[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. ​

[8/2/22] Last Thursday, July 28th, we celebrated the grand opening of Link Community Clinic in Tacoma! Link Community Clinic is a graduate of Spaceworks Tacoma's Incubator program and a welcome addition to Tacoma! Following the ribbon-cutting, attendees enjoyed refreshments and raffle prizes courtesy of Link Community Clinic. View a photo recap below! 

[8/2/2022] Listen to Wade Stewart share his story of challenges and success with Tech Masters Computer Services on the latest episode of Making It in the South Sound.

"We started, like many businesses do, as a spare room in my house."

Wade Stewart is the founder and managing member of Tech Masters Computer Services, and a living small business success story. Tech Masters is celebrating its 10th year in business this year. Through all that time, Wade has been an active and involved member of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber.

The story of Tech Masters is one that many small business owners can likely relate to. Soon after its start as a business, Tech Masters experienced exponential growth. According to Wade, this was a good problem to have. Still, it brought with it unique challenges. His initial plan of hiring staff within 18 months was fast tracked to a mere 8 months. In its first year alone, Tech Masters saw 30% quarter over quarter growth. 

Seeing this rapid business expansion, Wade realized that he needed some help. He credits networking through Chambers like the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber for helping him find a business coach to prepare Tech Masters for success. 

"The interesting thing about a business is there's ebbs and flows to it."

Since its founding, Tech Masters has expanded across state lines, and now serves clients in Oregon as well as Washington. Wade speaks to flexibility as a skill that helps Tech Masters be successful in multiple locations. Due to how well-established the business is in Washington, they can leverage some of their existing resources here to help clients in Oregon. The COVID-19 pandemic also led Wade to the realization of how much a business can accomplish remotely. 

In addition to being a business founder, Wade Stewart is also an author. His book, Personal Retreat, gives advice for feeling burned out that can benefit individuals both personally and professionally. And it's never been more relevant than in these last few years of pandemic turmoil and exhaustion.

"If you just have your head down and you're putting flagstones down to get to the house from the sidewalk, if you don't look up, you could end up at the garage instead."

Wade's idea of a "personal retreat" is a concept to help individuals take a break from being burned out and re-center on their true goals and ambitions. You can learn more about his book and the personal retreat concept here.

Learn more about Tech Masters Computer Services here. 

This Member Feature story is part of a series by the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber to promote stronger connections and increased engagement between the Chamber, its members, and the local business community. Member stories are non-promotional opportunities to share members' business stories with the community. If you are a Chamber member interested in being featured for a story, please contact Digital Marketing Outreach Coordinator Audrey Widner at audreyw@tacomachamber.org