Enterprise Nexus: A Pathway to Economic Mobility and Business Growth

The Enterprise Nexus event in North Seattle last month brought together a wealth of resources and support for aspiring and established entrepreneurs in the Seattle King County metropolitan area. Organized by WorkSource Seattle-King County in partnership with the Seattle Public Library, this inaugural event aimed to foster economic mobility and sustainability at a time when more community members are looking to work for themselves.

Amanda Williams, Chief Marketing Officer for Denkyem Co-op, a community development financial institution, highlighted the community’s need for Enterrpise Nexus. "Events like this are really important to help people get connected to community and resources," she stated, highlighting Denyem Co-op’s microloan product that offers loans up to $100,000 to help businesses scale to create safe pathways for Black entrepreneurship and innovation.

Williams emphasized the value of networking and openly providing the community with valuable research, noting that many small business owners are solo entrepreneurs, operating without a board of directors or people to talk to. She also pointed out that organizations like the Seattle Public Library offer free market research which can otherwise often be hundreds and thousands of dollars to access. 

Harpreet Marwah, Operations Director for the Onetop Operator Team at Seattle King County WorkSource, noted that while WorkSource offered many workshops for job seekers, there was a significant gap in resources for entrepreneurs. "Our customers said that they also want to explore opening their own business," she explained. The idea for the event was sparked from a meeting with Jay Lyman from the Seattle Public Library, leading to a partnership that brought together numerous organizations. Marwah expressed her delight with the turnout. "It's definitely beyond our expectations because this was the first event." 

Jay Lyman, the Entrepreneur and Nonprofit Support Program Manager at the Seattle Public Library, elaborated on the library's role in supporting businesses, a service that dates back to the 1890s. He highlighted the library's access to free market research and the expertise of their highly skilled librarians. 

For Lyman, the Nexus event was all about connections. He emphasized the value of meeting various organizations that offer one-on-one free assistance, such as SCORE and Small Business Development Centers, as well as the peer-to-peer connections that entrepreneurs make between each other that support each other through the ups and downs of running a business.

Fyniecko Glover Jr., Community Outreach Coordinator for WorkSource Seattle-King County, reiterated the event's purpose: "To support all people in the economic mobility and sustainability." He talked in admiration of the plethora of organizations present, offering support from ideation all the way to funding,  

Observign an influx of people coming into WorkSource centers that were interested in entrepreneurship, Glover was determined to kickstart the Enterprise Nexus event to uplift programs like the Self-Employment Access Program. He hopes that attendees will run with the resources to start their own businesses, and eventually grow to the point of hiring people that seek employment through WorkSource. 

The Nexus Enterprise event proved to be a significant step in empowering the entrepreneurial spirit within the Seattle King County community, providing vital resources, fostering connections, and laying the groundwork for future growth and collaboration.

Visit worksourceskc.org for more information on WorkSource Seattle-King County and the future of Enterprise Nexus. 

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