Technology and Innovation
HardTarget is a cutting-edge cyber wargaming company serving high-net-worth families and wealth managers. The company specializes in providing bespoke cyber resilience solutions, offering tabletop wargaming events and comprehensive risk management strategies to safeguard clients' digital assets and personal information. Their engaging approach to cyber literacy empowers each member of the HNW family with the cyber street smarts needed to protect assets, reputation, and legacy.
AquiPor Technologies strives to be a leading provider of innovative water technologies for urban water systems. They focus on advancing lifecycle water solutions, starting with large-scale green storm water infrastructure solutions. Their unique technology allows them to manufacture surface permeable pavers that can be used for sustainable water distribution, groundwater restoration, and large-scale storm water management. They also specialize in applying their materials along the curb line of streets to enable effective storm water management in the Built World.
Food and Beverage
Thomas Hammer was originally started by Gonzaga alumni, Thomas Hammer, in Spokane Washington. Since its start, it has spread across the greater Spokane area and into northern Idaho. Currently, its avenues of revenue include its brick-and-mortar retail stores, website sales, and selling its coffee through wholesalers. The spike in revenue from its website was largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic which brought many people to purchase commodities online. This realization of profits shifted part of Thomas Hammer’s focus to their online store.
My Sushi Sensei is a startup company based out of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho that provides sushi-making lessons and sushi kits. The company was founded by Isaac Cunnington, who runs the business himself almost entirely. The service-based aspect of the company – the sushi-making lessons – is focused on creating fun and immersive sushi-making experiences for food lovers while also educating them on the rich history of sushi. The classes can be catered to the specific occasion of the customers, whether that be an anniversary, birthday, or corporate team-building event. The product side of the company – the sushi-making kits – is a recent addition to the company that focuses on convenience by delivering fresh sushi kits directly to the customer’s home.
Island Style Food is a Filipino, Guam, and Asian Fusion food truck founded by Nicholas DeCaro. He recently purchased and is opening a physical restaurant located at 2931 N Division St. Nicholas is the head of the company, mainly responsible for the back-of-house operations. Melody, his fiancé and partner, is in charge of front-of-house operations. Island Style Food is also a medium for Nicholas to tell the story of his heritage and to create community amongst islanders throughout Spokane.
Professional Services
LaunchPad INW connects and elevates the innovation culture in the Spokane and Inland Northwest region. They do this by offering programs and events that connect, mentor, and inspire our members and partners.
Paulson Exchange is a business brokerage firm focusing on connecting retiring business owners to prospective younger buyers, this is specifically manifested through the BizBuyBootcamp offering, which is a workshop that leads potential buyers through the process of buying a business. Paulson Exchange is based in Spokane, WA, and is spearheaded by Kris Fuehr.
Sports and Fitness
Spokane Barre is a local barre and fitness studio located downtown in the Globe building. Katie Grainger bought Spokane Barre from its first owner and founder, Leslie Sandbourne. Since then, Katie has grown the business to where it is today. In Spokane Barre’s next chapter, Katie hopes to make some major changes in her business.
The Union is a spin, yoga, and TRX studio. Their group fitness classes are upbeat, motivating, and high in energy. Their themed classes, fun and loud music, and welcoming community bring in college students and women in their mid-20s and low 30s. Diversity in their team allows them to offer a variety in how their classes are run. There is a location in downtown Spokane and north Spokane is connected to The Method Juice bar. The new owner, Alicia Newman, also owns The Method Juice bar. With her abundance of experience in owning and running a business, she brings her expertise and collection of skills to growing and rebirthing The Union. After opening 9 years ago, they believed it was time to bring in more of the current demographic while also expanding to new groups.
Retail and Consumer Products
BuyWander is an online site where consumers can bid on high-quality items that have been bought and returned. BuyWander addresses the shortcoming of online returns while offering consumers great deals,
Dom + Bomb is an online boutique whose mission is to help heal people and protect the planet through fashion. They do this by creating well-fitting, high-quality fashion for all bodies, regardless of size, shape, or gender. They offer sizes 5XL-XS, accessories, custom orders, virtual styling, in-person tailoring by appointment, and no gender categories. Dom + Bomb opened in 2022 and started as a physical location before moving online. During our second phase of working with them, they moved from their virtual platform to a physical store they are currently developing.
