Blog - Intentionalist

Repair Revolution: Repairing Cars, Revolutionizing the Auto Repair Industry

Eli and their crew at Repair Revolution. (Photo: Repair Revolution) When Eli Allison started as a mechanic, they saw a gap in the auto repair industry. As a queer person, they were working twice as hard to prove themselves in a notoriously homophobic, sexist, and racist industry. They faced...

InTENtionalist Gift Guide: 10 Unique Gifts for Father’s Day

Show the fathers, grandfathers, father figures, and mentors in your life how much you appreciate them with a unique and thoughtful Father's Day gifts from a small business. Here are 10 unique gift ideas for Father's Day. Steel Petal Press - Dark Side Card,...

Pride Month 2021: Small Business, Big Pride

It's no secret that as a social enterprise founded by a queer Asian woman, we look forward to Pride Month every year. Pride Month is celebrated to commemorate the Stonewall uprising in 1969, which is acknowledged as a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States. LGBTQ-owned small businesses have long served as a safe and welcoming space...

In-TEN-tionalist Guide to Black Owned Businesses in Los Angeles

To celebrate Black History Month, we’re encouraging people across the country to #SpendLikeItMatters at Black-owned businesses in their communities. Last year, you helped us grow our database in Southern California, and we wanted to share 10 of our favorite Black owned businesses in Los...

Have Fun and Feel Good Getting Dressed at sandylew

We have to get dressed every day. Why not have a good time doing it? That is the guiding philosophy behind Downtown Seattle’s eclectic women’s clothing boutique sandylew. The creative force behind the 1st Avenue shop is lifelong artist Sandy Lew-Hailer. She opened her boutique in...

Doner Box: Bringing German-Turkish Fusion to Seattle

When Vaness Vu moved to Seattle from the Czech Republic 11 years ago, she wasn’t able to find authentic German-style Doner kebabs, a German street food with spitted meat, fresh vegetables, and flatbread. A plate of Doner kebab meat and sides. (Photo: Doner Box) With a background in...

Watson’s Counter: A Culinary Story about Identity, Community & the Quest for Excellence

When Watson’s Counter owner James Lim opened his restaurant and café in Ballard, he knew he wanted to do everything just right. Gochujang fried chicken and waffles “I thought, ‘I’m going to have a coffee shop that has...

Introducing Intentionalist’s Membership Community

We are excited to invite you to join Intentionalist’s Membership Community. Through the years, you have asked how you can more intentionally support Intentionalist and contribute to the much-needed wind in our #SpendLikeItMatters sails. Now you can, by joining Intentionalist’s...

Cheers to Three: A recap of Intentionalist’s three year anniversary celebration

What do Intentionalist, Frelard Tamales, Terra Plata, Salare, and Hood Famous all have in common? A love for our communities and a drive to make the world more equitable, inclusive, and intentional. On April 30th, we invited four amazing restaurant owners and the Intentionalist...

In-TEN-tional List: How Sweet It Is to Support AAPI Businesses

Oh, how sweet it is to support AAPI-owned businesses! Call us “pie in the sky,” but we think it’s a “piece of cake” to support your favorite businesses and we “donut” know how to live any other way! This AAPI Heritage month, we wanted to offer a...