
About us
Keep it Local x Tacoma comprises compassionate, community-minded, small business professionals uniting to serve Tacoma's underserved neighborhood business districts.
Meet our team
Keep it Local x Tacoma
The Why
Our Mission & Values
To provide Financial Empowerment workshops and personalized business coaching to underrepresented business districts in Tacoma to help them succeed and thrive.
Together, we hold the power to pave the way for the future of our neighborhood business districts. With the guidance of skilled business owners and financial experts, we can elevate your company to new heights.
Let's unite to ensure the prosperity of our local businesses.
Our team is comprised of individuals who have committed their careers to enhancing economic opportunities for historically underserved communities. Each partner in this project has developed and implemented innovative practices to inspire and serve minorities in terms of financial health and business ownership, resulting in their emergence as leaders in their respective fields.


Jawan Harris
Founder, Principal Consultant
Born and raised in South Seattle, Jawan established King's Dream Business Consulting in 2019 as a response to the city's ballooning gentrification and displacement of its Communities of Color. Jawan's professional background comprises automated logistics earned serving in the Armed Forces, a decade of high-volume multi-location market management, territory sales management, and a degree in retail management from American Military University. Jawan's ethos: "To advance micro-economies by arming oppressed groups with financial freedom." In other words: The freedom to create jobs, develop social programs, own assets, build companies, spend more time with loved ones, maintain wellness, protect culture, determine your destiny, and live a meaningful dignified life.

Kati Trejo, MGH
Project Administrator
Kati possesses exceptional skills in the area of continual process improvement and management of administrative functions, from gathering client feedback to originating personalized financial reports to help stakeholders succeed. Kati's tireless efforts behind the scenes ensure that our systems operate optimally, allowing the team to provide the best possible service to local businesses in the community.

Melanie Hartman, MBA
Small Business Consultant
Melanie Hartman is a marketing, sales, and innovation-focused executive with 15 years experience. She has spent half of those years working in the corporate sector leading Fortune 100 brands in the digital landscape. The rest of her professional time has been spent working with small business owners to assist them in building strong digital foundations using growth marketing, sales enablement and innovative strategies. She holds an MBA in digital entrepreneurship.

Zaida Velazco
Website Design & Developer
Product Designer, Zaida, specializes in UX/UI design, Front-End web development, and graphic design. Zaida has designed a fleet of mobile apps, websites, and branded graphics to help small and large clients own their digital space with creative yet functional designs that consider their unique objectives.
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Rachel Estes
Content Writer
A University of Illinois at Chicago alum, Rachel has over five years of experience in web copywriting. She has worked with small and established brands to boost their online presence through written content. She has scribed pieces in various niches – from finance, education, travel, relationships, lifestyle, and hobbies. Rachel is a dedicated storyteller and strives to elevate companies’ voices through web copies that people can relate to and learn from.

Tanya Rivera-Falcone.
Small Business Consultant
Tanya Rivera-Falcone is a distinguished business coach and leadership expert with over 17 years of experience in corporate sales, management, and marketing. She has generated over $120 million for Fortune 250 companies and influenced the growth of more than 500 professionals and entrepreneurs. As the founder of Massive Brand Consulting and the innovative sales and marketing software, Bossly, Tanya assists small businesses in devising effective marketing strategies, driving organizational efficiency, and building high-performance teams. Tanya is also a best-selling author, motivational speaker, and advocate against domestic violence.

Glenn Gregory
Licensed Investment Adviser
Glenn founded Obsidian Investment Advisers, a $25 million registered investment advisory firm with over 23 years of professional investment experience. Before founding Obsidian, he was a corporate turnaround artist, having traveled to Europe, Asia, and S. America, restructuring several underperforming divisions.Gregory also has taken his investment knowledge to the local small business community as an active angel investor involved in local small business investment and competitiveness issues. Glenn has served on numerous boards, such as the Bank of Washington, Ezell's Fried Chicken, Inc., and two Mayor task forces. Glenn received his BS in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University and his MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.

Alesha Faulkner
Social Media Manager
Alesha is a savvy lifestyle and business content creator who has spent the last eight years honing her skillset across all leading social media platforms. Alesha has helped clients champion their social presence while reaching over 25,000 followers for her professional brand. Faulkner earned a Master's in Economics at the University of North Carolina.

Brianna Thompson
Marketing Consultant
Having earned her Bachelor's degrees in Marketing and Psychology from Loyola University Chicago, Brianna offers five years of applied digital marketing expertise gained serving both small and established businesses. Brianna specializes in ghostwriting, copywriting, conversions, creating personalized lean marketing plans, and social media management across the major platforms.

Tierra Bonds
Certified Credit Consultant, Small Business Coach
Author of the Racial Wealth Gap article, Tierra, is the fearless CEO of Take Charge Credit Consulting, whose mission is to educate 100,000 individuals to leverage credit and entrepreneurship and reduce the wealth gap for women and minorities. Bond's credit repair workshops have been featured in Black Dot, Business Impact NW, GSBA, Seattle Public Library, Habitat for Humanity, and more. Watch Tierra speak on racial disparities in the credit system on Kiro 7.

Anthony Parnell
Small Business Consultant
As owner of The Entrepreneurs Apex, Anthony works directly with Entrepreneurs and C.E.O.s from a broad range of industries to help them develop and implement strategies for increasing their company's revenue, profitability, and efficiency. This also includes developing business plans and investor proposals and guiding companies through successful start-ups and expansion.

Victor Garcia, SPHR
Human Resources Consultant
HR leader and talent management expert, Victor Garcia, drives organizational success through innovative HR initiatives. Victor has over ten years of expertise in talent acquisition and retention, HR compliance, benefits administration, and performance management. Victor is proficient in designing and executing HR policies and procedures, forging robust relationships with both internal and external stakeholders, and adeptly handling employee relations challenges consistently leading to heightened
employee satisfaction and engagement.

Kate O'Connor
Brand Strategist & Designer
Kate O'Connor is a consulting Brand Strategist and Brand Designer with over 10 years of experience. Having gained her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees at the Queensland University of Technology, she is passionate about developing robust, intentional, and unforgettable brands. Kate has worked on branding projects across almost every industry - from tech, beauty, and real estate to luxury fashion and beauty. Her approach to design is deeply rooted in strategic insight, and her strategic thinking is underpinned by excitement for research and the drive to identify trends and patterns. Kate is dedicated to working with small businesses to build brands with impact.