Blog

September 11, 2020

Stay Prepared – Pacific Northwest Wildfires

There are currently 30 large fires burning approximately 1.2 million acres in Oregon and Washington – marking an unprecedented loss. In the last 10 years, Oregon has seen an average of 500,000 acres burn in ...

September 1, 2020

Meet the Recipients of the Black-Owned Business Grant

Each August marks National Black Business Month in the U.S. celebrating black entrepreneurial success. As September comes, we are continuing to highlight the impact of Black-owned businesses across the nation and the Pacific Northwest. Black-owned ...

July 20, 2020

COVID Stories – Walla Walla Small Business Relief Program

Small businesses make up an important part of any small town, they are crucial in creating jobs and providing services and products that big corporations cannot. Small businesses in the Walla Walla Valley are no ...

July 8, 2020

Meet Us Monday – Oregon Education Team

Mercy Corps Northwest has proudly served as home to Oregon Women’s Business Center in partnership with the SBA since 2011. In our nearly ten years of operation, we’ve worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs to navigate ...

June 9, 2020

#BlackLivesMatter – We Are Listening

Over the last few months, the Mercy Corps Northwest team has been fortunate to hear from our community across the Pacific Northwest. In April we heard from the small business community. You shared your challenges ...

May 28, 2020

Become an Equity Advocate During COVID-19

For many of us, the global pandemic of COVID-19 is an unprecedented hardship. But for immigrants with limited federal work authorization, the challenges they already faced in their daily lives are even more greatly exacerbated. ...

May 27, 2020

VISTA Stories – Centering The Voices of Alter-abled Oregonians

A Place to Call Home At a Tenant Education class at Community Vision, people with developmental disabilities are learning how to navigate Portland’s tricky housing market. Yvonne Chung, an AmeriCorps VISTA and Affordable Housing Associate, ...

May 11, 2020

#WomenOwned – Soul State of Mind Jewelry

Guided by Her Mother’s Legacy Soul State of Mind Jewelry is an Oregon-based jewelry boutique that specializes in creating hand-made jewelry inspired by travel and design across the globe. The idea was envisioned by the ...

April 13, 2020

Best of the PNW – Doggie Zoom Zoom

Corinne Visser was motivated to start her CBD dog treat business Doggie Zoom Zoom when her lab mix, Chase, was suffering from a number of health issues. Chase had been battling for a while from ...

March 31, 2020

Become A Justice Advocate During COVID-19

This moment is unprecedented. Until March 13, 2020, Mercy Corps Northwest’s Prison and Re-entry Services program LIFE Inside has been operating inside Oregon’s only women’s prison for 13 years uninterrupted. Today, we face an interruption ...

March 18, 2020

Supporting Small Businesses During Coronavirus Quarantine

These are unprecedented times, and Mercy Corps Northwest is here to help. Our team created a resource on everything from where to find free food, how to entertain your kids, and the best ways to ...

March 4, 2020

Stories From Washington – How YouTube Fueled A Entrepreneurial Dream

Born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico, Beatriz Mercado followed her dreams of moving to the United States and opening her own business. Beatriz Mercado was born and raised in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. She dreamed of ...

February 6, 2020

Meet Lily-Rygh Glen – The Force Behind Portland’s Flexible Fitness

It’s impossible to walk into Lily-Rygh Glen’s Flexible Fitness studio without feeling a jolt of energy. The word “Badass” is prominently featured on the back wall atop a soothing shade of mint green. As Lily-Rygh ...

January 8, 2020

Community Resilience – Meet Preparedness Advocate Alicia Bashir

Alicia Bashir’s life changed when she attended her first Preparedness Advocate Workshop at Mercy Corps Northwest that introduced her to the notion of Oregon’s impending earthquake. The coastal region spanning from California to Canada is ...

December 11, 2019

VISTA Stories – Mallory Smith & The Tananáwit Market

Nestled under the shade of a few large trees, the blue canopies of the Tananáwit Outdoor Market line the street. Every other Friday, the Warm Springs Community Action Team (WSCAT) provides a space for artisans, ...

November 25, 2019

Explore the 2019 Northwest Made Lineup

The Northwest Made Holiday Market is returning for its sixth year with even more food, fun, and festivities. Bringing together a new line up of some Portland’s most innovative entrepreneurs, creative confections, and dazzling wares ...

