Funding furthers development of ancient-coast.com, a digital hub connecting small businesses, makers, and guides with customers across the region.
Jefferson EDC has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Washington State Microenterprise Association (WSMA) to continue development of ancient-coast.com, a website designed to give small businesses, artists, and guides along Washington's north coast a professional and accessible online presence.
The grant, part of WSMA's 2025-26 Statewide and Urban Grant cycle funded through the Washington State Department of Commerce, builds on a previous WSMA-funded initiative that helped connect West End makers and entrepreneurs with markets and customers across Jefferson County. That work, concentrated on the rural West End of the Olympic Peninsula, laid the groundwork for a digital platform capable of reaching businesses and makers in some of the most geographically isolated communities in the state.
Ancient-coast.com serves as a mobile-friendly, centralized hub for businesses stretching from the Quileute Indian Nation (QIN) north to the Strait, with tribal community members among the primary entrepreneurs the site is designed to serve. It gives guides, makers, artists, restaurants, shops, and lodging operators a single place to be found, without requiring visitors to navigate social media platforms or log into Facebook. The site places particular emphasis on Washington's creative economy, giving makers, artists, and craftspeople a platform to tell their story and connect directly with buyers who value locally made, handcrafted goods. Each business receives its own dedicated webpage, shareable directly with customers and wholesale buyers, with a direct contact option that doesn't require publicly posting personal phone numbers or email addresses. Through the grant, EDC Team Jefferson is covering the cost of site development and individual page creation, so participating businesses can establish a professional online presence at no cost to them.
Kim Carver of Jack Tar Media is partnering with the EDC to implement the project. Participants can submit their own photos, grant permission to use existing online images, or arrange for Kim to photograph their work or services on location. Pages are customizable, a guide who also sells smoked fish, for example, can feature both offerings on a single page linking all commerce back to the business owner.
West End businesses and makers interested in being included can text their name and a description of their service or craft to 206-650-4088, or email jacktarzine@gmail.com.
For more information, contact: Laura Brooks, Operations and Communications Manager EDC Team Jefferson laura@edcteamjefferson.org
EDC Team Jefferson is the Associate Development Organization serving Jefferson County, Washington, supporting economic vitality through business development, partnerships, and community investment since 2007.