Enterprise for Equity hosts Dreams in Action event

At a time when many people worry about the economy and many more struggle to make ends meet during this period of high inflation, Olympia’s Enterprise for Equity (E4E) was able to celebrate the work its staff and students have achieved in building dreams into reality.

Dreams in Action, a new event for E4E, included a dinner, a program with alumni speakers, and an opportunity for attendees to contribute to the nonprofit. The event took place on Friday, May 31, at the historic Abigail Stuart House in downtown Olympia.

For those unfamiliar with the organization, E4E assists and educates individuals in microbusiness for the benefit of families and communities. Development Director Danielle Westbrook explained, “Enterprise for Equity's mission is to empower low- to moderate-income individuals and marginalized community members by providing them with the tools, training, and support necessary to achieve self-sufficiency through entrepreneurship.”

The event began with a buffet, with food and drink prepared and provided by vendors who are graduates of the program. They included  Wynoochee River Winery, Wayside Cafe, Stone Creek Wood Fired Pizza, Sophie’s Scoops, Nineveh, Ilk Brewing, and Embark Confections.

Danielle Westbrook welcomed the attendees and introduced the evening’s program.

Danielle Westbrook, Development Director of Enterprise for Equity, welcomes attendees at the nonprofit's Dreams in Action event.

Executive Director Beth Henriquez also spoke, recognizing E4E founder Lisa Smith, sharing the organization's vision in educating and equipping people to launch microenterprises, and acknowledging the local businesses established by program graduates.

Henriquez spoke of some of E4E’s highlights. She recounted two E4E staff driving through Olympia, looking for businesses established by graduates. “Two hours and 55 businesses later,” she told the audience. These are just the brick-and-mortar businesses, she pointed out, and only those in Olympia. She would like to see that number grow by 50 or more new enterprises in the coming years.

She also noted that E4E has had its program translated into Spanish for the benefit of Guatemalan immigrants, that the staff has trained to work with people with ADHD, and that E4E has developed a connection with Avanti High School. Additionally, E4E continues “developing more robust resources for post-graduates” of the program.

Dreams in Action featured three speakers, all successful entrepreneurs who have graduated from E4E’s programs. E4E graduates Shona Smith, Abe Burt, and Tanikka Watford spoke at the event.

Shona Smith, an alumna of Enterprise for Equity's microbusiness training, speaks at Dreams in Action.

Shona’s Food Company

Smith, proprietor of Shona’s Food Company, graduated from the program in 2014. She told the audience about her experience growing up in a food-focused family in the U.S., Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Her mother engaged in culinary studies in Scotland and subsequently opened a Mexican food business in Belfast, featuring ingredients from local farmers’ products.

She shared her experiences working in restaurants to learn the business, the breakup of her marriage, her three children, and learning about the E4E program. Although she didn’t have enough money for it, she was able to get a grant after she paid for the Finance 101 course.

The program made a huge impact on her—from the life coach to the counselor and small business administration instruction—and prepared her to become a microbusiness owner. When COVID shutdowns sunk her job as head chef of a farm-to-table restaurant, Best started baking.

“I baked morning to night. It was primal,” she recalled. She started selling British meat pies. And thus on a shoestring budget, in the midst of COVID, a new eatery was born. Shona’s Food Co. features comfort food made from fresh, local ingredients.

E4E alumna and Ilk Beer founder Abe Burt speaks to the audience on May 31, 2024.

Ilk Beer

The next speaker, Burt, is co-owner of Ilk Beer, a brewery in downtown Olympia. She recalled the insecurities, lack of confidence, and sense of not fitting in that she had experienced and told how the program helped prepare her for success. It took her lack of confidence in running a business, managing large amounts of money, and being responsible for numerous employees and equipped her to develop business plans and carry them out.

But it was through its support network that E4E helped Burt gain the confidence she needed. “I expected to learn foundational skills, but I got so much more, she stated.” She discussed the loneliness she had felt and the shared experience of people going through the program together. “I learned to ask for help and ask for investments.”

Her experience at the helm of the brewery hasn’t been easy. She got COVID three times, currently still has long COVID, and can’t drink beer, a challenge for a leader in her industry. But she has developed a brewery she described as sustainable as possible and that provides her employees with health benefits in an industry that rarely offers it.

Tanekka Watford, an Enterprise for Equity alumna, speaks at Dreams in Action. She is the Executive Director of the nonprofit Moore Wright Group.

Another alumna’s story

The third alumna speaker, Taneka Watford, is Executive Director of The Moore Wright Group in Aberdeen. She recounted fleeing an abusive situation in Virginia and moving here with her four children. “Everyone needs safe places. Enterprise for Equity was one for me and my family,” Watford stated.

She had $34 to her name when she started the program.  “I was low-income,” she quipped. Through the curriculum at E4E, she learned to budget and prioritize.

“Class was hard,” she admitted. “I thought I knew business, but I found out that I didn’t: I needed a plan.”

Through E4E, Watford learned to plan so well that she took second place in a statewide business plan competition. The experience was not for the faint of heart; her plan for a small-batch food company spanned 109 pages.

After graduating from the program, Watford has held several roles: empowerment director at the YWCA, a stint with Social Venture Partners in Seattle, CEO of a company, and pastor of a church. She took the helm of the nonprofit Moore Wright Group in 2017.

State Rep. Beth Doglio addresses the attendees of the Enterprise for Equity Dreams in Action event.

Attention in the Legislature

State Rep. Beth Doglio offered remarks following the three speakers. “Small businesses are the fabric of our community. They create community and bring joy,” she said.

She added that she and her husband enjoy walking around downtown Olympia and stopping by the various businesses started through E4E. “They create these amazing businesses that produce things found only here in the South Sound... These businesses make a difference in our lives and our community.”

Although Enterprise for Equity’s first Dreams in Action event has passed, according to an email Henriquez sent out, E4E is still looking for financial supporters.

She also announced a new giving program, Empowerment Partners. “We're also excited to introduce ‘Empowerment Partners,’ a program for monthly donors. It's a simple way to support our mission continuously, ensuring we can keep helping entrepreneurs dream big,” she wrote. For more information about giving opportunities, visit the E4E website.