Through its grant partnership with Washington State’s Workforce, Tabor 100 runs a technology giveaway program – providing small minority-owned businesses with the technology/tools their business needs to succeed that they otherwise may not have had access to. The following stories are a handful of testimonials from small businesses that received such support. These stories are intended to highlight not only the importance of partnerships and programs such as Tabor and Workforce, but the direct positive impact such partnerships and programs can have on their community members.

Back In The Ballpark – Keith “Mr. Keith” Williams | Flyright Productions

Keith “Mr. Keith” Williams has been a working photographer for over 30 years. Since founding Flyright Productions in 1994, he has provided professional photography services for school portraits, weddings, and major construction projects. His client list includes Sound Transit and the City of Seattle, a testament to his persistence and talent.

However, as photography technology advanced, particularly the shift from film to digital, Mr. Keith faced a lot of challenges. Like many small business owners from underserved communities, he lacked the capital to keep pace with competitors as they upgraded their equipment.

“If I’m behind the eight ball,” he said, “I’m behind on the game.”

Mr. Keith’s workforce development goals were twofold: first, to retain and upskill his own support team; and second, to provide mentorship and hands-on training opportunities to aspiring photographers from the community. However, the outdated equipment he relied on was a barrier to both.

The partnership between Tabor 100 and the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County made a critical difference.

With support from WADP, Mr. Keith upgraded his core photography equipment, including a camera he had used since 2008. This investment directly supported his ability to improve the quality of work-based training experiences for mentees and streamline day-to-day operations, positioning his business for long-term workforce sustainability.

“If you’re going to train somebody to drive a car,” he explained, “it’s best to have a car that’s up-to-date – not a jalopy. This puts me back in the ballpark.”

Without the WADP-supported equipment, Mr. Keith says he would have faced a difficult choice: take on debt to keep up with the competition, or close shop. Now, with newfound energy, tools and passion to train others, he is continuing to serve the community while preparing the next generation for creative careers in photography.

Equipping Communities To Thrive – Jonté Robinson (Just Here 2 H.E.L.P)

Jonté Robinson, founder of Just Here 2 H.E.L.P., launched her business in 2023 with a mission to close the wealth gap through financial empowerment, strategic business development, and inclusive economic advancement to underserved communities in King County. As a Black woman entrepreneur and representative of a priority population, Jonté saw firsthand the disparities that limited access to capital, business support, and financial education. She faced immediate barriers to scaling her services, namely, the lack of funding to hire staff and acquire the necessary technology to support a growing client base.

Recognizing the need to meet clients where they are, especially as remote services have become the norm post-COVID, Jonté sought to transition her practice into a hybrid model. However, the cost of building out the necessary tech infrastructure was significant. Without support, it would have taken years to purchase the $4,500 worth of equipment required to fully implement virtual workshops, coaching, and business advisory services.

Through Tabor 100’s partnership with the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County under the Workforce Advancement and Development Project (WADP), Jonté received critical technology resources, including computers digital tools, and audio/visual equipment to implement virtual training, financial coaching, and workforce development planning for her clients.

“It’s a blessing,” Jonté shared. “Now I can hire and serve more people, more efficiently.”

By eliminating this barrier, the program directly supported Jonté to improve service delivery, expand client access, and help more businesses in priority populations engage in financial and business readiness training. The technology provided through this partnership allows her to deliver workshops, training sessions, and strategic business services remotely, broadening her reach and reinforcing her capacity to help others build and retain their workforce.

“This program is so important,” she added. “Not everyone has $4,500 lying around to invest in the tools they need. This support helped me serve others faster and better.”

Jonté’s story exemplifies how Workforce funding helps businesses not just survive, but actively build the infrastructure needed to support talent development and job quality improvements within the communities they serve.

Investing In Community Wellness And Workforce Resilience – LaTaunya Witherspoon (SpoonFed Training)

LaTaunya Witherspoon, founder of Spoonfed Training, began her entrepreneurial journey in 2015 by leading outdoor fitness camps and offering personal training sessions at local gyms. Her vision extended beyond physical fitness; she aimed to empower her community by building self-worth and confidence through health and wellness. In 2018, LaTaunya took a bold step, investing her entire personal savings to open her first gym in Renton, WA.

