Newsletter Spotlight

Meet Lisabella Ibarra — master stylist with 25 years of experience, former Special Education teacher, and owner of Mint Salon and Spa in Historic Downtown Issaquah, Washington. Lisabella, who's originally from Puerto Rico, took over as the owner of Mint Salon in March 2020 but had to close just eight days after opening due to the pandemic. Two...

Get to know Victor Steinbrueck — born and raised Seattleite, crab roll connoisseur, and owner of Local Tide in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. Despite opening two months ago (mid-pandemic no less), Local Tide has made a splash in the Seattle food scene with its seafood fare and local-first attitude centering Washington's freshest...

Meet Maria Muñoz, spiritual healer, Usui Reiki master, and owner of Light Owl Shop in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. Light Owl Shop is a wellness space where you can book mindfulness workshops and energy healing sessions curated by Maria herself as well as peruse their array of crystals, journals, and art. In this week's...

Meet Aminta Elgin and Ana Castro — the tenacious, kind-hearted, pupusa-producing sisters running Salvadorean Bakery in Seattle's White Center neighborhood. Ana and Aminta have been giving Washington a taste of El Salvador and giving back to their community since 1996. Stay tuned for our blog post for a more in-depth look into Salvadorean...

This week, we're highlighting Fulcrum Coffee and Head Roaster and Senior Vice President Blas Alfaro. Blas is a fifth-generation Costa Rican coffee farmer who puts a great deal of care into each cup of Fulcrum coffee — from the intentional use of hybrid coffee to his relationships with coffee farmers who give back to their...

Get to know Lois Ko, the fearless and creative force behind Sweet Alchemy. Sweet Alchemy is in Seattle's University District located on University Way Northeast (a.k.a the Ave) by the University of Washington. The Ave's beloved ice cream shop uses all locally sourced and organic ingredients with an emphasis on sustainability. In this...

Meet Brittney Geleynse, co-owner and toy extraordinaire behind Clover Toys in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood. Brittney and co-owner Ashley Church have been running Seattle's most charming toy shop since 2017, and have loved being a part of the Ballard community ever since. Get to know Brittney in this week's Business Spotlight Q&A as she...

Get to know Mark McConnell and Cecilia Rikard, the dynamic duo behind the Off the Rez Cafe, Off the Rez food truck, and most recently Seattle pizza place Via Tribulani (with locations in Queen Anne and Capitol Hill). In this week's Q&A, Mark and Cecilia discuss serving food to inmates in a Washington prison, the vital flair local...

Meet John Khalil, co-owner and friendly face of Cedars of Lebanon in Seattle. John owns the popular Lebanese restaurant in the University District with his wife Janette and has been a fixture in the community for over 46 years. In this week's Business Spotlight Q&A, John discusses his appreciation for the people in the U District,...