November 13, 2019

#MCNWFunded – Becoming Lami Autobody

“I was penniless when I first arrived in Portland. When we came into the airport, my kids were thirsty and wanted to drink water — we didn’t have money to buy it. Back in Iraq, ...

October 31, 2019

Inspired by Tradition – PDX Empanadas

Inés Berón and Walter Rodríguez left Uruguay during a financial crisis in South America in the early 2000s in search of new opportunity. They landed in in Worcester, Massachusetts where the large South American community ...

September 25, 2019

Business Directory

Web Map Beta Map by Taylor Allen and Justin Epperly

September 19, 2019

Stories From Washington – The Road to Dani’s Cleaner

Veronica Alvarado was born in Zacatecas, Mexico, as the eldest of 12 siblings. She moved to the United States in 2001 with four goals in mind: go to school, find a job, reunite with her ...

August 20, 2019

The Maker’s Guide ‘I Do’ – Discovering Portland’s Ringed

Allison Ullmer has been a jeweler and metalsmith for over 16 years. Her business, Ringed, was created from her love for working with jewelry and a passion for teaching. The Portland-based studio offers an intimate ...

July 1, 2019

Mercy Corps Northwest Pitch Competition Grants $10,000 to Three Women-Owned Small Businesses

Mercy Corps Northwest hosted a pitch competition “shark-tank style” for small business owners in the Portland area this month. Over 60 small businesses applied to join the competition and just nine were selected to present ...

May 24, 2019

A New Look at Wellness: Iris Briand of Sol Food Nutrition

Iris Briand grew up on an organic orchard and vegetable farm where she learned the importance of eating fresh foods as part of a healthy lifestyle. “From a young age, I knew I wanted to ...

May 6, 2019

Turning Second Chances into Opportunity: Angela Holm Photography

Angela Holm’s success story is one of perseverance and dedication. After being laid off from her previous job, Angela decided that she was not willing to count on others for her own success. With this ...

March 29, 2019

Trainer: Kari Morrison

Kari Morrison has one basic philosophy for  life and business one could also say The Golden Rule . Treat people in the way you would want to be treated. Kari’s has her BA in communication ...

March 26, 2019

Whatever You Need, She’s Got You: Michelle Elliott- Your Girl Friday

Creative doesn’t even begin to explain this business. Michelle Elliott started through Mercy Corps Northwest’s IDA, our Women in Business Seminars, and our loans programs. Being a single mother is hard enough, but finding a ...

February 11, 2019

Success Story: Scarlet Sails Brings Russian Theater to Portland

Question: What do Kate Winslet, Marlon Brando, and Daniel Day-Lewis have in common? Answer: Russia! More specifically, Russian theater. As Method actors, they immerse themselves fully in a character according to a highly influential system ...

January 30, 2019

From Idea to Growth: Sego Lily Pottery

Sego Lily Pottery is the passion project of Miranda Trostle and was founded in 2015, named after the state flower of Utah in celebration of the artist’s birthplace. Trostle began her studio with a strong ...

January 7, 2019

Wise Heart Coaching & Hypnosis: The Story of Judith

Judith opened the door to Wise Heart Coaching & Hypnosis in 2006. Everything was going great for Judith until 2008, the year the market went down. Judith then got a job and went back to ...

November 27, 2018

Client Success Stories: Misty Falls Body Works

“I can see and feel my work helping people. It reduces anxiety and stress and helps people go on to accomplish the good work they do with more ease.” Misty Fall used a Mercy Corps ...

November 14, 2018

Alchemy Elixirs: Drink from Ancient Wisdom

When I walked in to Alchemy Elixirs, Ryan and Michael asked me: “how do you feel today?” Then, they offered me a drink that was the perfect match for my feelings. I needed a drink ...

September 26, 2018

Meet Us Monday: Matthew Cramer

Portland is cited as the most civically engaged city in the country, which is one of the many reasons why Matthew loves it so much. Matthew is a Portland native who boomeranged back after serving ...

September 10, 2018

Meet Us Monday: Olga Johnson

  Did you know that Russian is the third most spoken language in the state of Oregon? Olga Johnson a member of our IDA (matched savings grant program) team moved from Moscow to Portland and ...

