and showcase their specialties. The association works together to build a stronger community by sharing expertise and supporting each other’s businesses.

A display of books and products, with customers sitting at tables in the background.

Photo credit: Cindy Apple.

“When we were first renovating, so many of the other businesses came by and welcomed us,” Danielle says, “we felt so supported and I think right then, we knew 15th Ave was going to be home.” Danielle is also a member of the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce and is excited to form 15th Ave into even more of a community. “Because 15th Ave is somewhat separate from the rest of Capitol Hill, it’s sometimes forgotten. There’s so much expertise shared between the merchants and we’re going to highlight that.”

Whether it’s through her work with the Merchants Association or through the many facets of her own business, Danielle is finding all sorts of ways to bring people together. Her latest venture is Ada’s Discovery Cafe—stop by to explore the science behind coffee and try some delicious, experimental drinks.

The Office of Economic Development Only in Seattle team is here to help support the neighborhood business districts who do so much to help one another. To learn more about our work, visit our website.

Photo contest, pop-up festival and online campaign encourage Seattle to Shop Small

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Shop Seattle Gems is a city-wide campaign made to connect locals to the best “hidden gems” of Seattle, encouraging shoppers to “Go Big, Shop Small” throughout the holiday season. The Shop Seattle Gems campaign features opportunities for shoppers to win prizes while supporting their favorite small businesses through an online photo contest, trivia about local small businesses and a Beacon Hill festival and a scavenger hunt on November 24—Small Business Saturday.

“When I shop small, I feel a sense of community, of adventure, and what it means to be a Seattleite,” said Mayor Durkan. “I hope everyone will join me in celebrating our unique small businesses—and small business owners—by shopping at the places that make Seattle so special.”

Shop Seattle Gems encourages Seattleites to support small businesses in their neighborhoods—particularly minority, women, and LGBTQIA-owned businesses—during the holiday season and year-round. Local celebrities SassyBlack, Sylvia O’Stayformore, Tarik Abdullah and Mayor Durkan joined the campaign by participating in promotional videos highlighting the Seattle neighborhoods and small businesses that are meaningful to them.

“Shopping small is extremely important to our community and economic infrastructure. This is our city, our neighbors, and it’s necessary to support one another in whatever way we can,” said SassyBlack. “When asked to be a part of this campaign, it was a no-brainer. As a musician, I am a small business owner and I know the impact that it has on my work when people come out to my shows or buy merch. This is how we can keep the magic of Seattle alive, through shopping locally. I get great joy out of supporting and I try to do it in every city I travel to.”

The campaign includes a social media photo contest and #NameThatGem small business trivia. The photo contest winner will receive dinner for two at Cactus in South Lake Union, plus a seaplane tour for two on Kenmore Air. To enter the contest, participants simply post a photo of their favorite small business with the hashtag #seattlegems and tag the business location. The business tagged in the winning post will receive free small business marketing consulting courtesy of the City of Seattle. Winners will be announced December 15.*

On November 24, Beacon Hill Merchants Association (soon to be the Beacon Business Alliance) is hosting an all-day Shop Seattle Gems Festival, which includes a real life “Gem Hunt” at small businesses on Beacon Hill. Gems will be hidden at small businesses around Beacon, and the shoppers who find them will receive gift baskets of local goodies. The festival will also include a variety of activities, including a DJ, live painting, artisan vendors and more.

Shop Seattle Gems is all about building community and supporting the neighborhood businesses that give our city its character. “When you shop at local small businesses you’re contributing to the city’s culture, to its soul, to what makes your community unique and special to you,” said Tacos Chukis owner Roberto Salmeron.

“Shopping with small business is so important to Delite Bakery and our family especially because we are a family-run company. We like to feel that our products are made with passion and are enjoyed by others in our community, connecting us through the love of food,” said Delite Bakery owner Brittany Despi.

Shop Small is proudly backed by American Express. The Office of Economic Development worked with Indie Genius Media, Story 2 Cooperative Design Studio, OutSide Thinc and social media consultant Audrey Tamberg to design this year’s campaign.

Follow the Office of Economic Development on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to watch the campaign unfold throughout the shopping season and to get details on how to participate.

*These activities are not sponsored, administered or endorsed by American Express.

SassyBlack promotional video in West Seattle

Sylvia O’Stayformore promotional video in Georgetown

Tarik Abdullah promotional video in Beacon Hill

Mayor Jenny Durkan promotional video in Capitol Hill

Small Business of the Month: Seoul Bowl

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James and Subin Chang working in their food truck.

