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The Economic Development Program works to create community-led, anti-displacement, and anti-racist strategies and policies to create a more equitable economy in White Center. Cultivating and amplifying Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) voices of small business owners, residents and youth are central to resisting displacement. We’re committed to holding institutions, including King County, accountable to the community. We have three parts guiding our place-based equitable economy work: 
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

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The UCLE Work

United for a Community-Led Economy (UCLE) is dedicated to building a community-based economy in unincorporated areas, focusing on policy changes, wealth creation, and well-being within BIPOC communities. Through community-led initiatives, UCLE engages in various campaigns and programs that uplift and support residents and businesses, aiming to create lasting positive impacts.

Honoring Spaces 

Focused on holding and expanding how our BIPOC businesses resist displacement, by sustaining and expanding our ability to stay and grow in the White Center commercial core areas (White Center Downtown, Top Hat, 8th Ave. SW).​

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  • Listening to the stories and re-telling of how BIPOC small businesses have invested in our community over decades  

  • We identify, hold and use empty and underutilized spaces for and with community 

  •  Community shaping future development, land use, and zoning policy 

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Sustaining and Growing BIPOC Businesses

Our current business assistance program is one component of our place-based economic development work. Our focus has been to sustain and grow existing 1st and 2nd generation refugee and immigrant businesses. 

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  • We provide 1:1 assistance to our beloved legacy businesses (business assessment and action plans – growing connection to relevant business advisors and general counseling and coaching 

  • The White Center Business Alliance strives to be a place of connection for our BIPOC and allied businesses, where each member can engage in business-to-business networking, community advocacy, and resource sharing

  • Relationship building and connecting to resources (Connecting businesses to legal commercial lease support, helping resolve tenancy issues, vandalism issues, and day-to-day business operations) 

  • Connecting merchants through pandemic challenges (WCCDA distribution of Seattle Foundation grant funding, County, State, and Nationwide grant programs, National loan products, PPE distribution- Masks, hand sanitizer, COVID testing kits, vaccine verification information for businesses 

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Cultivating Community-Based Innovation

The making and creating of products and services is alive and well. We provide support and mechanisms that will strengthen possibilities for neighborhood innovation. We are committed to cultivating or nurturing opportunities and passions for personal and collective investments. 

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  • Community Pop-Up Market providing space for new BIPOC entrepreneurs without storefronts 

  • Creating Financial Empowerment education to assist business start-ups 

  • Building a Maker-space in the HUB Development 

  • Exploring innovative models of business ownership and operations (Commercial Land Trusts, Employee-owned Cooperatives) 

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About Our Businesses

Coming soon!

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Our Team

Our Businesses
Team
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