Newsletter Spotlight

  Meet Takiyah Ward, owner of The Re-Sole 206 in the Central District. For over 20 years, Takiyah “TDUB” Ward has honed her skills in custom sneaker design and care. With an entrepreneurial spirit, a passion for sneakers, and a calling to make the things we love last, she turned her side hustle into a full service sneaker design and dry...

Meet Estela Martinez, owner of Askatu Bakery in Belltown. Askatu Bakery Cafe is a unique bakery where all of the baked goods are allergen-free! If you’re allergic to wheat/gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts/tree nuts, fish, shellfish, corn, potato, sesame, and/or xanthan/guar gums, you’ll find that you can eat any of Askatu’s delicious...

  Meet Chef Mutsuko Soma, owner of Hannyatou in Fremont/Wallingford. Chef Soma opened her sake bar, Hannyatou in May 2019 just two doors down from her award-winning soba restaurant, Kamonegi. The bar menu features a variety of sake, Japanese beer, and cocktails that showcase Japanese flavors like ume (plum) and yuzu. Her passion for Japanese...

Meet Rebecca Servoss, owner of Distant Worlds Coffeehouse in Roosevelt. Rebecca Servoss started Distant Worlds Coffeehouse in 2020 as a meeting place for, as she puts it, “geeks of all stripes.” In addition to serving up coffee and house-made treats with a side of sass, Rebecca has created a...

Meet Cherika Wilson, owner of Sankofa Boutique in Capitol Hill. Sankofa Boutique is a metaphysical retail shop specializing in crystals and cultural imports from Africa. The boutique is a place to explore healing and heritage, and Cherika’s commitment to her customers and their well-being makes Sankofa more than a store. It’s a welcoming haven...

Meet Suleiny Altamirano, owner of Tizana Mexicana inside Pike Place Market. Tizana Mexicana is a curated collection of jewelry, housewares, and more created by artisans of Mexico. Suleiny sources the goods directly from the Mexican and Indigenous creators, who are often taken advantage of due to language and technology barriers. Tizana Mexicana...

Meet Ahmed Ali and Abdi Athur, co-owners of Tukwila Station Pharmacy in SeaTac. Ahmed Ali is the owner of independently-owned Othello Station Pharmacy, and teamed up with fellow pharmacist Abdi Athur to open a sister location in SeaTac. We talk about their journeys as refugees, why they chose pharmacy, and why independent pharmacies are so crucial...