(Image: Capitol Hill Business Alliance)

New Capitol Hill Business Alliance leader and membership manager Laura Culberg is focusing on in-person “Community Conversation” sessions with businesses and they want the neighborhood’s small business communities to join.

“There’s a place for all sizes and types of businesses,” Culberg said. “Sometimes people think there’s nothing for them there, but you don’t know what’s possible until you connect with your community.”

While Culberg may be new to the CHBA she knows firsthand what it is to run a business, she ran her Sweatbox Yoga studio in Capitol Hill for 20 years before selling before the pandemic. For her, the CHCC helped her benefit from a network that she wants CHBA to help small and big businesses alike to receive the same benefits.

“What I can bring to the conversation is resources people just often don’t know about,” Culberg said. “Capitol Hill knows more small businesses than any other neighborhood in Seattle so they need some support. I had to learn a lot about just getting support, you know, I couldn’t manage it on my own. I needed help, and that’s what CHBA does — we help the community.”

Since COVID, the CHBA meetings have been virtual, taking away that human interaction aspect of what makes a ‘Community Conversation’ an actual conversation. Under Culberg’s new efforts, the meetings have moved in-person once more, opening the door for in-person networking and creating a space where neighbors, not just businesses can attend as well. Their goal is to better represent the neighborhood communities by hearing the problems together.

“The first in-person meeting felt like there was a possibility for next steps versus instead of just kind of ruminating on the same thing,” Culberg said. “When people get together and in a shared space, they can meet each other and energy is built for business development on Capitol Hill.”

The alliance is a networking community at its core, but beyond that, they will have access to different resources as well. A full-time advocate who does policy advocacy and a business trainer are two of these resources that businesses will have access to through the CHBA. Events are another resource CHBA employs, they are often catered by businesses within the alliance, and ‘Community Conversations’ are held at stores within the alliance.

In addressing issues around the Hill, public safety is at the forefront of concerns, Culberg believes networking is the most valuable use of CHBA that an individual running a business might run into. The CHBA ‘Community Conversations’ is a primary way to meet fellow community members and network within the neighborhood businesses.

Capitol Hill’s independent retailers are an important focus for the Capitol Hill Business Alliance

“Oftentimes in a community, someone will break all the windows in one row,” Culberg said. “But if businesses know each other, they can share strategies for mitigating that kind of destruction, they can plan forward for how they’re going to prevent it.”

In situations like the window break-ins Culberg mentioned, CHBA can offer solutions or opportunities to help, such as sending a police officer to do a safety assessment of their space. Through knowing the community though, Culberg said business owners can become empowered and reach out to policymakers with the help of the CHBA.

CHBA is designed to improve economic wellness, health, and wellness for Capitol businesses. Culberg says part of its emergence was a result of the disbanding of the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce.  CHS reported here in 2019 as GSBA stepped forward to support Capitol Hill. Its goal was to create a new place for Capitol Hill under the GSBA wing dedicated to the neighborhood.

Culberg’s job is to grow the business alliance. She approaches new stores in the neighborhood, knocking on their doors, and trying to get to know them. Culberg does admit that there is often suspicion among small businesses who believe her to be simply trying to make money off of their business,

“After a couple of conversations, I’ll try to sort of build a relationship and share what kind of opportunities we have,” Culberg said.

Culberg doesn’t just walk the neighborhood to meet the community and get her steps in, she’s also on the lookout for things like broken windows in the community she can help find solutions for.

“I might see someone with a broken window and check in with them and let them know that there are grants from the city to replace broken windows,” Culberg said.  “I introduce myself and what we do and I hope that they join us because once they join, they can take part in services like city grants.”

Culberg said she is still waiting to finalize funding for 2024, but plans are in the works by the CHBA team.

“One of the ideas we have is to do something for businesses like Know Your Neighbors,” Culberg said. “A business might host an event and invite just other businesses to experience what they do to foster that community amongst one another.”

Culberg is working towards keeping meetings in person and meeting consistently. She described it as a ‘monthly experience in-person,’ similar to how the present meetings function, taking place at and featuring a business within the alliance. This will keep the presence of the group strong and hosting meetings at businesses within the CHBA brings attention to their businesses as well.

For those interested in getting involved, Culberg says it is easy to join on the GSBA website. For those who are in financial hardship, there are multiple levels of membership that businesses may be able to afford. Reaching out to Culberg via email is also always a possibility, that is, if she doesn’t walk up to your business first.

If you are interested in local networking Culberg ensures no business is ever too small. The CHBA exists for businesses of all shapes and sizes, from a local therapist to the QFC.

The December CHBA Community Conversation will be on December 14th at Terra Plata. Learn more at thegsba.org.

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