Owners James and Subin Chang.

There seems to be a Seattle-area food truck for just about every type of food you can think of. We owe our local, delicious, convenient, international variety of street food options to creative and resourceful small business owners like James Chang, owner of Seoul Bowl.

Seoul Bowl’s menu takes Korean food staples and puts them in choose-your-own bowl form. Customers choose their protein option—bulgogi, spicy pork, chicken or fried tofu—and add toppings like kimchi and pickled radish. Their menu also includes mandoo (potstickers), bulgogi sandwiches, and bulgogi kimchi fries.

With Seoul Bowl, James is bringing his favorite flavors from Korea to Seattle. “After graduating college, I lived in Korea for about five years traveling and eating all kinds of foods,” he says. “A lot of times I was always asking myself why there wasn’t this kind of food in Seattle. When I moved back to Seattle with my wife, we decided to start a food truck in hopes to share more flavors and foods from what we had in Korea.” James and his wife, Subin, came up with their menu together, based on their favorite meats and sauces from Korea.

Having worked at a food truck in New York previously, opening a truck was a natural choice for James. “I really enjoyed the food truck culture and atmosphere. I think because the food truck can go anywhere and serve food, it makes it always a new adventure.”

While James enjoys the freedom of running his business out of his truck, any food truck operator will tell you it’s not easy. James worked with the Office of Economic Development’s Restaurant Advocate, Jennifer Tam, to navigate requirements and get his business up and running. “She has helped me basically from the start of my business until now,” he says.

James and Subin are continuing to work with Jennifer as they pursue their future vision for Seoul Bowl. “We’re growing and looking to expand into a brick and mortar [location], and Jennifer has always been extremely helpful,” he says. “In the next five years I hope that Seoul Bowl will be in many brick-and-mortars, as we want to continue to grow and share our flavors from Korea.”

Seattle foodies can look forward to future brick-and-mortar Seoul Bowl locations—for now, the truck can be found year-round at various locations and events around Seattle, Bellevue and more. “We are currently in the process of getting some permanent spots in the Seattle area, which we’ll be at for lunch,” James adds.

Food truck locations are competitive and can be difficult to obtain. James’ success in getting locations that work for his business is just one aspect of the hard work mobile food vendors put into creating a successful business. Organizations like the Washington State Food Truck Association, Seattlefoodtruck.com, and the Seattle Department of Transportation are just a few of the ways mobile food vendors hustle to obtain locations on private property and in the public right-of-way.

Subin Chang preparing a bowl in her food truck.

Subin preparing an order.

Seoul Bowl posts their locations for the week each Sunday on Instagram and Facebook, so follow them to see where they’re at next. If you don’t know what to order on your first visit, try James and ­­­Subin’s go-to order: the bulgogi bowl with all the toppings and yum yum sauce. “My wife will always ask me to bring her a bowl so that she could eat it at home or for lunch.”

Got an idea for your own food truck? You can find resources for opening a food business on our Restaurant Success page, and get in touch with us to learn more about our services for small businesses.

Seattle Startup Stories: Armoire

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Armoire founder Ambika Singh sitting with a coffee mug.

Armoire CEO Ambika Singh.

Armoire is a Seattle-based startup that wants to change the way people—for the moment, mostly women—approach their wardrobes.

Armoire members complete a style profile including questions about size and style preferences. The app then presents a “closet” of items for the member to choose from based on an algorithm and assistance from professional stylists. The chosen items are then shipped to the member’s home. Members wear the pieces for as long as they want, and swap items when they’re ready for something new.

On the business end, Armoire is a team of a little over 22 people—also mostly women—operating out of The Riveter coworking space in Capitol Hill. Armoire’s Founder, Owner and Chief BossLady Ambika Singh sat down with us to talk about her experience building a brand that caters to all women.

Tell us about your background and career leading up to Armoire.

I’m from Seattle, I grew up on the Eastside. I went to college in New Hampshire, pretty much as far away from Seattle as you can get. I really missed it here, so I came back as an intern at Microsoft, twice, which was really different from what I was studying. At the time I was a history major with a concentration in Asian studies. I wrote my thesis about microfinance in India, so landing at Microsoft was not a straight line.

