Inclusion

“Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished.”

^{Chief Seattle, 1854}

Suquamish Tribe - Land Acknowlegement Kitsap County is within the ancestral territory of the suq̀ʷabš “People of Clear Salt Water” (Suquamish People). Expert fisherman, canoe builders and basket weavers, the suq̀ʷabš live in harmony with the lands and waterways along Washington’s Central Salish Sea as they have for thousands of years. Here, the suq̀ʷabš live and protect the land and waters of their ancestors for future generations as promised by the Point Elliott Treaty of 1855.

Port Gamble Bay, in North Kitsap is the ancestral home of the Port Gamble S'Klallams, who were called the Nux Sklai Yem, Strong People. The strong cultural influences of both the Suquamish and Port Gamble S’Klallam tribes remains integral to the Kitsap Peninsula.

Today, new programs, approaches and efforts are constantly being evaluated for launch so we can improve economic outcomes for more of Kitsap. Today, KEDA brings a “DEI Lens” to all our economic development work and any initiative we undertake. We make this public commitment to our community and are accountable for it.

Data shows economic opportunities are not experienced in the same way for people of different backgrounds: People of color and other historically disadvantaged populations have always faced structural disadvantages that result in lower economic outcomes for them as a group and for society overall. In 2020, to better ensure that KEDA’s work was more representative of Kitsap’s diverse communities, KEDA convened a nine-member Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion task force. A year of work with them resulted in significant changes to KEDA’s events, communications, and programming.

DEI Task Force

Rachel M. Askew
NEXT Organizational Culture & Equity Consulting

Monica Blackwood
CEO, West Sound Workforce

Nathan Evans
KEDA Board Chair, Microsoft

Tracy Flood
Bremerton Muncipal Court Judge

Greg George
Suquamish Tribe, PME Board Chai

Shaylynn Houston
Technology & GED Instructor at Evergreen Goodwill of Northwest Washington

Alanna Imbach
CEO & Founder, Vibe Coworks

Erin Leedham
Vice Chair KEDA Board / Kitsap Mall

Joe Morrison
Executive Director, KEDA

Cheryl Nunez
VP of Equity & Inclusion, Olympic College

Aljoynn Sperber
Founder, Lady Box

Grant Twyman
NEXT Organizational Culture & Equity Consulting

Our Work

Programs: Every quarter KEDA produces an event for our BIPOC Business Series. Sometimes that’s related to technical assistance, networking, or connecting to other resources for growing companies. For upcoming programs in the series, take a look at KEDA’s events page.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force. Both KEDA’s Executive Committee and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force recommended issuing a significant RFP in 2021 in order to grow our work in the area of DEI and continue to grow effectiveness. Please continue to monitor this space for updates on that initiative.

Kitsap BIPOC Business Resources

The next event will take place on September 9th at 6pm. Details coming soon!

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Join us May 17th for the 2023 BIPOC Business Forum!

May 10 2023

Join us May 17th at the Marvin Williams Center to be inspired, share your experiences, connect with resources and enjoy networking with fellow business owners and entrepreneurs! Complimentary appetizers, networking and resource fair begin at 5:30 and program gets underway at 6pm. There is no fee to attend this event...

Fall Forum Video & Slides now available for viewing!

Nov 1 2022

KEDA's 2022 Fall Forum: See Program here and View the Photo Gallery Thank you to all of our excellent presenters & panelists. Special thanks to our premier event sponsor, Puget Sound Energy and to partner sponsor, Greater Kitsap Chamber of Commerce. KEDA also thanks Debbie Gilman Photography...

Jay Mills appointed to Seattle's first Indigenous Advisory Council

Aug 11 2022

Seattle City Council names its first Indigenous Advisory Council KUOW - Seattle City Council names its first Indigenous Advisory Council On Tuesday, the City Council unanimously approved the nominees, who will advise city officials on issues and policies that directly affect Indigenous peoples. The new council includes...

Biz Opps: Washington Commerce RFP- Community Reinvestment Plan Development

Jun 28 2022

The Washington State Department of Commerce is seeking a consultant to develop a community reinvestment plan. The role will be responsible for describing how funds will be distributed to communities statewide. Funds are intended to address racial, economic, and social disparities created by the historical design and enforcement of...

$5000 Grants via American Express Backing Small Program

Jun 17 2022

Inclusive Backing - Small Businesses The Inclusive Backing program builds on American Express' ongoing "Backing Small" initiative to provide economically vulnerable small businesses with financial support and other resources to address their critical needs and challenges. These $5,000 grants can be used for anything from physical improvements to...

Predictions for the coming year — including more COVID in the news

Jan 3 2022

Joe Morrison (morrison@kitsapeda.org) is the Executive Director of the Kitsap Economic Development Alliance. Shoot him an email for feedback on the predictions, or join KEDA for our Kitsap Digital Hour at 11 a.m. on January 13, on the topic of Business Credibility and Credit with Jenefeness Tucker. Sign up at http://kitsapeda.me/KDH

Kitsap County Declaring racism a public health crisis: learn more at Kingston meeting Sept. 8

Sep 1 2021

Racism a public health crisis: Learn about Kitsap Public Health’s resolution at Kingston meeting Sept. 8 Learn more about the Kitsap Public Health District’s resolution declaring racism a public health crisis at the next meeting of the Kingston Citizens Advisory Council, which takes place virtually from...