[1/24/23] Last Thursday evening, January 19th, we held our first Chamber After Hours of 2023 with over 100 members of our business community in attendance! What better way to start the new year than with new business connections? Attendees enjoyed food, drinks, and networking inside the amazing Edison Square event space in South Tacoma. Thank you to everyone who came out and took part in this great event! View a photo recap of the night below. 

[12/27/22] 2022 was an exciting year for the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber and our local business community! This past year we were thrilled to get back to in-person events where we strengthened relationships with friendly faces—many familiar and many new! We also developed new ways to connect with our membership through candid conversations and storytelling. The conferences we took part in gave local leaders chances to learn, grow, and be inspired with ambitious ideas for the South Sound. We were honored to play a role in leadership development programs for business owners and entrepreneurs on the rise in our region. Advocacy to protect business interests and ensure a thriving local economy was a top priority for us on a local, state, and national level. Throughout the year, we enjoyed many different opportunities to celebrate the successes and accomplishments of our vibrant business community.

Thank you to everyone who joined us this year to make an impact for business in the South Sound. We can't wait to have you alongside us for everything 2023 has in store! 

Read our recap of the Chamber's Top 10 accomplishments, events, programs, and moments from 2022 below! 

1. LEADING THE FUTURE CHAMBER: In May, Andrea Reay joined the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber as its President and CEO to advance our vision of making the South Sound the most equitable, inclusive, and thriving place to do business in Washington State. Read a recent profile of Andrea in South Sound Business Magazine. 

2. ACCELERATING SMALL BUSINESS: Throughout 2022, our Chamber has administered the Pierce County Business Accelerator program to offer support and opportunities for success to people of color, women, and veterans in addition to Spaceworks continuing its Incubator business trainings. Read "A Year of the Pierce County Business Accelerator" from South Sound Business Magazine to learn more. 

10. BRINGING THE SOUTH SOUND TO WORLDWIDE MARKETS: The World Trade Center Tacoma carried out a Vietnam Trade and Investment Mission with hybrid in-person and virtual opportunities for creating connections for trade, education, and supply chain to connect the South Sound to growing worldwide markets. 

[12/19/22] Last Monday, December 12th, more than 400 members of our Pierce County business community came out in their holiday best to celebrate our dedicated public officials! Guests joined us at the Marriott Tacoma Downtown for delicious food and drink, live jazz music, ice sculptures, a 360-degree photo booth, and plenty of chances to mix and mingle with our community leaders. At this event, former Chamber Board Chair AJ Gordon officially passed the gavel to new Board Chair Eli Taylor. 

Thank you to our amazing sponsors, as well as everyone who attended and made this event a stunning success! 

[12/19/22] Wednesday, December 14th, the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber and Comcast hosted a reception event for 21 BIPOC, women, and veteran-owned small businesses in Tacoma selected as recipients of the Thrive Tacoma Business Fund. This fund was made possible through contributions from Comcast.

The mission of the Thrive Tacoma Business Fund is to provide direct financial support for small businesses, many of which are still struggling with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each recipient has been granted $5,0000 for their business. In addition to a total of $105,000 in grants, recipients will receive direct finance, digital access, and other technical support specifically curated to their unique business challenges, thereby ensuring greater equitable economic development in Tacoma. 

With help from community partners getting the word out, over 800 applicants applied for this opportunity. Thank you to the Black Collective, Mi Centro, and Asia Pacific Cultural Center. 

Congratulations to the 21 businesses selected as recipients of this fund!

Loak Toung Thai LLC
Native American Reentry Services
K&T LLC dba Le Le Restaurant
Buffalo Soldiers Museum
Limitless Apparel LLC
The Atkins Consultant Group LLC
OM Michael Quality Painting LLC
Pour It On LLC
K. Hancock Events
Johnygirl Sound Therapy & Healing Arts Studio
Vigil Family Medicine
Chémel Salon LLC
Ellis Bookkeeping & Tax
MauraMcMahon.com
West Coast Beauty Lab
Sabrina's Imagery LLC
Nail Pro
Connections Counseling & Consulting
Construct N Style
Elements Of Sunshine
Red Elm Café.

View photos from the reception below.

[12/13/22] The Chamber recently joined Around The Clock Childcare in Tacoma to celebrate their grand opening, open house, and recent renovation and expansion. Thank you to everyone who came out to this fun event! 

View photos from the ribbon-cutting below. 

