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 …
How John Kuntz spent four decades building Olympic Outdoor Center and helping shape Kitsap County’s outdoor recreation economy
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 …
Every community tells a story.You can see parts of it in the obvious places. In the schools and neighborhoods. Along the waterfront. In the ferries moving back and forth across Puget Sound. In the shipyard, the military installations and the communities that have grown around them.But you can also see it in the businesses we …
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 …
For entrepreneurs trying to grow businesses outside Washington’s major metropolitan centers, conferences like the Flywheel Investment Conference offer more than networking opportunities or investor pitches. They provide momentum, visibility and connection.
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 …
