Black, Indigenous and people of color are making their marks in the Pacific Northwest small business sector. Chances are, if you’ve enjoyed a cup of joe on Seattle University’s campus, munched on sandwiches at Don Lucho’s in Maple Leaf or bought a bouquet at Florintino’s Fine Flowers in Madison Valley, you’ve patronized a BIPOC business.

But do you know the people behind those businesses—how they got started, what challenges they’ve faced and what motivates them to do their work?

Those queries and more were answered last week at United Way of King County’s panel, Advancing Racial Equity: How BIPOC Businesses Benefit Us All at Seattle University’s Pigott Auditorium. It marked the first installment of the year for the Advancing Racial Equity series, where United Way presents local newsmakers with lived experiences to share their insight, expertise and inspiration.

The panel featured:

• Former Seattle Seahawks great Doug Baldwin, the founder and CEO of Vault 89 Ventures, a Renton-based capital venture firm that invests in people and ideas that deconstruct barriers historically displacing many in our communities.

• Laura Clise, founder and CEO of Intentionalist, an online guide to intentional spending that supports small businesses and diverse local communities.

• Efrem Fesaha, founder and CEO of Boon Boona Coffee, a Renton-based, exclusively African sourcing roaster.

The event also included Randy Massengale, outreach coordinator for Seattle University’s Resource Amplification & Management Program, who spoke about Seattle University’s commitment to increasing the diversity of its suppliers to move toward a more sustainable, inclusive local economy.

The event also included Randy Massengale, outreach coordinator for Seattle University’s Resource Amplification & Management Program, who spoke about Seattle University’s commitment to increasing the diversity of its suppliers to move toward a more sustainable, inclusive local economy.

The event was held one week after Martin Luther King Jr. Day and moderator Liahann Bannerman, United Way senior director of community & volunteer engagement, spoke about how the panel honored Dr. King’s legacy of economic empowerment of communities of color.

Donations to the event will go toward two coalitions United Way launched as part of our commitment toward racial equity:

The Black Community Building Collective, a group of 15 Black nonprofit leaders who help determine how United Way funding can support equitable recovery and the long-term viability of King County’s Black community.

The Indigenous Communities Fund, a coalition of Indigenous organizations that address the differential impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the county’s Indigenous People.

For more information about the United Way Advancing Racial Equity Event Series, click here.