August 27, 2018

Leah K. Walsh’s Women Owned Business: Embodiment Coaching & Consulting

  Discontent “I left a very stable 9-5 job that was perfectly fine…but inside I was miserable. I knew I had to leave. The pain of it was I didn’t know where I wanted to ...

August 20, 2018

Expanding the Impact of Volunteers at Meals on Wheels People

AmeriCorps VISTA Story of Service August 2018   During his year of VISTA service with Meals on Wheels People, Emilio Cantu-Gil found numerous creative ways to build capacity within the organization’s large volunteer program. From ...

Business Foundations: First Step Stories Sarah Adams

  Sarah Adams has been a hair stylist and her own boss for the past 10 years. Now she is taking Business Foundations so she can start her own salon. Sarah’s vision is to create a ...

August 13, 2018

Meet us Monday: Benjamin Misley 

Who funds the people traditional banks decline? The year 2010 was an extremely difficult time to get a bank loan, which is when Benjamin Misley (who was working in banking at the time) felt called ...

August 10, 2018

Building Equity and Inclusion for People with Disabilities

AmeriCorps VISTA Story of Service August 2018   Anissa Pemberton served for almost two years as an AmeriCorps VISTA member at Community Vision in Portland, where their leadership and dedication resulted in the adoption of ...

July 31, 2018

Effie Stansbery: Meet Us Monday

Dog lover, gardener, humanitarian: Effie Stansbery wears many hats! At Mercy Corps NW Effie serves as our L.I.F.E. Program Manager, Training & Communications Coordinator, and office jokester. As Training & Communications Coordinator Effie coordinates educational ...

July 24, 2018

Women Owned Business: Flexible Fitness Body Positive Personal Training

“Body shaming doesn’t do anybody any good. Shame is not a motivating factor for most people. I don’t know a lot of people who want to pay to be shamed.”   The gym philosophy of “no ...

July 2, 2018

Lynn Renken: Meet Us Monday

Today is Mercy Corps Northwest’s first ever “Meet Us Monday”, and who better to feature first than the leader of MCNW in both Oregon and Washington. Lynn Renken is not only Mercy Corps Northwest’s new ...

June 4, 2018

Trainer: Bobbie Stewart

  The pursuit of happiness is doing what you love even when it puts the spotlight on someone else. Bobbie Stewart is a serial entrepreneur whose passion is engaging with and building start-ups. As a ...

Trainer: Karen Y. Spencer

Karen consults and works hands-on with start-ups, non-profits and established businesses on business strategy, business development, marketing and legal strategy.  Karen also has over 25 years of experience counseling clients on patent strategy, patent portfolio ...

April 23, 2018

Aspiring Robin Hood of Business Education Caitlin Campbell Talks Mascots, LIFE and Business Plans

Caitlin Campbell volunteers as a coach with our LIFE program and our Business Plan Study Halls. Her day job is with Mercy Corps Northwest partner Propeller. We’d heard she’s a crowd favorite and decided we ...

April 16, 2018

Mercy Corps Northwest Supports a Yoga Refuge for East Portland

Melinda was afraid of yoga. “I’m now a ‘senior’ in age,” she explained, “morbidly obese by western medical measures, and labeled ‘disabled.’” She’d decided yoga was no longer for her — until she met Kate ...

March 21, 2018

MCNW Seminars Fuel Environmentally Minded GO Box

Laura Weiss has been on a seven year mission to get us Portlanders to ditch disposable food containers. She’s done it with GO Box, and so far she’s kept 120,000 disposable food containers from the trash cans of Portland. That’s a stack twice as tall as Mt. Hood.

February 7, 2018

INCREASING ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD: A YEAR AT MARION-POLK FOOD SHARE

AmeriCorps VISTA Story of Service February 2018 During her year of service as the Community Food Access Coordinator at the Marion-Polk Food Share in Salem, Emily Vincent helped members of Marion and Polk Counties gain ...

February 6, 2018

#MCNWFunded: Margalaxy

Margalaxy is a line of raw vegan superfood snacks made with busy people in mind. Margaux Muller wants to ‘bring your taste buds into orbit’ with her plant-based protein snacks made without refined sugar. Mercy ...

September 1, 2017

Getting to Yes – Becoming Loan Ready

Having trouble getting approved for financing?  Declined by a lender and confused as to why?  New to loans and want to know what it takes?   You are not alone.  It can be tough to ...

