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, …
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 startup ecosystems rise—or stall—based on the culture we build together
Last month, I attended the Firebrand UNconference hosted by Matchstick Labs at Vibe Coworks. Nearly 80 entrepreneurs from all kinds of industries showed up for the second annual event.
The best place to build a tech company isn’t where you think
Matchstick Lab has received a $75,000 award from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2025 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition, positioning the organization to launch Kitsap County’s first coordinated effort to expand local access to capital.
Growth in Kitsap’s entrepreneurial ecosystem doesn’t happen by accident.