[11/21/22] Congratulations to the graduates of the 44th Annual Business Leadership Academy. This year, over twenty participants took part in a 10-week program to learn leadership skills, engage with the business community, and connect with a mentor on their journey to success. The 2022 Business Leadership Academy wrapped up with a graduation and celebration luncheon at Court House Square in Downtown Tacoma. Congratulations once again to this year's graduates and we can't wait to see what you go on to do in our community! 

View a slideshow recap of the 2022 Business Leadership Academy and photos from the graduation below. 

[11/21/22] Last Friday, November 18th, the Chamber helped ZEVA Aero & Rift Carbon Campers celebrate their Open House with a ribbon-cutting! ZEVA is an innovative company in Pierce County that creates lightweight camper trailers and is also building the next generation of sustainable electric aircraft. Thank you to everyone who came out and helped us celebrate this exciting local business! 

View photos from the ribbon-cutting below.

[11/1/22] Last Friday, October 28th, the Chamber joined Top Fitness Store in Tacoma to celebrate their grand opening and new business name with a ribbon-cutting! Thank you to everyone who attended and made this such a great event. View a photo recap of the event below! ​

[11/1/22] The Business Leadership Academy of Tacoma-Pierce County was recently given the opportunity to tour the Port of Tacoma and several of the many businesses and organizations that reside within it to get a close-up view of economic development in Pierce County. The group's stops included the Port itself, Tacoma Rail, Richlite, and the Tacoma Youth Marine Center. View a photo recap of this exciting and informative trip below!

[10/25/22] Last Thursday, October 20th, the Chamber joined Al's Hot Chicken in University Place to celebrate the grand opening of their storefront. This business is sure to be a vibrant addition to the Pierce County food ecosystem, and it is already very popular! On its opening day, the restaurant saw cars lined up down the road just to get a taste! Guests who attended this ribbon-cutting were lucky enough to get to try Al's Hot Chicken for themselves, and it was delicious. View a photo recap of the event below! 

[10/25/22] Last Thursday, October 20th, the Chamber held its monthly Chamber After Hours event at the beautiful Historic 1625 Tacoma Place venue. Over 150 guests from the business community joined us for a night of networking, refreshments, and fun. Attendees enjoyed seeing the stunning event space offered at Historic 1625 as well as a chance to taste many delicious catering vendor options, take pictures using a 360-degree photo booth, and win raffle prizes.

Thank you to everyone who attended and made this event such a wonderful night! View a photo recap of the event below. 

[10/4/22] The 44th Annual Business Leadership Academy, a program of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber and Pacific Lutheran University, is currently taking place. This program gives emerging community leaders a chance to engage with the Pierce County business community, develop leadership skills, and connect to mentorship opportunities. Last Thursday, the 2022 cohort of the Business Leadership Academy got to experience the annual Downtown Tacoma Walking Tour, a highlight of the program.

The tour was led by David Schroedel, vice president of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber and executive director of the Downtown Tacoma Partnership. Along the way, Leadership Academy participants got to meet and greet with leaders of local business and industry and view some of the most important and exciting storefronts and properties in Downtown Tacoma. The stops on this year's tour included The Method Skateboards and Coffee, TOTE Maritime, Courthouse Square, InterUrban Development, McCallum & Sons Whisky Co., and Spaceworks Tacoma.

​View photos from the tour below. 

[9/27/22] The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce is excited to partner with Comcast on a new initiative to benefit small businesses owned by women and people of color in Pierce and King Counties. The Comcast RISE Investment Fund will contribute $1 million to small businesses in the region. Grants of $10,000 will be distributed to 100 businesses throughout Pierce and King Counties. 

The application to apply for this fund will be open October 3rd - October 16th, 2022. Eligible businesses must be located within Pierce or King County, have established business operations for 3 or more years, have 25 or fewer full or part-time employees, and be at least 51% owned and operated by a woman or person of color (including Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and Asian American owners).

Learn more here. 

Watch below to see Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber CEO/President Andrea Reay introduce the Comcast RISE Investment Fund. 

In addition to the investment fund, Comcast RISE also offers the opportunity for businesses across the country to apply for marketing and technology services from Comcast Business and Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable. For full details, eligibility requirements, and to apply visit www.ComcastRISE.com.

The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber is also currently partnering with Comcast and the City of Tacoma on the Thrive Tacoma Business Fund. This fund is open to BIPOC and women-owned small businesses located in the city of Tacoma. The application for the Thrive Tacoma Business fund closes on October 15th, 2022. Learn more here. 

