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Business Advising Services

Want help with your business? Meet our partner advisors!

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Looking for Business Support? 

Whether you need help with financials, operations, marketing, or succession planning, our team of professional business advisors are excited to work with you. Our advisors have been trained through Washington State’s Federal Recompete Pilot Program, a federally funded initiative dedicated to strengthening rural economies and supporting small business growth, that supports free advising sessions for businesses in Jefferson and Clallam Counties. 

What We Offer

  • Up to 5 Free Advising Sessions: Local businesses can access up to five one-on-one advising sessions free of charge.

  • Flexible Continued Support: If you need deeper, ongoing assistance after your fifth session, any subsequent fees are determined at the discretion of your specific advisor.

How to Get Started

You can connect with our Recompete-trained advisors in one of two ways:

  1. Get a Customized Referral: Contact EDC Team Jefferson directly, and we will match you with the right advisor for your specific industry and goals.

  2. Reach Out Directly: If you already know who you'd like to work with, feel free to contact any of our graduate advisors directly through our directory below.

Additional Free Business Resources

In addition to our Recompete advisors, we highly recommend utilizing these excellent, no-cost local resources:

  • Small Business Development Center (SBDC): Offers free, confidential, one-on-one business advising to help you start, grow, or buy/sell a business.

  • APEX Accelerator: Provides free technical assistance and training for businesses looking to secure government contracts at the local, state, or federal level.

George Sawyer

George C. Sawyer has worked in software, intellectual property, and consulting, with a focus on sales, training, and business development across global markets. He now lives in Jefferson County, where he volunteers with the Master Gardener program, supports small business owners as a mentor, and contributes to local food justice efforts through the Swan Farm Food Bank Garden. Earlier in his life, he was one of the original members of the MIT Blackjack Team. gcsawyer@sbcglobal.net

Kit Malone

Kit is the Executive Director of a local nonprofit and specializes in operational strategizing: helping businesses align tasks, people, and resources to work more effectively and profitably. She is also a construction manager. Her leadership experience, combined with a background in finance, bookkeeping, and real estate development, informs her practical support of local businesses operating within tight budgets and competing priorities. Kit holds a Master's degree in Educational Administration. kitsong399@gmail.com

Justine Wagner

Raised in Sequim with deep roots and strong community ties, Justine brings a broad range of experience. With a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Idaho, she has spent the past eight years in the security industry, developing expertise in human resources, scheduling, operations, sales, marketing, and customer service. Driven by a passion for supporting local businesses across the North Olympic Peninsula, she is committed to long-term community prosperity. justinealicewagner@gmail.com

Charlotte Richardson

Raised in Port Townsend with 20+ years of experience in the beauty industry, Charlotte has dedicated her career to empowering others through her work as a stylist, salon owner, and brand educator. As an advisor, she leverages that expertise to support local business owners and provide resources and mentorship that help entrepreneurs elevate their businesses and contribute to a more vibrant and prosperous Port Townsend. charleyru@gmail.com

Audra Willing

Audra brings a breadth of experience to small business advising — from co-founding an Edtech startup and leading enterprise sales in financial services technology, to teaching leadership in the field with NOLS. She works at the intersection of generative innovation, strategy, and human connection. Her career spans renewable energy development, sales effectiveness coaching, restorative justice, and graduate-level faculty work. Audra holds an MBA in Sustainable Systems from Presidio Graduate School and a BS in Peace, Conflict, and Global Studies from Northland College. Audra@orderalchemy.com

Shawnisa Francis

Shawnisa firmly believes in empowering others for a healthier and happier life. She enjoys learning new and innovative ways to reform the medical field and the broader community. Shawnisa is a Physician Assistant at Jefferson Healthcare with 10 years of experience and currently practicing sleep medicine. She is excited to be able to give back to her community, allowing everyone to have access to services and resources that can uplift all. She is very happy to be a part of this journey to serve her community. stfsean@gmail.com

Paul Schiefen

Paul Schiefen is a business advisor and co-owner of Jardin du Soleil Lavender Farm, where he has spent 15 years building a multifaceted agritourism operation. With over 25 years of experience across farming, retail, events, and financial services, he helps rural entrepreneurs turn complex, day-to-day challenges into clear systems that support growth and profitability. schiefenp@gmail.com