August 30, 2017

Credit 101 – How to Repair & Build Your Credit

Credit can be confusing.  Today, more than ever, it is critical to know what your score is and where you stand.  Having poor credit can mean limited financing opportunities and paying more in interest due ...

August 29, 2017

How Credit Affects Your Budget

Ever wonder how your credit score can affect your monthly loan payments?   For better or worse, your credit can have a direct impact on your budget.  We all know that lower credit scores mean ...

June 23, 2017

Building the Foundation: A New Volunteer Program at Bienestar

AmeriCorps VISTA-Story of Service Building the Foundation: A New Volunteer Program at Bienestar June  2017 Alyssa Vitale, Volunteer Coordinator, at Bienestar has built a volunteer program which will influence the future of their programs that ...

June 20, 2017

With Love, From PDX

Inger McDowell-Hartye is the curator behind With Love, From PDX. She’s combined both her passion for community and locally-made goods to grow With Love, From PDX into a successful company. Launched in 2015, her company curates ...

June 2, 2017

AmeriCorps VISTA Story of Service: Surabhi Mahajan

While it may be obvious to say that if you are hungry you can’t think of anything other than your lack of sustenance, the fact is, thousands of people go hungry on a daily basis. ...

May 11, 2017

The Sugar Mama

The Sugar Mama 1722 NW Raleigh Street, Suite 111 Portland, OR 97209 United States [email protected] Krystal is a badass business woman and no stranger to hard work. The entrepreneurial bug bit her young. She never ...

April 5, 2017

Snackrilege

Rosalind and her husband Clayton came to Mercy Corps NW in 2013. Together they attended a business class offered by the Women’s Business Center . They went on to get a small business loan and ...

February 1, 2017

Eatin’ Alive

Paige Common – Eatin’ Alive  Paige started Eatin’ Alive seven years ago hauling produce around town on her bike to the King Farmers Market, whipping up fresh, local, raw, grab-and-go snacks and meals. She has ...

December 13, 2016

Trainer: Wendy Kotila

Wendy is an experienced business coach, mentor and teacher with a great love for education, technology, and empowering women and girls. Her experience is a combination of formal education and years of practical experience.  After ...

December 2, 2016

#HolidayNightMarket Q&A with Ground Up PDX

Julie (left) is the co-founder of Ground Up PDX, a delicious nut butter company which also aims to empower women by teaching them life and business skills.     What inspired you to start your ...

November 30, 2016

#HolidayNightMarket Q&A with Yellow Scope

Kelly and Marcie are the co-founders of Yellow Scope, a company that makes rigorous, creative, and fun science kits to get girls excited about STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math)!  What inspired you to start ...

November 29, 2016

#GivingTuesday Series: Meet Matthew

The final story in our #GivingTuesday Series comes from Matthew, our AmeriCorps VISTA Coordinator, who believes Mercy Corps Northwest’s innovative approaches helps improve Oregon’s most disadvantaged communities. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Matthew has ...

November 15, 2016

#GivingTuesday Series: Meet Jackie

Each week as part of our MCNW Giving Series leading up to #GivingTuesday, we will share with you personal stories from donors and volunteers highlighting why they give to and believe in Mercy Corps Northwest. ...

November 8, 2016

#GivingTuesday Series: Oregonians Building Thriving Communities

Each week as part of our MCNW Giving Series leading up to #GivingTuesday, we will share with you personal stories from donors and volunteers highlighting why they give to and believe in Mercy Corps Northwest. ...

September 2, 2016

Trainer: Bill Horton

Bill believes that by clearing the chaos and facing tough truths, business owners can transform the way they think about their business and move forward with clarity, confidence, and calm.

June 28, 2016

Free to low cost activities in Summer

French festival July 9, 2016 0.9 miles north The Bastille Festival features French food, music, street performers, art projects, and an outdoor market in Jamison Square. Mississippi Street Fair July 9, 2016 3 miles north Mississippi Street ...

May 31, 2016

Foundations I Now Available in Russian

Mercy Corps Northwest is proud to offer our Foundations I class entirely in Russian. Check out a short video below featuring our staff and community partners discussing this exciting offering:   Our Russian Language Foundations ...

