May 28, 2026 @ SPSCC, Lacey campus

Presented by the Washington Center for Women in Business & Thurston Economic Development Council

2026 INSPIRE Keynote Speaker

Jessica Caldwell

CEO | Wildkind Outdoors | Wildkind Academy
2026 Award winner of National Small Business Week at the annual Washington State Small Business Awards Gala held in Seattle.

Jess Caldwell is the Founder of WildkindOutdoors and WildkindAcademy nonprofit. She is a community organizer, a resilience and preparedness facilitator, and an educator of Earth-based skills. Her work bridges wilderness survival, rewilding, leadership, and nature awareness with daily practices that awaken the senses and strengthen our capacity to meet a never-changing world.

Through her Field Notes Blog, The Wildkind Podcast, community-inspired membership platformand signature online course, Jess shares reflections, teachings, and lived insights to inspire the rising leaders of our time: Those who carry the fire and passion to organize and lead with grounded compassion and courage. Jess offers a Rewilding & Leadership Cohort for women along with Holistic Survival Camps and nature-immersion retreats. The Way of the Wildkind is a living path, a guidance system for cultivating vitality, resilience, and alignment in rhythm with the seasons. As a community of Changemakers, we will draw from ancestral wisdom, deepening our connection to the Earth, and carrying forward the essential traditions that will support a more resilient and regenerative future.

2026 INSPIRE Speakers

Amber Pike
Miss Washington
Annie Evans
Owner of Spruce Skin & Wax Shop
Ashley Whitley, Host
Host, Program Manager of WCWB
Gabrielle Hudson
Co-Founder of Onyx Medical Aesthetics
Heidi Carlson
Generational Trauma and Mother Wound Coach
Ifé Thomas
CEO of HerGlow
Jess Caldwell
Wildkind Academy
Jin Mi Williams
Founder of Olympia School of Advanced Skincare
Kara Withers
PathForward LLC
Mariya Raginsky
Founder The Added Value Group
Martie Hammons
Lotus Flower Wellness
Megan Gillespie
Boss Society Founder & CEO
Melanie Norton
SBA District Director
Michael Cade, Host
Executive Director at Thurston EDC
Michelle Pope
Director of the Lacey MakerSpace
Sarita Valdez
Founder of Herbology Skincare
Taylor Nations
Sponsor Speaker, ECOS
Zhanna Martynau
Lelashes/Fitness Coaching

Thank You to Our 2026 Sponsors!

Congratulations to the Winners of INSPIRE 2025 Small Business Awards!

Innovation Award

Tina Le, Zeal Care Co

Leadership Award

Jessica Clark, Ashlyn Jamyson Salon

Communiy Impact Award

Lauryn Clark - Doula Lo, Lo Holistics

WCWB Partners and State Entrepreneurial Resources!

Lacey MakerSpace

St. Martin's University

Visit their Website!

U.S. Small Business Administration

Seattle SBA District Office

Visit their Website!

Government Contracting

AKA: Procurement Technical Assistance Program

Visit their Website!

INSPIRE 2024 Conference Agenda

8:00 am

Registration and Networking

Continental breakfast provided

8:30 am

Opening Ceremony

8:45 am

Public Speaker, Chameleon O'Clock LLC (Dr. Jen Thomas)

9:15 am

Keynote Speaker, Stacey McQuade-Eger, J.D.

Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians Economic Development

9:45 am

Panel Discussion – 5 Local Small Businesses

10:45 AM

Break

11:00 am

Business Expert, Native Action Network

Melanie Montgomery

11:30 am

SBA Loan Programs, Deputy District Director of U.S. Small Business

Melanie M. Norton

12:00 pm

Networking Lunch

1:00 pm

Keynote Speaker, Miss WA, Vanessa Munson

1:30 pm

Business Expert

TBD

2:00 pm

Business Expert, Tiffany Scroggs

Program Director of Washington Apex Accelerator

2:45 pm

E-Commerce Expert, Kate Isler

WMarketplace

3:15 pm

Award Ceremony

Recognition of Outstanding Women in Business

4:00 pm

Cocktail Hour & Networking

Register Today!

Secure your seat at the women's event of the year and follow us on social!

The INSPIRE Women's Business Conference, proudly hosted by the Washington Center for Women in Business (WCWB), is a dynamic event tailored for women-identifying business owners and leaders across Washington state. This conference is a powerful platform for fostering connections, expanding professional networks, and providing actionable insights to help women grow their businesses.