What listening to Kitsap’s entrepreneurs, investors, lenders, and community leaders revealed about capital, and where we go from here.Imagine landing the biggest contract in your company's history and worrying it could put you out of business.That's the dilemma one Kitsap entrepreneur shared as part of Matchstick Lab's recent exploration of what the SBA calls "capital …
Locally rooted businesses — and the people willing to back them — help turn growth into community. By Jennifer Wilson, Founder and Executive Pastry Chef, Wilson Patisserie I have always believed a bakery should be more than a place to buy something sweet. At its best, it becomes part of a community’s rhythm: morning coffee, …
How Local Investment Networks are giving Washington communities another way to back the businesses they value. Thriving Communities Many of us have had the experience of buying a product from an inspired entrepreneur who shared just the right details to move us to purchase their wares. Or meeting a business owner so confident in their …
By connecting commercial innovators with naval defense, Kitsap is demonstrating how regional innovation can strengthen both national security and economic growth. The future of defense is changing faster than ever. Artificial intelligence, autonomy, robotics, advanced manufacturing, and other emerging technologies are redefining how wars are fought and won. We need only look to current conflicts—including …
A reflection on the values that shape Kitsap—and the future we’re building together. Last month, standing before a room of business, government, and community leaders from Bainbridge Island and across the Kitsap Peninsula, I asked a question: As we look to the future, what do we want Kitsap to be known for? While facilitating the …
Why supporting entrepreneurs means investing in the long-term resilience of our communities One year ago this month, we celebrated the graduation celebration of the 2025 Matchstick Lab Micro Business Accelerator cohort, a program that brought together 24 groundbreakers in the Kitsap community and invested heavily in the growth and development of the next iteration of …
Why founders, investors, and everyday leaders have more influence on Kitsap’s future than they realize. Spring is one of my favorite times of year, because it has a way of revealing what was already growing beneath the surface. In Kitsap, that means bursts of technicolor in the natural world around us—alongside fresh energy and real …
Every leader I work with wants the same thing: an organization that thrives no matter what comes next. Whether pursuing growth, recovering from setbacks, developing new capabilities, or building future-readiness, they all seek sustainable resilience that doesn’t crack under pressure.
Why startup ecosystems rise—or stall—based on the culture we build together