May 2, 2016

Business Foundations II: Next Level Workshop – Mondays 4-7pm

Are you ready to grow your business, become more efficient and generate additional revenue?  If so, our Business Foundations ll:Next Level Workshop is designed for you.  This engaging, effective four-week course provides the opportunity you need ...

April 27, 2016

Mercy Corps NW VISTA Team Serves on Chavez Day

In celebration of the Cesar Chavez Day of Service, the Mercy Corps Northwest VISTA Team jumped at the chance to change our surroundings for the day and honor Cesar Chavez’s legacy of advocacy for farm ...

April 26, 2016

Seattle Makers Speed Coaching

Mercy Corps Northwest event connects Seattle makers & producers to business mentors. This past week Mercy Corps Northwest hosted a Speed Coaching Event for Seattle makers & producers at Hale’s Ales Brewery & Pub in ...

March 28, 2016

RTC staff present testimony at Legislative Housing Emergency Forum

On January 9th, RTC’s Housing Navigator, Jeremy Nichols, presented testimony at the Legislative Housing Emergency Forum.  Hosted at Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization in Northeast Portland, the event was held in response to the rising ...

Mercy Corps NW Recruiting AmeriCorps VISTAs

Do you dream about making a real impact in the fight against poverty? Have you thought about a career in the nonprofit sector but aren’t sure where to start? Consider joining our AmeriCorps VISTA team ...

March 17, 2016

The RTC Advocates for New Career Paths Through Deconstruction.

Deconstructing buildings, the careful removal of building materials in order to upcycle or re-use valuable materials (lumber, hardware, etc.) rather than demolish and load up the landfill, has been in use for centuries. But now, ...

Free to low cost activities in Spring 2016

Oregon Rail Heritage Center Portland is home to more working steam locomotives than any other city in the country, and you’ll find them at the volunteer-run Oregon Rail Heritage Center, opened in 2012. Guided interpretation, presentations, ...

RTC Participants benefit from the Generosity of the Lions Club

We want to thank the Lions Club of Oregon and the Oregon Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation. The Lions have been generously providing RTC participants with vision care. We are so grateful! Many of our participants have ...

Toast Masters comes to the RTC

The RTC is proud to introduce Toast Masters! Toast Masters is a training and educational organization which teaches its members communication, leadership, training and management skills, and builds self-confidence through enhancing public speaking skills. It is ...

Looking for a career? Are you between the ages of 16 and 24 or know someone who is?

 Check out Job Corps! A vocational training program which offers young people vocational training and job placement in a wide range of careers.  Some Oregon sites are residential. If you know a young person or ...

Have no Fear: Job Application & Resume Help is Here at RTC!

Reentering the job market can be daunting, and we want to help our job seekers get their job applications and resumes into the employers’ YES pile. That’s why the RTC is happy to offer extra ...

What’s old is new again – the Art of Deconstruction offers new Career Paths

Deconstructing buildings, the careful removal of building materials in order to upcycle or re-use valuable material (lumber, hardware, etc.) rather than demolish and load up the landfill, has been in use for centuries. But now, ...

March 14, 2016

Marketing Mentor Event: Connecting Clients and Experts

On Wednesday, Feb. 24, 31 small business owners gathered at Mercy Corps Northwest for a new event, an evening of “speed mentoring.”  In speed dating format, the event paired 30 entrepreneurs with 15 mentors in ...

March 11, 2016

Red Sauce Pizza

Congratulations to Shardell Dues of Red Sauce Pizza for finishing in the top 3 of the Oregonian’s People’s Choice vote for Portland’s Best Pizza Place. Red Sauce Pizza 4935 NE 42nd Avenue Portland Oregon 503-288-4899 ...

March 2, 2016

Women-Owned Small Businesses have Record Year

In 1996 the federal government implemented a goal: At least 5% of all federal contracts must be awarded to women-0wned small businesses (WOSB’s). Finally, after 20 years of active pursuit, the goal has been achieved. ...

February 24, 2016

New Class of AmeriCorps VISTA Members Begins Service

On February 22, Mercy Corps NW welcomed its sixth class of AmeriCorps VISTAs into service. As part of a national initiative sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service, VISTAs serve at nonprofits where ...

