Some Spokane organizations have formed the Business Equity Coalition of the Inland Northwest to focus on bringing resources to multi-ethnic businesses and other disadvantaged business groups.

Sandy Williams, executive director for the Carl Maxey Center, says that the coalition was born out of frustration. With the onset of the pandemic, the disparities and needs of communities of people of color became apparent, yet there seemed to be a disconnect between the resources available and actually getting those resources into the communities.

“When COVID hit, it percolated things to the surface,” she says.

The center began doing small things like creating a Black business directory, and a Black Business Alliance so that individuals can network. When the pandemic relief stimulus money began being sent out, the center started the Black Business Support Team to help individuals access those funds by having one-on-one visits to discuss their future and strategic planning.

Isabel Mazcot de Torres, vice president of business affairs for the Hispanic Professionals Business Alliance, says that the Latino community was experiencing similar disparities. When Brianna Rollins, program coordinator for Carl Maxey, reached out to her, she saw this coalition as a natural partnership in which the organizations can pull resources, knowledge, and support together to help one another.

“When Sandy talks about helping the community one-on-one, that’s how it is in the Latino community too. It’s the only real way to do things,” she contends.

Mariah McKay is the director of the Spokane Independent Metro Business Alliance, another BECIN member organization. She says that while SIMBA isn’t focused on one demographic, what ties SIMBA into the coalition is local ownership and a shared-values framework of inclusion and broadening ownership opportunities throughout the regional economy.

“Business ownership is an absolutely essential vehicle through which people can access wealth-building,” she says.

Lu Hill, also of SIMBA, says the coalition wants to create a business equity assessment for the region. The Inland Northwest doesn’t have data baseline that reflects how BIPOC businesses are doing, she says. 

The organizations involved in the coalition include AHANA; the Black Business & Professional Alliance; the Community Development Initiative; HBPA; the Inland Northwest Business Alliance; the Native Business Center; and SIMBA.