Tate Munnich

Tate's interest in business advising is at the intersection of technology and process design, with a focus on helping organizations build systems that enable them to direct their efforts toward their core mission. He has worked with state government, global professional services organizations, and local small businesses to take advantage of modern technological platforms that allow decision makers to answer questions about their business performance, limit time spent on manual data entry, and to focus more on people and less on a computer screen. tatemunnich@gmail.com

Anne St George

Anne has extensive experience in budget, financial, project, and change management. She is an effective coach, meeting individuals where they are and connecting them with creative solutions and resources they need. She’s worked in city government, higher education and financial institutions, and started her career working in a small print shop. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Pepperdine University. Anne supports South Jefferson County and is focused on workforce development and employer engagement efforts countywide. anne@edcteamjefferson.org

Eric Jones

Eric is here to build community because community has the power to overcome many of today’s struggles. He knows firsthand about operating a business with limited resources. A self-described generalist, born from both curiosity and necessity, Eric brings an eclectic mix of experiences and perspectives through work in the nonprofit sector at both the staff and board level, helping grow several small businesses, teaching English as a foreign language, succeeding at several years of stay-at-home parenting, and building a thorough network throughout Jefferson County. ericjones.consulting@gmail.com

Meghan Mix

Meghan is passionate about creating strong local food systems and fostering community resilience. For the last 9 years, she has operated her own micro-farm and cannery in Port Townsend. Prior to beginning her farm, Meghan was instrumental in starting several environmental and regenerative agriculture-focused nonprofit organizations. Her hands-on farming experience and nonprofit background give her a unique perspective as a Business Advisor; she is able to see the whole in addition to the bottom line. hopscotchfarmpt@gmail.com

Stephanie DeWitt

Stephanie is a Port Townsend-based REALTOR® who blends financial expertise with creative problem-solving. Formerly the founder of an investment advisory firm, she leverages her background in long-term strategy to help clients navigate their most significant investments with confidence. She is known for her "outside-the-box" solutions and a calm demeanor that keeps transactions moving forward when others might stall. stephanie.dewitt@theagencyre.com

Nik Lance

Nik was born and raised in Western Washington, and has been in Port Townsend for the past 20 years. His career has ranged from co-owning a local cheese-making startup, running a customer service team for a world-class fly fishing company, to developing and refining processes with a Fortune-50 financial institution. Nik spent the past 7 years running operations for an international software startup, growing it from a team of 16 to where it now enjoys a global presence. His journey has given him expertise in finance, HR, investor relations, and legal affairs. nik_lance@hotmail.com

Jennifer Wells

Jennifer is a lifelong accountant, business owner, and Certified Money Coach with over 30 years of experience supporting small businesses and nonprofits. Her background spans full-cycle accounting, virtual CFO services, QBO support and cleanup, and financial coaching. A longtime community leader, she has served as Executive Director of the Jefferson County Chamber and CEO of the Camarillo, CA Chamber; has sat on numerous nonprofit, tourism, and economic development boards, and currently sits on the boards of Port Townsend Main Street Association and OWL360. She owns Jenn Wells Accounting & Consulting and Soulful Abundance in PT. jenn@jennwellsaccounting.com

Laura Brooks

Laura was the former Director of Strategic Programs and the Women's Business Center Director at the West Business Development Center in Mendocino. She has designed training programs tailored for rural entrepreneurs and collaborated closely with local and statewide organizations to create an ecosystem of supportive entrepreneurial resources. Laura helps small businesses with IT and with grant assistance. Drawing on her professional background, and her years living off-grid in remote parts of Alaska and Patagonia, Laura infuses her work with innovation, empathy, and a commitment to service. laura@edcteamjefferson.org
Person-centered and individualized one-on-one advising is the heart and soul of CIE. Experienced local business advisors meet participants where they are to address their specific opportunities, challenges and ideas for building business that is ready to grow. Assistance might include helping a client write a business plan, apply for a loan, develop marketing strategies, or set up systems to manage business operations.
The Small Business Development Center is a network of advisors working across the state to help small business owners start, grow ,or buy/sell businesses. SBDC provides one-on-one, confidential, no-cost advising on all phases of small business development. Other services of the Washington SBDC include no- low-cost workshops and customized market research services.
APEX Accelerator advises businesses on how to win government contracts and subcontracts. Personalized, one-on-one technical assistance includes bid reviews, marketing assistance, contract performance, small business certifications, and more. APEX Accelerator also hosts procurement training classes and seminars and helps businesses register with the correct databases to compete for government contracts.