[9/27/22] Thursday evening, September 22nd, leaders in South Sound business and trade gathered at the Port of Tacoma to celebrate the 28th Annual Globe Awards.

This year's Globe Awards was a lively and highly-attended event where guests ate, drank, connected, and waited in excitement to learn the winner of the 2022 Globe Award. 

The night kicked off with a beautiful performance of classical music by the Florence Trio of student violinists. The Tacoma Sea Scouts color guard from the Tacoma Youth Marine Center was also in attendance to post the flag for the event.

Attendees heard from Michael Fowler, executive director of the World Trade Center Tacoma, as well as Andrea Reay, President/CEO of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce. Other speakers include WTCTA Chair David Graybill, Port of Tacoma Commission President Don Meyer, Pierce County Economic Development Director Betty Capestany, and Columbia Bank VP and district manager Rob Lewis, 

After much anticipation, Griot's Garage was announced as the winner of the 2022 Globe Award. Nick Griot, CEO of Griot's Garage, accepted the award on behalf of the company and shared how his family business in the Pacific Northwest has reached success and maintained excellence through small and medium enterprise (SME) trade.

Following ceremony, tickets for a variety of exciting raffle prizes, including a cruise from Tacoma's Youth Marine Center, were drawn and awarded to guests.

There could not have been a better night to enjoy this celebration of international trade than at sunset overlooking Tacoma's beautiful working waterfront.

Thank you to everyone who attended the 28th Annual Globe Awards and made this event such a stunning success. 

[9/27/22] Last Tuesday, September 20th, Chamber staff and community members gathered to celebrate Platinum Benefits' new Downtown Tacoma location with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Attendees were able to view the beautiful office space of Platinum Benefits inside Tacoma's historic Court House Square. There were door prizes, refreshments, and an abundance of great company.

​View a photo recap of the event below! 

[9/22/22] Yesterday, September 21st, the Chamber joined Acts Pharmacy to participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating their 4 year anniversary! Acts Pharmacy is an independent, family-owned pharmacy in Tacoma that provides affordable vaccinations and healthcare services. Read more about Acts Pharmacy and listen to them on the Chamber podcast, Making It in the South Sound, here. 

View a photo recap of the event below! 

[9/20/22] Comadre: A Spanish word meaning "co-mother" ; mothers, grandmothers, sisters, friends, and partners who are part of a woman's circle of support, strength, and love. Komadre Kombucha Taproom on Tacoma's 6th Avenue pays tribute to this idea, as well as its founder's Latina roots, in its name. 

The "mother" in kombucha is a term commonly given to the disc of cellulose that forms during the fermentation process and is essential to give the fermented tea drink its distinctive tang and sought-after health benefits. Without mothers, there could truly be no kombucha. 

It's fitting then that Julie Davidson, founder and owner of Komadre Kombucha, is a mother herself—as well as an entrepreneur, mentor, and former CEO. Prior to venturing into the world of Kombucha brewing, Julie worked for many years in the consulting field, running a firm that specialized in leadership development programs for organizations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, her hobby of crafting home-brewed kombucha for herself and friends took on new momentum. In a time that brought dark clouds of uncertainty for many small businesses, Julie saw a bright spot of opportunity. She had dreamed of one day starting her own business since childhood. Now seemed like the perfect chance to do just that. Before long, her brewing operation had moved from her kitchen countertops into a storefront in Tacoma's 6th Avenue Business District. 

Through Komadre Kombucha, Julie is already accomplishing this goal in many ways. In her time as an entrepreneur, she says that she has realized one of the biggest challenges for small businesses is simply finding a storefront to sell their products and services. To help with this, Komadre has space available in its storefront for other retailers, small businesses, and creators to display and sell their products. In Komadre's tiendita, meaning "little shop," one can find products ranging from handmade earrings, to glassware, to t-shirts. Many of these creations are made and sold by women and Latinx artists, which has the dual benefit of uplifting these entrepreneurs as well as bringing vibrant pops of culture to Komadre's storefront. ​

Komadre Kombucha is currently sold in retail locations across the South Sound. Julie participated in and graduated from the Pierce County Business Accelerator, which helped get her business off the ground and secure resources. Komadre was also a recipient of support through the Comcast RISE program in 2021. ​

[9/20/22] Last Thursday, September 15th, Chamber representatives, local leaders, business owners, and entrepreneurs gathered together at the Asia Pacific Cultural Center for September's Chamber After Hours event. This was an amazing night full of friendly faces, new connections, delicious food, and prizes. Thank you to everyone who came out and made this event such a huge success, and to APCC for hosting this After Hours! View a photo recap of the event below!