My first startup experience was less than the big success it was expected to be. We went from about 17 people a year in, and then the company laid off 14 of the 17, in my perception, overnight. It was really blindsiding for me.

Ambika and one of her co-founders, Brittany Seabaugh, in the styling room at Armoire.

Ambika and one of her co-founders, Brittany Seabaugh.

Looking back, it was professionally the most devastating thing that had happened to me. The first day was bad, the second day was better, and by three weeks later, I started to pick myself up and walk away. I learned even in the worst case, the worst case is okay. I realized this would not break me, and there would be another thing.

My next startup experience, I actually ended up with Rover. Rover was very cool, because I saw the other side. Which is very addicting. When it works, it’s awesome. We built a team, and it took on a soul of its own very quickly. I was itchy to have more ownership over what we were doing. [Read more…]

Collaboration and community: Recent highlights from the Office of Economic Development

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With the first half of 2018 in the rear-view mirror, we’d like to look back at some highlights of the last few months as we look forward to supporting you in your business and in your career.

Our teams have been hard at work for you in the community; we are pleased to report that as of mid-June, the combined efforts of our Small Business and Key Sector teams have directly provided services to 503 businesses. Our “Only in Seattle” team, through community partners, served an additional 374 businesses. In addition to individual contacts, read on for just a few examples of community convenings in which our office is engaged.

A presenter speaks to accompany a PowerPoint presentation at the Africatown event. Africatown Innovation District Lunch and Learn:  In June, we were delighted to host Africatown in the Bertha Knight Landes Room of City Hall, where over 30 community and corporate leaders met to explore available resources and programs in support of a robust innovation district in the Central District. With a shared goal of preparing underrepresented youth for meaningful careers in IT and the creative economy, participants mapped current efforts, reflected on what is and isn’t working, and articulated their commitment to a more equitable tech economy. We thank GeekWire, A family with a young child sits at a table during the Africatown event. Microsoft, HTC, HEREseattle, Seattle Colleges, Vulcan, Social Venture Partners and our City colleagues in Arts, IT, and Planning and Development for their time and energy. We look forward to next steps!

 

Front view of a model Blokable living unitPeer Networking Event on Commercial Affordability: In our work with the Mayor’s Small Business Advisory Council, market and systemic pressures continue to make commercial affordability a significant challenge facing small businesses. In May, we convened about 15 business district managers from across Seattle at a local startup firm – Blokable – to discuss commercial affordability. The Office of Economic Development’s (OED) Only in Seattle, Small Business Development and Key Sectors teams, in partnership with the Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDPDA) and Onpoint Real Estate Services, OED's Ken Takahashi speaking to the peer networking group.organized this peer networking event to share a model for commercial lease education workshops in Chinatown ID and Little Saigon, vet innovative solutions for affordable commercial space, and make connections between business districts.

 

Summer Youth Employment Experiences: As a part of our office’s efforts to provide a continuum of career-connected learning and work experiences for Seattle’s youth, every summer, employers across the public, private and non-profit sectors in Seattle open their doors to thousands of youth interns. We thank the private sector donors who have together contributed over $150,000 to support youth employment this year, and in particular, our valued partner JPMorgan Chase, who through five years of cumulative support, surpassed the $1 million mark in 2018!

A panel of Zillow Group employees presents to the group of students. Given our focus on equitable access and prioritization of under-served communities, including young women and people of color, we are thrilled to spotlight Zilllow Group’s “Shadow an Intern” event at their downtown headquarters. To better enable high school students to envision their careers and set themselves up for success, youth from TAF Academy, YWCA, and the Seattle Housing Authority enjoyed personalized tours of the Zillow office, and a panel focused on career development tips.

Until the fall, stay tuned to the Bottom Line Blog for updates, but in the meantime, please feel free to contact me if our office may better support you in your business and career!

Small Business of the Month: Sphere Solar Energy

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Sphere Solar Energy owner Edwin Ngugi Wanji stands in front of the solar panel system his company installed for Hellbent Brewing Company.

Sphere Solar Energy owner Edwin Ngugi Wanji stands in front of the solar panel system his company installed for Hellbent Brewing Company.

Growing up in Kenya, Edwin Ngugi Wanji says he was the kind of kid who was always “trying to figure out how stuff works.” “A solar panel on my mom’s little calculator was always very fascinating to me, and I pulled a lot of those out as a kid,” he remembers. Edwin is now the owner and founder of Sphere Solar Energy, a small business that installs solar energy systems for clients across the region, and for communities around the world.