February 12, 2016

Thriving Local Business Finds Office Space at Plaza 122

John Haines of Mercy Corps Northwest says “This is a great startup of Somali cab drivers, PDX Yellow Cab, who work out of Plaza 122, a commercial property Mercy Corps Northwest purchased and revitalized to sell ...

January 27, 2016

VISTA Team Serves on MLK Day

On Monday, January 18 MCNW’s AmeriCorps VISTA team joined of thousands of people nationwide in celebrating the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by volunteering in their communities as part of a national ...

January 26, 2016

Former IDA client wins Pitch Competition

Just announced on Specialtyfood.com! (article and photo by Deanna Ting): Last evening, Jan. 16, at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, the Specialty Food Association hosted its inaugural Shelf Showdown: A Specialty Food Pitch Competition, and declared ...

January 25, 2016

Red Sauce Pizza Continues Strong Opening in Cully Neighborhood

Shardell Dues loves pizza. Always has, and always will. Her love for tossing a perfect crust and mastering the art of intricately topping a pizza started when she began making pizzas in her teens. Unlike ...

January 12, 2016

Seattle Small Business Open House

Calling all Seattle-ites! Join us Jan 21st from 3pm-5pm at our Open House. Find Seattle area resources available for small businesses and meet with a Mercy Corps Northwest lender and representatives from 7+ other community ...

Portland Leads the Country in Female Entrepreneurship

Small business activity is on the rise across the country, according to a recent study by a prominent research foundation, and Portland, Oregon is at the top in two categories. The Kauffman Foundation, which looked ...

December 17, 2015

AmeriCorps VISTA Spotlight

Having completed the first quarter of her VISTA service year with the Mercy Corps Northwest VISTA team, Leah Guliasi has wasted no time demonstrating the impact that VISTA members can bring to their communities. Leah ...

December 4, 2015

SMART Collective Premieres New Skate Video

The SMART Collective is having a release party for their new promo video on December 11th, starting at 5:30pm.  Tickets will be $5 at the door to see the video, and a show will follow ...

November 24, 2015

Three Months of Service with the AmeriCorps VISTA Team

Mercy Corps Northwest’s newest VISTA team has been with us for almost three months. Since August, our VISTAs have assisted their host agencies and MCNW in developing new solutions to cyclical poverty. Members have helped ...

November 23, 2015

Holiday Showcase Success!

Thank you all who participated in our showcase. We had a great time. All goods sold were from local small business’s who are a part of Mercy Corps Northwest business development programs. RELM Studios creates handmade ceramic ...

October 13, 2015

OPB: Tackling Asset Poverty with Innovative New Program

MCNW Executive Director, John Haines, and the team involved in the Community Investment Trust at Plaza 122 in Southeast Portland, were featured on Oregon Public Broadcasting recently for their innovative approach to tackling the issue ...

October 2, 2015

“Best Coffee I’ve Ever Had” – Tov Coffee

Joseph Nazir fell in love with coffee in 2005 while working at a mom and pop cafe. There he learned the importance of a good shot of espresso, how to pour latte art, and the attention to detail that can ...

October 1, 2015

MCNW IDA Client Matt’s BBQ Featured on Oregon Live

Congratulations to Matt Vicedomini on his write-up in Oregon Live, earning high praise on his brisket and ribs from food critic Michael Russell. “But it gets one thing right that eludes nearly every other Portland-area ...

September 29, 2015

Need Capital? Attend Money on a Mission, Oct 7

Looking to grow your small business? Beneficial State Bank and Albina Community Bank — members of the Beneficial State Family — are proud to present Money on a Mission 2015. Money on a Mission is ...

September 25, 2015

Mercy Corps Northwest Welcomes New Class of AmeriCorps VISTAs

Earlier this month, Mercy Corps NW welcomed its fifth class of AmeriCorps VISTAs into service. Our VISTAs serve at nonprofits throughout the state where they develop programs that address the systemic causes of poverty by ...

September 24, 2015

Stories from Reentry

Roughly 30-40% of the people accessing services at the Reentry Transition Center are referred by the North West Regional Reentry Center (NWRRC), the federal halfway house.  This essay was written by Warren Nunn, who was released from ...

September 23, 2015

Supporting Fashion and Apparel Start Ups

Portland Mayor Charlie Hales has declared October 7-10 to be “Portland Fashion Week.”  We are excited to be a sponsor of FashioNXT 2015, in support of its emerging designer accelerator program, Up/NXT. Among other awards, ...