“I stepped out on faith,” LaTaunya recalled. “I just needed four walls to get started.”

Her passion-driven venture steadily grew, and in June 2025, Spoonfed Training expanded to a new location in Tukwila. However, despite years of growth and community impact, LaTaunya continues to face operational challenges. As the sole administrator of her business, with no full-time staff and only a few contracted trainers, financial constraints limit her ability to upgrade or maintain the equipment that keeps her clients engaged and safe.

“I’m doing everything,” she shared. “There’s no room for error when you’re working with a tight budget.”

Recognizing her business’s impact and ongoing workforce development needs, Tabor 100 through its partnership with Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County provided LaTaunya with essential new fitness equipment. This investment directly supports her ability to retain clients, expand service capacity, and sustain her contract based trainers, contributing to job quality and workforce stability.

The equipment replaces aging or faulty machines and allows LaTaunya to redirect limited funds toward overhead expenses, utilities, and essential repairs in areas critical to her business’s survival.

“Big shoutout to Tabor 100 and Workforce,” she said. “This opens the door for a lot more opportunity.”

Without this support, LaTaunya noted she would have had to launch a public fundraising campaign, such as a GoFundMe, a step she hesitated to take due to the financial strain already experienced by many in her community.

“Things are definitely tight,” she said. “I try not to ask my community unless absolutely necessary.”

While she continues to apply for grants and explore growth opportunities, LaTaunya credits programs like Tabor 100 as instrumental in helping small businesses like hers not only stay afloat but actively grow their workforce capacity.

“It’s so important we talk about the struggle,” LaTaunya emphasized. “This kind of support can be the difference between closing a business or giving it a future.”

Enhancing Workforce Capacity Through Strategic Technology Support – Seaspot Media Group

Founded in 1998 by Chukundi Salisbury and expanded through a pivotal partnership in 2009, Seaspot Media Group, co-led by Rico Brown, has grown into a full-service media, design, and marketing company. Seaspot Media Group’s core mission remains empowering underserved small businesses with professional-grade branding and marketing services, which are often unavailable to them due to cost barriers.

As SMG’s client base expanded, so did the demands on its limited team. With only two core team members, Rico Brown and Chukundi Salisbury, they were carrying the load of both creative production and administrative responsibilities. This bottleneck hindered their ability to scale, train contractors efficiently, and respond to client needs in a timely manner.

Through the partnership of Tabor 100 and Workforce (WADP), Seaspot received modern technology equipment, including updated computers and essential backup systems, to replace devices that were four to five years outdated. This investment directly increased the company’s operational speed and reduced project turnaround times, allowing Seaspot to reallocate time and energy toward growing its talent pipeline and onboarding additional staff support.

“This upgrade didn’t just improve our tools, it expanded our capacity to serve clients and develop workforce solutions,” said Rico Brown, Seaspot’s Chief Innovation Officer & Creative/Tech Lead. “We’ve already cut our processing time in half and can now spend more time focusing on actual workforce training and creative services instead of troubleshooting and recovery”. The equipment also introduced a critical layer of business continuity. Rico recalled a major setback when an old hard drive failed, costing the company nine months of creative work.

“In technology, you don’t really have a backup until you have three,” he noted. “This support gave us redundancy and peace of mind, two things that are critical when mentoring interns and junior staff”.

Seaspot Media Group is deeply intertwined with several community focused initiatives founded or led by founder Chukundi Salisbury, who serves as the Chief Visionary Officer (CVO) & Community Lead. These initiatives operate under the 501(c)(3) nonprofit “Service is a Lifestyle” (SIAL) and include 100 Black Parents , Urbvote , and Youth Green Corps (YGC) , demonstrating significant community trust and engagement.

Without the support of Tabor 100 and WADP, Seaspot would have waited years to afford such upgrades, delaying growth and workforce expansion. With the new equipment, SMG is actively working to train junior creatives, delegate tasks more efficiently, and explore partnerships that will provide even more job training opportunities for emerging talent from underserved communities.

“Tabor has been a real catalyst,” Rico shared. “We’re no longer just surviving; we’re building something that can grow and more importantly, something that can help others grow too.”