For its latest episode of Elevating The Conversation, the Journal sat down with Lindsey Myhre, president and CEO of Liberty Lake-based STCU, to discuss the development of women in leadership.

Organizations behind a growing pipeline of projects across Spokane — including a behavioral health center, a mixed-use childcare development, and an expanding transitional pediatric health facility — are actively positioning themselves for a federal tax-credit program to help their projects move forward.

Primarily driven by outside capital and nationwide corporate interest, a wave of business acquisitions and early-stage investments has swept through the Inland Northwest this summer. From Missouri and South Dakota to Georgia and Utah, out-of-town buyers and national firms are acquiring and investing in established Spokane-area companies across a variety of industries.

Following its recent relocation to Kent, Washington, BuyWander Inc. has raised $21 million in Series A funding as the Spokane Valley-founded auction marketplace prepares to expand into more U.S. cities, invest in technology, and build its leadership team. 

LaunchNW wants to ensure that funds from the landmark $17.1 billion settlement with Meta Platforms are dedicated to mitigating the harms that initiated the lawsuit rather than plugging the state budget.

For many business owners, owning the property where they conduct business provides operational stability for the business and financial diversification and tax benefits for the owner. When it comes time to sell the business, a prospective buyer may want to purchase that real estate along with the business itself.

A coordinated relationship between a CPA and a qualified insurance and financial adviser can become extremely valuable. The CPA helps the client build and grow the business. The adviser helps the client protect income, continuity, and the retirement strategy that business is supposed to support.

Across our region, businesses are changing hands. While 350,000 U.S. baby boomers attempt to sell their businesses annually, the Inland Northwest alone holds a pool of 49,000 baby boomer-owned businesses facing transition. However, local and national success rates hover between 20% and 30%. When viable businesses simply close, long-time community legacies can disappear with them.

Most people picture Medicare as roughly the same deal for everyone. You turn 65, you sign up, and the premiums come out of your Social Security check. For a lot of retirees that is exactly how it works. But above a certain income, Medicare quietly adds a surcharge on top of your Part B and Part D premiums.