For too long, entrepreneurship has been cast as a solo act: The garage startup, the lone founder, the myth of the unicorn. It’s an inspiring story, but it’s not the future.
The next wave of entrepreneurship belongs to communities.
Ideas don’t grow in isolation. They need ecosystems. Neighbors who shop local, mentors who share wisdom, markets that connect makers to buyers, and a downtown that feels alive instead of forgotten. Every breakthrough depends on the strength of the place around it.
Pullman is at a crossroads. We’ve endured construction, leadership turnover, and more than a few political distractions. But what we also have is potential: a rebuilt Main Street, a weekly market bringing life downtown, and a university engine producing talent and ideas. That’s raw material for momentum, if we choose to use it.
Working behind the scenes, I’ve seen sparks: business owners willing to collaborate, residents eager to reimagine downtown, and students who want reasons to build here instead of leaving. The challenge isn’t interest, it’s energy. Too often, communities wait for permission. Wait for City Hall. Wait for someone else to move first.
But Pullman can be a model if we stop waiting. We’ve got the pieces; now it’s about stacking small wins until they look like progress. We’ll do the walks. We’ll publish the numbers. We’ll bring drafts, not pleas. If City Hall keeps up, great. With the current crop of candidates and leadership, I believe it’s obvious they want to join a parade that’s already forming.
Because the future won’t be written in isolation. It will be built together, block by block, market by market, community by community.