Tacoma’s entrepreneurial community will gather this fall for South Sound Entrepreneurship Week (SSEW) 2025, a five-day series of free panels, workshops, and networking events designed to inspire action and strengthen connections among local small businesses. The event takes place October 1–5, 2025, across venues in Tacoma, with coffee sponsors supporting each day’s programming.
Wednesday, October 1
The week opens at Commencement Bay Marine Services (820 East D St., Tacoma).
- 11 AM – 12:30 PM: Coffee Connections – How to Stop Your Business From Running You with Marquita Evans.
- 1 PM – 2:30 PM: SBA Financing – What You Need to Know: A Conversation with an SBA Lender featuring Jennifer Ringenbach.
- 3 PM – 4:30 PM: Customer Discovery: Your Secret Weapon for Inexpensive Sales with Evan Ponce & Kia Davis.
- 5 PM – 6:30 PM: Tell It, Sell It – Using Your Story to Boost Your Business with Andy Vargo.
Coffee sponsor: Haiti Coffee Co.
Thursday, October 2
Sessions continue at the Asia Pacific Cultural Center (4851 S. Tacoma Way, Tacoma).
- 11 AM – 12:30 PM: Coffee Connections – Tacoma EdTech: Local Innovation with Giang Nguyen.
- 1 PM – 2:30 PM: GovCon 101 – The Importance of Market Research with Maryam Lynch-Tate.
- 3 PM – 4:30 PM: Co-opreneurism: Co-ops As a Means of Community Wealth Building with John McNamara & Kaleb Hoffer.
- 5 PM – 6:30 PM: Using AI & Automation to Drive Next-Level Business Growth with Jasmine Leek.
Coffee sponsor: Campfire Coffee.
Friday, October 3
The program moves to Seattle Credit Union (824 MLK Jr. Way Suite A, Tacoma).
- 11 AM – 12:30 PM: Coffee Connections – Branding Yourself: Presenting the Best Version of Yourself with Carol Scholes.
- 1 PM – 2:30 PM: From Hustle to High-Tech: How AI Agents Are Becoming Your New Digital Workforce with Dei Marlon Scismey.
- 3 PM – 4:30 PM: The Resilience Playbook with Tara DuBois.
- 5 PM – 6:30 PM: Debutants & Dynasties: Building Business Legacy with Nekechya Dubose.
Coffee sponsor: Haiti Coffee Co.
Saturday, October 4
Events are hosted by the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber (950 Pacific Ave., Suite 300, Tacoma).
- 11 AM – 12:30 PM: Coffee Connections – Bridge the Gap: How Do We Connect With Others? with Marvin J. Leagspj.
- 1 PM – 2:30 PM: Plan Your Quarter Right: A Goal-Setting & Execution Workshop with Tyisha Brown El.
- 3 PM – 4:30 PM: Spaceships Don’t Come Equipped With Rearview Mirrors: Looking Back to Move Forward with Janay Haskins.
- 5 PM – 6:30 PM: From Chaos to Control: How to Strengthen & Prepare For a Down Economy with Grace Bango & Brenda Greene.
Coffee sponsor: Ataruka.
Sunday, October 5
The week concludes at the Tacoma Armory (1001 S. Yakima Ave., Tacoma).
- 11 AM – 12:30 PM: Coffee Connections – Fitness Reset with Zac Wilsey.
- 1 PM – 2:30 PM: Podmapping Your Community for Business Development with Dr. Shaun Glaze.
- 3 PM – 4:30 PM: Business Finance: Projections, Cash Flow, and Credit Management with Jeneese S. Franke, MBA.
- 4 PM – 6 PM: Closing Celebration & Business Panel: Small Biz Panel with MC Angela Jossy & Buddyck Kenrick of Krown Media Group.
Coffee sponsor: Haiti Coffee Co.
Event Overview
South Sound Entrepreneurship Week is presented in partnership with local sponsors including Berkshire Hathaway Premier Properties, KeyBank, Northwest Cooperative Development Center, Weekly Volcano, and VCano. Organizers emphasize that the week is open to everyone interested in business growth, from new founders to experienced entrepreneurs.