[9/13/22] The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce is honored to partner with the City of Tacoma and Comcast to lead the Thrive Tacoma Business Fund, which will provide $150,000 of direct financial support to BIPOC and women-owned small businesses in Tacoma. The point of this fund is to see small businesses recover, survive, and thrive in the face of challenges dealt by the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to affect many local businesses. 

The Thrive Tacoma Business Fund is part of a larger partnership between Comcast and the City of Tacoma to advance digital equity throughout the South Sound. 

On Monday, September 12th, Chamber staff including President/CEO Andrea Reay joined Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards, representatives from Comcast, members of the Tacoma City Council, as well as many other city leaders and stakeholders at the University of Washington, Tacoma, for a roundtable discussion on digital equity. At this event, participants shared insights on the need for digital access, literacy, and equity for individuals of all ages in Tacoma. Key takeaways included lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic on the importance of hybrid modalities and the continued need for collaboration between organizations as a pathway to success. 

Following this event, attendees gathered at Downtown Tacoma's Tollefson Plaza for a press conference. Standing alongside Mayor Woodards, Chamber CEO Andrea Reay, local BIPOC entrepreneurs, non-profit organization heads, and other city leaders, representatives from Comcast announced an investment of $300,000 to advance digital equity across the South Sound. 

$150,000 of this will go directly into the hands of BIPOC and female small business owners through the Thrive Tacoma Business Fund. Funds will also go to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the South Puget Sound, the Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region, and TEAM WRK.

This partnership is part of Comcast's Project UP initiative, a $1 billion commitment to advance digital equity and bring new opportunities to tens of millions of people over the next ten years. 

Applications for the Thrive Tacoma Business Fund open on September 15th, 2022 and will be available to access on the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber website. To be eligible to apply for this fund, businesses must meet a set of criteria including having 15 or fewer employees, being majority-owned by a woman or person of color, having a current Tacoma business license, being physically located within the Tacoma city limits, and being in operation on or before 9/12/22.

Stay tuned for updates and apply for the Thrive Tacoma Business Fund on the Chamber website starting 9/15/22.

Read a press release from the City of Tacoma on their partnership with Comcast to bring digital equity to the South Sound. 

[9/6/2022] Last Friday, the Ambassadors Club of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber was treated to a visit to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in celebration of all they do for the Chamber. This visit was also an opportunity to connect closely with a key business in our area. Ambassadors were joined by zoo staff and given a guided tour of the zoo's many animals and exhibits. With help from the expert knowledge of zoo staff, ambassadors were able to ask questions and learn more about the wonderful work that takes place at Pierce County's own zoo and aquarium. Thank you to our ambassadors for all their hard work, and to the Point Defiance Zoo for having us as guests! 

[8/29/22] Last Thursday, August 25th, we joined United Signature to celebrate the Grand Opening of their brand new showroom in Tacoma. Guests enjoyed giveaways and delicious refreshments at this great event. Chamber CEO Andrea Reay helped cut the ribbon and officially debut United Signature's new kitchen and bathroom showroom. Thank you to everyone who came out and took part in this amazing event! 

[8/22/22] Last Friday, August 19th, the Chamber joined Lash Lady Aesthetics to celebrate their new location in Lakewood and their fourth year in business! Guests enjoyed special discounts on cosmetic services as well as refreshments. Lash Lady Aesthetics is a graduate of the Pierce County Business Accelerator. Thank you to everyone who came out and took part in this great event! View a photo recap of the ribbon-cutting below. 

[8/22/22] In the heart of Tacoma's historic Brewery District, brave seafarers with a taste for adventure can find the chance the travel back in time. On their journey, they can expect to encounter fearsome pirates, a kraken or two, and some of Tacoma's most delicious brews.

Black Fleet Brewing is a family-owned taproom and kitchen that opened in 2018. Since opening, they have been serving up some of the most exciting local brews in the South Sound. Just this month, they won the People's Choice Award at Tacoma's Brew Five Three annual beer festival for the second year in a row! 

[8/22/22] We had a rodeo of a time last Thursday evening at the Washington State Fairgrounds! This Chamber After Hours event was jam-packed with friendly faces, great conversation, giveaway prizes, and, well...jam! (Attendees couldn't get enough of the Fisher Fair Scones.)

