The Ready for Business Fund – a relief program launched by GSBA, Washington State’s LGBTQ+ and allied chamber of commerce, and Comcast – is distributing $2,500 and $4,000 cash grants to 76 small businesses throughout Washington state. The Ready for Business Fund was founded in the summer of 2020 with an initial $100,000 investment from Comcast and designation of GSBA as the fund manager. To date, the fund has supported more than 200 small businesses in Washington with nearly $1 million in financial support and wraparound services.
The Ready for Business Fund was renewed this year with an additional $75,000 in funding from Comcast and GSBA, reprising its role as the program and fund manager. Grants from the Ready for Business Fund will be made possible by more than $150,000 in additional donations from Pepsi, T-Mobile, US Bank, Meta, and Verity Credit Union and a $100,000 grant from King County. These funds will now support small business owners across all industries, including local restaurants, bookstores, bistros, shops and stores, which are an important part of the social fabric in our communities.
“GSBA recognizes the importance of investing in the small businesses that are critical to a thriving community and economy,” said Ilona Lohrey, GSBA president and CEO. “We are proud to once again partner with Comcast to grow our Ready for Business Fund to support a diverse group of business owners who need our help now more than ever.”
The Ready for Business Fund was created to support small businesses in Washington, especially those owned by LGBTQ people, Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), and women, who are at greater risk in today’s uncertain economy. Grant recipients also include small businesses located in rural areas of Washington that lack proximity to resources.
“We’re grateful for our continued partnership with the GSBA to recognize so many resilient small businesses through the Ready for Business Fund,” said Diem Ly, Community Impact director, Comcast Washington. “We at Comcast believe and act on our shared value that in ensuring equitable access to resources for BIPOC and LGBTQ-owned businesses means all of our communities and neighborhoods benefit in the long-run.”
“Between recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns over inflation, our small businesses have faced some of the most difficult struggles over the last few years, and it is up to our community to step up and support them. That’s why partnerships like the one between King County, GSBA and Comcast are so imperative right now,” shared King County Councilmember Joe McDermott.
GSBA assembled a selection committee consisting of diverse community and business leaders to evaluate the applications received. Notifications to grant applicants about the status of their application have begun and awards will be delivered beginning this week. All grant recipients will also receive wrap-around services, including GSBA membership and consulting.
Ready for Business Fund grant recipients include:
| Business Name | Location |
| 1. Nature’s Twist | Auburn |
| 2. Sparks Designs | Bellingham |
| 3. Seattle Spartans | Bothell |
| 4. Amano Seattle | Burien |
| 5. Ballyhoo Theatre | Edmonds |
| 6. KO-AM TV | Federal Way |
| 7. Yolo West Coast LLC | Federal Way |
| 8. Issaquah Eataeries, LLC | Issaquah |
| 9. That Curl Girl | Kennewick |
| 10. The honest beauty | Kennewick |
| 11. South 2 West Boiled Peanuts, LLC | Lynnwood |
| 12. Burial Grounds Coffee Collective | Olympia |
| 13. RUZICKA CPA, PLLC | Olympia |
| 14. Strong Family Bonds LLC dba SGT. Hart’s B | Olympia |
| 15. Quiet Glamour | Puyallup |
| 16. Paunchy Elephant | Renton |
| 17. Basecamp Books and bites | Roslyn |
| 18. bedhead fiber | Seatac |
| 19. Fruit and Flower DBA Floret | Seatac |
| 20. 23rd Ave Brewery | Seattle |
| 21. A.L.A. Consulting Firm | Seattle |
| 22. Aide-mémoire | Seattle |
| 23. All Things Auto | Seattle |
| 24. Blendily | Seattle |
| 25. Dreams Unlimited LLC dba Modern Mind Labs | Seattle |
| 26. Inclusive Data LLC | Seattle |
| 27. Jasmine Nicole Luxury Perucas | Seattle |
| 28. Local Yokels/Savory Sound Foods LLC | Seattle |
| 29. LOLiDE | Seattle |
| 30. Melted Porcelain | Seattle |
| 31. Orange Tea School | Seattle |
| 32. Soul Collective | Seattle |
| 33. Sound Therapeutic Acupuncture | Seattle |
| 34. The Green Deli Store | Seattle |
| 35. Victoria Odell Real Estate | Seattle |
| 36. Windhorse Rocks | Seattle |
| 37. WithTheRain | Seattle |
| 38. Aluel Cellars | Seattle |
| 39. Aluel Cellars Ballard | Seattle |
| 40. BADBAR LLC | Seattle |
| 41. Bakehouse Inc. DBA Flora Bakehouse | Seattle |
| 42. Biang Biang Noodles | Seattle |
| 43. Big Little News | Seattle |
| 44. Conviviality Inc. DBA Cafe Flora | Seattle |
| 45. EL CHITO LLC | Seattle |
| 46. Get In My Belly Catering | Seattle |
| 47. GigRoster™ Professional Entertainment | Seattle |
| 48. Honest Biscuits | Seattle |
| 49. King Donuts | Seattle |
| 50. Lillie’s Passion LLC | Seattle |
| 51. Moon Village Bakery | Seattle |
| 52. Queer/bar | Seattle |
| 53. Reclaim Clay Collective | Seattle |
| 54. Rita’s Fine Foods Inc. dba Glo’s | Seattle |
| 55. Seeking Ferments | Seattle |
| 56. Stone Way Eateries, LLC | Seattle |
| 57. Tert I Inc dba The Wildrose | Seattle |
| 58. The City Catering Company, Inc. | Seattle |
| 59. The Cuff Complex | Seattle |
| 60. The Shanghai Pearl Presents | Seattle |
| 61. The Station Coffee Shop LLC | Seattle |
| 62. The Woods | Seattle |
| 63. Tutta Bella Culinary, LLC | Seattle |
| 64. U14 LLC dba Union | Seattle |
| 65. NW ROOFING SERVICES | Snohomish |
| 66. Atomic Threads Boutique | Spokane |
| 67. Stage Left Theater Association | Spokane |
| 68. BodiedbyJalee LLC | Tacoma |
| 69. Diane ruff studio | Tacoma |
| 70. ME Restaurants | Tacoma |
| 71. Munch Mobile | Tacoma |
| 72. Lucina-Selene | Tulalip |
| 73. All The Wishes | Vancouver |
| 74. DC Visitation | Vancouver |
| 75. Panache. | Vancouver |
| 76. Professional Latino Services LLC | Vancouver |
More information is available at theGSBA.org/ready-for-business.
About GSBA
Established in 1981, GSBA is Washington State’s LGBTQ and allied chamber of commerce and is the largest of its kind in North America. The chamber represents over 1,400 small business, corporate, and nonprofit members who share the values of promoting diversity, equity, equality, and inclusion in the workplace. GSBA proudly serves as a connector across the region, bringing communities together through business while advocating for civil rights and small business. GSBA also promotes LGBTQ tourism through Travel Out Seattle, advocates for small businesses in Seattle’s Capitol Hill Neighborhood through the Capitol Hill Business Alliance (CHBA) and invests in the next generation of LGBTQ and allied leaders through the GSBA Scholarship & Education Fund.