🤝 September Solidarity: Building Success & Resilience through Business 🤝
Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship — September 2025 Newsletter
As Hispanic Heritage Month begins, we honor the power of solidarity to build a better future. Even in challenging times, determination and unity create lasting opportunities for growth and shared success. This month, our COMADRES program in Walla Walla is underway, supporting Latina entrepreneurs as they build businesses rooted in culture and community
This month also brings practical ways to learn and engage: you can join our Energy Efficiency Webinar, available in English and Spanish, to discover tools for saving energy and money. If you’re interested in making a difference, consider volunteering as a mentor or joining our board to help guide and grow our community programs.
💡Register Now! Get Paid to Upgrade with Energy Savings for Small Businesses
Want to save money and upgrade your business? Join our free webinars (in English or Spanish) to learn how small businesses can access cash rebates, grants, and energy incentives through available programs.
🗓️ Spanish Webinar: Monday, Sept 29 at 10 AM
🗓️ English Webinar: Monday, Oct 6 at 10 AM
📍 Zoom | 📲 RSVP via QR code or button below.
🌟 COMADRES in Walla Walla: Celebrating Latina Leadership & Collective Strength
This weekend, we’re proud to celebrate the graduation of our COMADRES cohort in Walla Walla– a group of inspiring Latina entrepreneurs who, despite having to overcome challenges during these uncertain times, have spent the past sessions building business skills, sharing knowledge, and supporting one another through every step of their journey.
COMADRES is more than a training program. It is a space where women come together to turn ideas into action, grow through community, and gain the confidence to lead. Especially in the midst of such difficult circumstances, the power of solidarity and shared determination helps open doors to growth and resilience. These opportunities extend not only to individuals but to their families and the broader community.
As this cohort graduates, we celebrate their courage, commitment, and the collaborative spirit that defines the COMADRES program. They have continued to show up, support one another, and take bold steps towards building businesses, even when the path was unforeseeable.
Felicidades, COMADRES.
Celebrate Eat Local Month 2025: Savor the Flavors of Washington 🍅🌾🥕
September marks Eat Local Month in Washington State. It is a special time to appreciate the fresh seasonal foods grown and harvested right here in our communities. From vibrant farmers’ markets and farm stands to delicious farm-to-table meals and rich seafood offerings, this month is all about connecting with the people and places that bring local food to your table.
Whether you are visiting a nearby farm, exploring a new farmers’ market, or enjoying a dish made with ingredients sourced from local farms and fishers, every bite supports the hardworking individuals who keep our food system thriving.
Join us in celebrating by sharing your local food experiences on social media. Tag @eatlocalfirst and use #EatLocalMonth and #EatLocalFirst to spread the word and inspire others to support local farmers, fishers, chefs, and food artisans.
🤝 Leading Change: Join CIE’s Board of Directors and Make a Lasting Impact in Rural Washington
CIE is currently seeking community-driven leaders to join our Board of Directors.
As a board member, you’ll work closely with our leadership team to guide the organization’s growth, uphold our mission, and ensure financial sustainability. Your expertise and vision will have a direct impact on the support we provide to underserved entrepreneurs in rural Washington.
Serving on CIE’s Board provides an opportunity to have a meaningful impact on the future of small businesses in rural communities. By joining the board, you’ll be part of a team working to foster economic development and support entrepreneurs who are driving change.
If you’re passionate about economic justice, entrepreneurship, and rural development, this is your chance to make a difference.
👐 Become a Mentor: Share Your Experience, Shape a Future
Volunteer mentors engage through our online Coffee Shop– a private Facebook group where local entrepreneurs and mentors connect informally, share resources, ask questions, and build community. It’s a space for encouragement, real talk, and actionable advice, all rooted in support and inclusion.
Whether you’re offering guidance on a post, answering a question, or simply cheering someone on, your presence can make a difference. If you’re passionate about inclusive entrepreneurship and want to give back in a meaningful way, we’d love to welcome you into our mentor community.
Become a Donor!
By offering all our programs at no cost, we ensure that financial constraints do not hinder the dreams of those seeking to build generational wealth and fuel local development in their rural communities.
Join us in making a meaningful impact by donating today!