When they weren't too busy shoving their faces with delicious fair snacks like popcorn and cotton candy, guests were mixing, mingling, and strengthening business connections all throughout the event. 

Chamber members were joined by Washington State Fair executives for sneak peeks and updates about what's in store this year at the fair. Kent Hojem, CEO of the Fair for the past 17 years, was in attendance and gave guests an exciting introduction to his successor, Renee McClain, who will become the first female CEO of the fair when Hojem retires at the end of September this year. 

Attendees were also treated to giveaway prizes including tickets to some of the Fair's upcoming concerts this season, Washington State Fair swag, and even had the chance to meet Miss Cow, one of the Fair's mascots.


​Thank you to the Washington State Fair for hosting this month's After Hours and to everyone who came out and made this event so special! 

[8/15/22] For the Korean Women's Association, the sky is the limit. They are a non-profit organization that provides services to all of Western Washington. They currently operate 15 offices in 17 counties and employ over 1,500 workers to serve more than 10,000 clients every year. And they're still growing. This year, they are celebrating 50 years of making a difference in the lives of vulnerable immigrants, families, and seniors. Before growing into the organization they are today, however, the Korean Women's Association started off as one woman's idea to bring together other women like herself and find community amongst loneliness. ​

In the early 1970s, Kim Nam Hui was living in Pierce County as a Korean immigrant wife of a U.S. serviceman. Living in an area without a strongly-established Korean cultural presence yet, Kim began hosting gatherings of other Korean wives to share food, stories, and support. 

Though its beginnings were humble, the Korean Women Association's (KWA) ambitions were not. The group of women soon began providing support services within their community. These included domestic violence counseling,  immigration services, and transportation and translation assistance.

KWA began its fundraising efforts by selling food to area residents and soliciting donations from local businesses. Soon, however, the group realized that to fully achieve their goals, they would need to do more. In 1979, KWA officially became a non-profit organization. That same year, they received their first grant from the State of Washington. 

As the organization grew, so did the variety of needs of its clients. 

Now, KWA offers everything from in-home care to affordable housing; meal assistance to health screenings. 

KWA provides services to more than 10,000 clients every year. While the organization began as a space for Korean women immigrants, they now serve a diverse group of individuals in need of assistance. KWA's mission is to "provide multi-cultural, multi-lingual human services, regardless of race or ethnic background, to diverse communities through education, socialization, advocacy, and support."

​These days, one of their biggest areas of support is for seniors. KWA's in-home care program exists to give seniors, as well as individuals with disabilities, the option to age in place and remain independent. In order to accomplish this, KWA employs thousands of professional caregivers to help tend to individuals' needs in daily life. Not only does this improve the lives of the many people it serves, it creates jobs and opportunities that benefit Western Washington communities and the local economy. 

KWA's domestic violence programs, one of the critical services they have offered from the beginning, are still going strong today and changing lives for countless individuals and families in our community. They operate a 24-hour crisis hotline, intervention and planning assistance, rapid rehousing for survivors, and so much more. In addition to helping intervene in crises, KWA also offers prevention programs including small group workshops and community education presentations. 

Another big part of KWA's focus is its affordable housing options in communities throughout Western Washington. They currently offer five affordable housing properties in total: three senior housing options and two low-income housing options. These options are life-changing opportunities for community members in need of safe, affordable places to live. KWA's mission to provide affordable housing in the area continues to grow. Just this past May, they received $36 million in funding to develop more housing in downtown Tacoma. 

As members of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, KWA is also closely connected with the local business community. They have played an important role throughout the COVID-19 pandemic helping small businesses survive and prosper. They were selected by Pierce County Economic Development Services to provide small business navigation services for limited English proficiency Asian American business owners. They have been partners in the ambitious Pierce County Business Accelerator, a program of the Pierce County Economic Development Department administered by the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber. KWA worked with these partners to facilitate cohort 3 of the Pierce County Business Accelerator, which was composed entirely of Asian-American small business owners. This cohort graduated the program in February 2022 and have gone on to do great things in our business community.​

KWA was awarded the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber's Spotlight On Business Award this year in the non-profit category for all the incredible work they do in Pierce County and beyond. 

The momentum of the Korean Women's Association is something of a marvel. Throughout fifty years of service, they have shown a remarkable ability to adapt to the most pressing needs of underserved and vulnerable groups. It is exciting to imagine, and be a part of, whatever future endeavors they bring to our community. ​