Organizations & Meetups in the Kitsap Startup Ecosystem
Need to connect with other creators, innovators and business experts? Looking for a place to get work done? Ready to bolster your skills set with a degree or certificate?
Start here for a (non-exhaustive!) collection of resources offered by local organizations to entrepreneurs and startups here in the greater Kitsap and Olympic Peninsula region.
- Meetups, Groups & Events
- Education: Coding schools, University programs, and Extended learning
- Funding
- Incentives
- Places: Coworking spaces, Meeting facilities & Workspaces
- Additional resources
Notice something that’s not on here but should be? Contact us.
Meetups, Groups & events
KEDA Tech Committee - A Kitsap Economic Development Alliance (KEDA) sponsored technology-focused subcommittee that advises on long term initiatives under the pillars of Infrastructure, Cyber Security, Talent, Connectivity, & Innovation. (2017 KEDA Decision Makers II)
Vibe Coworks (Full Meetup Series) - A shared workspace and coworking community that helps you work happier, healthier and more connected than ever before.
Female Founders Power Hour (Recurring Meetups within Vibe Series)
Startups & Internet Innovators - A Vibe partner-powered series by Ignition Garage that encourages startup entrepreneurs and internet innovators to connect, learn from one another, and pursue their technology ambitions. (Recurring Meetups within Vibe Series)
Social Entrepreneurs Unite! - A Vibe partner-powered series by Anna Sun Choi (Recurring Meetups within Vibe Series)
Westsound Innovators: Tech on Tap - Casual meetup for technologists, entrepreneurs, and those who want to plug in. Meet at a different Kitsap brewpub throughout the county (monthly).
West Sounds Techies - West Sound Techies welcomes anyone interested in technology and business tools, coding, innovation, biotech, big data, STEM, education. No limits. If you're in the West Sound (Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas), join us!
Olympic Tech Collective - A community Facebook page and Slack channel that bring together technologists with a passion for investing in the area and lending their brainpower for the greater good.
Kitsap Business Forum - Our mission is to engage business leaders and stimulate thinking so that collectively we grow a healthy Kitsap economy.
Education: Coding schools, University programs and Extended Learning
West Sound Coder Dojo - West Sound CoderDojo is an open source, free, and inclusive learning environment where kids ages 7-18 (and now, adults!) learn code, leadership, peer collaboration, computational thinking, and so much more! Parents also join in the self-paced, interactive, and problem-solving fun!
WWU Cyber Security Program (including the Cyber Range)
Western Washington University on the Peninsulas
Funding
edg3 Fund - We realize one of the biggest barriers for entrepreneurs is lack of funding, so Kitsap Bank is offering $20,000 through its edg3 FUND small business competition to help entrepreneurs dedicated to growing our local community economically, socially and environmentally.
Incentives
Opportunity Zones: Investors are able to defer paying taxes on capital gains that are invested in Qualified Opportunity Funds that in turn are invested in distressed communities designated as Opportunity Zones by the governor of each state.
Places: Coworking spaces, Meeting facilities & Workspaces
The CoLab: A group of independent professionals that cowork in Port Townsend to collaborate and share ideas.
Office Xpats: Coworking and conference center dedicated to supporting the independent professionals and business community of Bainbridge Island.
Spark Commons: Coworking community and meeting space for independent creative professionals to come together and work in a supportive team environment.
Vibe Coworks: A shared workspace and coworking community that helps you work happier, healthier and more connected than ever before.
Additional resources:
Kitsap Economic Development Alliance - KEDA (including Government Contracting - PTAC)