The Promise Soap Company is a subscription-based hand soap service focusing on sustainability and community impact. Internally, the company is driven by a multifaceted mission: to curate a premium hand soap experience for subscribers, reduce single-use plastic waste, and contribute to the community through soap donations. The soap itself is crafted from certified organic ingredients, aligning with the company's dedication to using ethically sourced materials and promoting skin health. In line with its environmental focus, all packaging materials are 100% recyclable, and the bottles sold are made of glass, reflecting the Promise Soap Company's holistic approach to operating as a socially responsible and sustainable business.
Art and Entertainment
Ben Joyce attended Gonzaga University and while studying abroad in Florence, Italy he fell in love with art’s ability to represent people’s connection to place. In pursuit of creating pieces that are personal to the viewer and portray their ‘Love of Place’, he created Abstract Topophilia® which describes the emotional bond between people and place. His uniquely original pieces are from a bird’s eye view and are never fully framed to symbolize the continuation of both landscapes and the stories they contain. Ben has since opened a studio in Spokane alongside his brother Ben Joyce Studios doubles as a gallery. His paintings have been featured in Google’s corporate headquarters, a private 737 Boeing Jet, celebrities’ collections, along the homes of collectors young and old.
Wander Spokane was created to provide fun, interactive, and educational food, beer, wine, and nature walking tours that showcase Spokane’s local businesses and the surrounding beautiful scenery. The company was designed to support the Spokane community and build mutually beneficial relationships.
Non-Profit and community service
Vanessa Behan is a not-for-profit organization in Spokane, Washington. It was created by a local business owners in honor of Vanessa Behan, a two-year-old girl who died due to domestic abuse. Vanessa Behan is a crisis nursery that has been in the community since 1987. While keeping its core values of education and care, this organization provides parenting classes, counseling resources and a safe environment for children 24 hours a week. There are many dedicated staff members, volunteers, and donors who contribute to continue Vanessa Behan’s legacy and New Venture Lab has had the privilege of assisting its marketing department in expanding Vanessa Behan’s donor reach.
Manzanita House is a non-profit located in Spokane, WA that aims to serve Spokane immigrants with services like legal aid and affordable services. Committed to developing Spokane’s immigrants, they provide community outreach and education to the local community. Manzanita House creates a place that provides aid, a gathering space, and a training space for anyone seeking help. It is a place where immigrants can be resilient and thrive like the plant Manzanita House was named after.
Let's Build a Community is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to working with community stakeholders to turn areas of waste into sustainable economic opportunities. LBAC is currently based in Spokane, WA, and is spearheaded by Jessica Simpkins. LBAC’s current project is working on glass recycling in Spokane, and capitalizing on the opportunity glass provides for an increase in environmental and economic sustainability in the community.
Health and Wellness
OcuSkin Solutions, SPC is a social purpose business based in the Spokane, Washington area. Founded by Lace Williams Tinajero, the company is a woman-owned business and operates in a hybrid for-profit, non-profit model. Its mission is aimed at improving the lives of those who suffer from orbital disfigurement and the physical, social, emotional, and mental turmoil that comes with that. OcuSkin Solutions accomplishes this through its patent-pending technology that blends the lens of an eye cover with the users’ natural skin tone. By doing so, the product provides an ideal and affordable substitute for much more noticeable alternatives — such as eye patches — that draw attention to the very region individuals hope to conceal.
Chicana Esthetics is a multicultural skin care business founded by Abby Palacios. Abby’s goal with her business is to fulfill skin care needs for the multicultural spectrum of the overall Spokane area. Abby runs her own business as an esthetician and currently runs all business processes from inventory, marketing, and accounting which she needs help with.
Crimson Medical Solutions is born from a deep-seated desire to improve the working conditions of those at the heart of patient care. Stephen Bone, who co-founded the company in 2019 after graduating from WSU, wants to tackle the issue of improper IV line management in ICUs. The patented IV Manager is the company’s flagship product. This simple yet innovative and helpful product includes individual labeling and color-coding of each IV line. It aims to help nurses by streamlining the organizational process of IV lines and reducing liability associated with handling IVs.