After a childhood spent dissecting calculators, cameras and radios, Edwin arrived in the United States and got a job working on a construction site, where he began working his way up in the field and picking up expertise along the way. He started working in solar energy about eight years ago, and left his job to start his own company three years ago. “The fact that we can fully solar power homes in Seattle, 100 percent, in the cloudy weather, was just a big, ‘Whoa! We can do this anywhere,’” Edwin says of his decision to go into the industry.

He took the leap into entrepreneurship out of a desire to do things his own way, and to pursue his philanthropic vision: “My goal was, you know, just a global goal, making solar energy more accessible to communities that typically would consider solar energy very expensive, and maybe are the ones who actually have trouble with those recurring costs, those energy bills.”

Sphere Solar Energy buys most of its solar panels directly from Pacific Northwest manufacturers and provides its customers both a 10-year warranty and yearly maintenance and service

Edwin shows OED staff the meter that monitors Hellbent Brewing's solar energy system. On sunny summer days, the system generates excess power which gets fed into the surrounding power grid (and earns extra money for the business).

Edwin shows OED staff the meter that monitors Hellbent Brewing’s solar energy system. On sunny summer days, the system generates excess power which gets fed into the surrounding power grid (and earns extra money for the business).

inspections for the systems it installs. The warranty is rarely needed, however, Edwin says: “Solar is very reliable and very low maintenance. It doesn’t go down.”

Edwin has big plans for his business: he hopes to work with more commercial-scale clients, such as the project Sphere Solar Energy recently completed at Hellbent Brewing Company in Lake City. With 72 solar panels on its roof, Hellbent is now home to the largest solar system on a brewery in Washington State and generates 30 percent of its energy. Edwin is particularly interested in working on projects with local schools so that he can involve the students in the projects—having early experience with solar energy means the kids will be more likely to apply the technology in their future.

Edwin didn’t make a profit on Sphere Solar Energy’s early projects, at first just trying to get his name out there and prove the quality of his work to attract more customers. As one of very few immigrant-owned solar energy companies, Edwin built his business without easy access to loans. “For instance, if I need to buy equipment or anything, I need to pay cash. I put money away and go buy it,” he says, explaining how he’s had to pay his business’s costs out of pocket due to a lack of financing.

At the same time, Edwin appreciates that he is in a unique position to help others pursue a similar path. While working on the Hellbent Brewery system, Edwin and Hellbent owner Jack Guinn invited low-income teens from the Lake City neighborhood to job shadow for a day. Edwin hopes that by seeing someone they can relate to—someone who arrived in the U.S. with $40 in his wallet—being successful in the field, kids will be able to see themselves working in the industry someday too.

Sphere Solar Energy is getting involved in its community in other ways too. The business is providing a solar system (plus maintenance and support) for a BLOCK Project home in the Greenwood neighborhood. The BLOCK Project aims to provide tiny homes for people experiencing homelessness in residential neighborhoods across the city, and are designed to be completely off-grid. BLOCK Project co-founder Rex Hohlbein says Edwin jumped at the chance to offer his solar energy services when he heard about the project.

Edwin’s humanitarian efforts go far beyond just Seattle. He is passionate about growing his company’s philanthropic efforts, since even small systems can make a huge difference to communities around the world that don’t have existing infrastructure. “A system that I can put on a house here [in Seattle], over there, three or four hundred kids would benefit from it,” he explains, describing a planned project for a school in Haiti.

His team has already completed a project in Kenya and has a project in the works in Haiti. Edwin says the impact of the new systems is clear and immediate. “I built a system in Kenya that’s pretty much running irrigation. So, a journey that took people a few hours just to pull water from point A to B, now is seven gallons a minute.”

Whether it’s in Kenya or in Seattle, Sphere Solar Energy’s mission is to make energy affordable and accessible to the people who need it the most. “I know the struggle to pay my power bills when I was broke. I can imagine the mother with families, assisted living, barely making ends meet,” Edwin says. “It’s like, ‘Hey, this $200 a month can go towards other things.” As Sphere Solar Energy continues to grow, it will continue to pursue its vision: “a world where energy access is a basic human right, and where that same human right does not harm the planet.”

You can learn more about Sphere Solar Energy—and how you may be able to put your monthly energy bill towards other things—on their website, or by connecting with them on Facebook.