News and Events
Announcing Our New Executive Director
We are excited to formally announce Beth Henriquez as Enterprise for Equity’s Executive Director. This leadership change has been gradual and in the planning for over 18 months, formally taking place in late August 2023, to ensure the smooth transition and stability of our important work. Beth has served as Enterprise for Equity’s Business Trainer, Program Director, and Loan Officer, for over 16 years. She has strengthened and grown every aspect of E4E’s operations, programs, training, and administrative team combining a high standard of excellence with warmth and open heartedness. She is proud to continue to serve E4E, its team, program participants, our community partners, and graduates.
We say farewell to Lisa Smith, Enterprise for Equity’s co-founder and Executive Director, for over 20 years. We thank her for laying the foundations of the organization, building strong community partnerships, and ensuring innovation is a part of our core practices as we support new entrepreneurs and nurture the businesses we have served, especially those who have been marginalized. We wish her well as we release her with deep gratitude as she continues her work to support entrepreneurs and the organizations that support them throughout WA.
Enterprise for Equity is excited to bring its flagship programs that help emerging and existing entrepreneurs create powerful local businesses that are profitable, sustainable, and enhance in many business sectors to the local communities throughout our 8-county region. We are expanding our work with historically marginalized business owners through new partnerships, programming in Spanish, and the onboarding of BIPOC business trainers. Explore all of Enterprise for Equity programs, including our tailored programming for entrepreneurs in the creative economy and the expansion of our Financial Wellbeing programs and services through our continued collaboration with the Thurston and Mason Asset Building Coalitions: https://www.enterprise-for-equity.org/
2022 Coastal Bizworks Microgrants
We are excited to share that in spring of 2022, Enterprise for Equity partnered with the City of Montesano to award 47 small businesses a micro-grant through our Coastal BizWorks Microgrant program. These micro-grants were thanks to a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) through the Washington State Department of Commerce.
Newsletters
Click below to see past Newsletters from Enterprise for Equity.
MicroBusiness Showcase Graduation Event!
View our Graduation event, MicroBusiness Showcase from previous years!
Learn about local businesses in your community.
Watch our 20th Anniversary Event: Stories of Resilience!
Check out these amazing stories of resilience from our past graduates. This event celebrated the incredible work and perseverance our graduates put in during 2020.