September 18, 2015

IDA Graduate David Lewis Earns Veteran of the Week Honors

IDA graduate David Lewis of Veteran Bicycle Co., LLC, recently received Student Veteran of the Week honors from the Institute for Veterans and Military Families. We are proud of the work David is doing through ...

August 28, 2015

MCNW Graduates Third Class of AmeriCorps VISTA Members

On Friday, August 28 MCNW graduated its third class of AmeriCorps VISTA members. The national service program dedicated to fighting poverty, VISTAs serve at nonprofits and public agencies throughout the US. VISTA was launched with ...

August 25, 2015

Grounded in Nature: Yurt Therapy

Learn more about how our Key Bank Business Pitch winner Mitch Bacon is breaking ground, literally, with his yurt-based therapy practice. Bridging the gap between the wilderness and the urban environment, Mitch cultivates a garden ...

New Partner: Portland Sewing

We are excited about our new partnership with Portland Sewing, giving us greater opportunities to share our small business expertise with apparel makers and designers across Portland. “It’s a great honor for us to be ...

July 10, 2015

Does mindfulness lead to greater business success?

Guest post by Portland Conscious Women Entrepreneurs   Have you ever wondered if mindfulness leads to greater business success? On June 11, Conscious Living Coach Andrea Leda was a guest speaker for Portland Conscious Women ...

July 1, 2015

U.S. is #1 for Women Entrepreneurs…

The results of the first-ever Global Entrepreneur Leaders Scorecard, offered by tech giant Dell, are in. The good news? The U.S. is tops for women entrepreneurs. The bad news? In ALL countries, there’s a significant ...

June 25, 2015

Navigating the “Female Frontier” for Business Success

With an estimated 3 billion people now online, the opportunity to build a business via the Internet has never been better. For women especially, the online marketplace is a potentially lucrative way to grow. Three ...

May 21, 2015

Acanthus

“Without Mercy Corps Northwest, we wouldn’t have been able to open this business. They had faith in us when a lot of people didn’t.” When Anne Thompson considered expanding her eco-friendly upholstery business in 2011, ...

May 14, 2015

The Increasing Power of Women-owned Businesses

According to a recent CNBC article, women launched 1300 businesses per day in the United States last year. There are now over 9 million women-owned businesses in the US, generating $1.4 trillion annually. Women-owned small ...

May 11, 2015

Women Entrepreneurs: Multi-task Your Way to Success

A woman’s skill at multi-tasking could be the key to her success as an entrepreneur, or so believes Kevin O’Leary, an investor from the popular TV show “Shark Tank.” That’s likely not news to most ...

Greetings from the Women’s Business Center!

Greetings from the Mercy Corps Northwest Women’s Business Center!  We are proud to be part of a strong network of Women’s Business Centers supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration, providing the resources entrepreneurs need ...

April 28, 2015

Mercy Corps NW supports the Ban the Box Initiative

Mercy Corps Northwest supports Ban the Box, an international civil rights campaign advocating for fair treatment of ex-offenders in employment practices. Pictured here, our Reentry Transition Center manager Felton Howard joins a roundtable of local ...

October 8, 2014

Real Engagement – The Fine Art of Building Relationships that Work

The new buzz word in the virtual marketing world is engagement.  But what happens on social media is just one aspect of engagement, and a very narrow one at that.  What engagement really boils down ...

June 13, 2013

The Three F’s Every Successful Entrepreneur Should Master

By Kent Lewis. Kent will be presenting “Learning from a Serial Entrepreneur”on Wednesday, June 5th from 6 to 9 pm. As a long-time entrepreneur, I’ve had the opportunity to found and co-found a variety of ...

May 31, 2013

Countdown to Health Reform

By Adrienne Hutchins, a Portland based insurance broker. Adrienne will present “Obamacare Clarified” on June 19th, 6:00PM – 7:30PM. Understanding your health plan options is a very important part of your budgeting and planning.  Most ...

May 3, 2013

Mobile Marketing in a Multi-Screen World

By Rebecca Whitefield at Anvil Media, a Portland marketing consultancy specializing in integrated marketing and search engine marketing. Mobile marketing is the focus of Mercy Corps Northwest’s upcoming seminar: “Determing Your Mobile Marketing Mix” on ...

