NCW Tech Alliance to offer investment series
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 months, 2 weeks AGO
NCW Tech Alliance CEO Sue Kane speaks during an awards ceremony in November honoring local innovators. The organization will offer an informational series for potential investors beginning in January.
R. HANS MILLER/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | December 23, 2025 3:00 AM
WENATCHEE — There’s a world of great ideas out there, just waiting for a little bit of extra money to make them feasible. At the same time, there are people with a little bit of money who would like to se that money grow along with a great idea. The trick is bringing the two together.
“We have so many entrepreneurs who are creating amazing things in all of the communities across north central Washington,” said Becca Freimuth, director of entrepreneurship for the North Central Washington Tech Alliance. “So we're trying to figure out, how do we build this system where entrepreneurs can connect with angels or other investors and investors can connect with those innovative entrepreneurs?”
The Angel Investing Foundations learning series is one way to make that connection, according to an announcement from NCW Tech. The series, which begins Jan. 8, is designed to equip both new and experienced accredited investors with the knowledge, confidence, and tools needed to support early-stage companies.
The series adds on to a program NCW Tech Alliance has operated for eight years, Freimuth said, called the Flywheel Investment Conference. That program has been pretty successful at connecting investors with entrepreneurs, but a little more help on the investor side was needed, she said.
“We have actually, through that angel network, invested over $1.5 million in startups,” she said. “What we found is that locally, our angel investors need more education. They need to be more educated to be able to make confident decisions in their investments.”
The course runs through March 26, with six sessions that cover risk management, portfolio strategy, due diligence and more. Because each session builds on the ones before, it’s best to plan to attend all of them. They’re held from 8 to 10 a.m. every second and fourth Thursday at Pybus Public Market in Wenatchee. The cost is $275 per participant.
NCW Tech Alliance serves six counties in eastern Washington, including Grant and Adams counties. The organization is based in Wenatchee but has a branch office at Big Bend Community College, according to its website.
Investors who complete the course will be better prepared to partner with local innovators in all kinds of fields, not just high tech, Freimuth said.
“We have some really cool industry expertise in north central Washington, from manufacturing to energy to healthcare and agriculture,” Freimuth said. “(NCW) Tech Alliance has seen developments and entrepreneurs grow in all of those industry spaces. Our long-term goal is to elevate those sectors … to ensure that each of them grow to be able to support north central Washington's economy.”
Angel Seminar Schedule:
January 8: Fundamentals of Angel Investing – Overview of the angel investing process, motivations, and lessons learned
January 22: Understanding and Managing Risk – Explore risk categories and strategies for mitigation through hands-on exercises.
February 12: Returns and Portfolio Strategy – Data-driven insights on diversification, exits, and portfolio returns.
February 26: Due Diligence – Best practices for evaluating founders, markets, and deal structures.
March 12: Term Sheets – Practical guidance on term sheet definitions, intent, and deal scenarios.
March 26: Valuation – Multiple valuation methodologies and case studies for early-stage companies.
All sessions 8-10 a.m. in the Pybus Market Board Room, 3 N. Worthen St., Wenatchee. Tickets available at https://bit.ly/NCWTechInvesting2026.
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Quincy National Night Out scales down
QUINCY — Quincy’s National Night Out was more compact this year, which worked out well, said QPD Sgt. Joe Westby, who’s in charge of event planning for the Quincy Police Department. “National Night Out is a big event, and the fact that we’re able to shrink it up is like a breath of fresh air,” Westby said. “If you're always doing the same thing, it's kind of nice to switch things up and see how it works.” National Night Out took place Thursday on the block of C Street next to the police station, a shift from previous years when it was held at Lauzier Park. The smaller space meant fewer emergency vehicles for children to explore, but it also meant less walking for attendees. Grant County Fire District 5 brought a fire truck, and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office had a patrol boat. Renew, the Grant County behavioral health agency, had a booth and so did Quincy Partnership for Youth. Veterans Operation Creation sang the national anthem, and the Quincy Animal Shelter brought kittens that piled over each other making friends with passersby. As before, the QPD served grilled hot dogs.
Quincy Police retirements leave big shoes to fill
QUINCY — There are some big shoes to fill at the Quincy Police Department. “We’re losing 48 years of experience between them,” Quincy Police Chief Ryan Green said at the retirement party for Capt. Jorge Trujillo and Det. Damon Powell Thursday. Trujillo, who grew up in Sunnyside, has been with QPD for 19 years, he said, coming on as a patrol officer fresh out of the military. From there he served as a field training officer, a detective and finally captain. “I consider him my left-hand man,” Green said. “He runs the operations side of the house … He knows the agency very well, and he knows the community.” Trujillo has some projects around the house to tackle now that he’s retired, he said.
Big fun on a small scale
Wheat Land Communities’ Fair opens Thursday
RITZVILLE — The Wheat Land Communities’ Fair isn’t as big or as flashy as some of the county fairs around central Washington, but the folks who keep it going like it just the way it is. “It’s somewhere you can go and get an old-time traditional feeling, and you’re comfortable letting your kids roam the grounds and experience all that it has to offer,” said Board Member Lori Williams. “It’s more of a feeling than (one) specific thing,” The fair starts Thursday in Ritzville and runs through Sunday. Starting Friday, the 56th Ritzville Rodeo will take place alongside the fair at the rodeo grounds. This year the entertainment budget was expanded, Williams said, to be able to offer more fun that’s covered by the cost of admission. For the kids, there’s face painting, balloon art, Lego crafts, races, contests and games. Children can also ride on a little train towed around the fairgrounds behind a tractor.