April 22, 2013

Mind Your Own Business

By Jennifer de Thomas, a financial adviser in Portland who thrives on organizing people’s financial lives so they are free to concentrate on what they love to do. Financial planning – that’s a subject for ...

April 12, 2013

Female business owners—are you taking advantage of local Accelerator and Mentoring programs?

By Emily Youatt Start-up accelerator programs offering industry-focused programs and support for women are popping up across the country. These programs serve a variety of needs—entrepreneurial, educational, investment opportunities, and networking. Many programs offered are ...

March 15, 2013

Get All the Business You Want: Never Sell Again!

By Veronika (Ronnie) Noize, the Marketing Coach and a successful entrepreneur, author, speaker, and Certified Professional Coach. Ronnie will be presenting “Learning the Secrets of Soft Selling” on March 27th, 6-9pm. Is “selling” a dirty ...

March 10, 2013

Seven Ways to Increase Foot Traffic to Your Small Business

Start from the outside and look in Here are some questions to ask: Who passes by your store? What kind of signage do you have at your store-front? Does your advertising speak to a certain ...

February 1, 2013

Preparedness Starts with a Dialogue

By Francisco Ianni, director of preparedness for the American Red Cross Oregon Region. Francisco will present “Preparing Your Business for a Disaster,” a seminar to introduce small businesses to the world of emergency preparedness, and ...

January 25, 2013

How to Attract More Customers

By Mark Paul, author of “The Entrepreneur’s Survival Guide.” Mark will be presenting “Attracting More Customers” on February 6th from 6 to 9pm. Do you have all the customers you need? Are you looking for ...

November 30, 2012

The New (Old) Way of Networking

By Veronika (Ronnie) Noize, the Marketing Coach. Ronnie will be presenting “Building Your Business with Networking” on Wednesday, December 5th from 6 to 9 pm. It is almost ironic that the very tools we expected ...

November 2, 2012

Not Going International Is Your Biggest Risk

by Valérie Berset-Price.  Valerie will be presenting “Going International for the Small Business Owner” on Thursday, November 8th from 6-9pm. I read an article that talks about Australian companies setting up purchasing offices in the ...

September 21, 2012

Five Things You Need to Know About Networking

by Veronika (Ronnie) Noize, the Marketing Coach and a successful entrepreneur, author, speaker, and Certified Professional Coach. Networking is one of the best business building strategies I have ever used.  As a matter of fact, ...

September 12, 2012

Know What Your Customers Want

by Bill Horton, founder of BizFix.  Bill has developed curriculum and taught at Mercy Corps Northwest for the past four years, preparing entrepreneurs to operate their own businesses. Have you met with a client, bid ...

August 28, 2012

What’s In It for Me?

by Jane Pellicciotto, proprietor of branding and communication design firm Allegro Design.  Re-published with permission from EnoughGood. You sit down to write your marketing copy. Words flow easily about who you are and what your ...

July 30, 2012

Work Smart, Not Hard: Why We Need to Avoid the Busy Trap

by Carmen Voilleque, co-author of Evolutionaries: Transformational Leadership Carmen will be presenting “Work Smart, Not Hard: Make Strategic Decisions That Will Save You Time and Money” on Tuesday, August 7th from 12 PM to 3 ...

July 5, 2012

An Insider’s Guide to Getting Great Customers to Come to You

When I first started my own business and took business-building seminars, I quickly got overwhelmed by the marketing “must do” action steps. Just thinking back on the “drill call” I’d hear still makes me dizzy: ...

May 23, 2012

How to Use Referrals to Build your Business

by Veronika Noize. Ronnie will be presenting “How to build your business with networking” on Thursday, May 31st from 6-9pm Tired of marketing like a maniac but not getting any clients?  Beef up your referral ...

March 19, 2012

Using the Power of Story To Build Your Brand

“Tell me a fact and I’ll learn. Tell me a truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.” — Indian proverb by Jen Barth. Jen will ...

June 20, 2011

The Difference Between Passive & Active Marketing

By Elgé Premeau, MCNW Seminar presenter and Guest Contributor Most business owners think the only way to get customers from the internet is to put up a website and get it to show up on ...