HONESTY IN IVORY BRIDAL + DEARLY CONSIGNMENT BRIDAL

Cassie Cleary is the founder and owner of Honest in Ivory Bridal, a locally-based bridal shop she opened in 2018 at 26 years old. She later expanded with the launch of Dearly Consignment Bridal in 2020. Across both businesses, Cassie has led operations, branding, hiring, and growth, while securing exclusive designer relationships that make her shops a destination for gowns not found elsewhere in the Spokane market, drawing customers from hundreds of miles away. With a formal background in speech and language pathology, she brings a strong focus on communication, leadership, and team development, with profitability required as a core consideration in every business decision. Now a mom of three, Cassie has intentionally transitioned out of daily in store operations into a part time, work from home role centered on strategy, operations, and long term growth. Cassie offers a practical perspective on building luxury service based retail businesses with capable teams and systems that support both sustainable profit and real life.

CLARIN J + THE NOW NOW

Clarin is a commercial photographer who specializes in film photography and analog video, mainly working within the fashion industry. She travels often and loves bringing her client's projects to life in different corners of the world. She also is the owner and operator of The Now Now Space studio; a photography studio and creative space in downtown Spokane. Clarin has spent most of her professional life learning the art of pivoting; from working in the Social Work field and joining the Peace Corps, to realizing that maybe she can make a career out of her creative pursuits, to becoming a full time photographer thinking she’ll photograph weddings, to ditching weddings completely and falling in love with commercial fashion work, to opening a first-of-its-kind photography studio in Spokane while working full time in a completely different industry. Clarin has learned that life and a creative career is not linear, but by keeping your heart open and being ready to say YES! life has a way of surprising you. Clarin is passionate about cultivating and igniting creativity in our community — both with the studio and her photography clients. She recently started a new creative series called CREATE NOW NOW at her studio and mentors photographers in our area who are also looking to make the shift into commercial work. 

CRAFT STUDIO + THE HAIR SYMPOSIUM

Danielle Nishiyama is a salon owner, educator and community builder with nearly two decades of experience in the beauty and service industries. She is the founder of Craft Studio, a luxury salon known for its elevated guest experience, strong mentorship culture and innovative approach to sustainable salon business. Beyond the chair, Danielle is the visionary behind The Hair Symposium, one of the PNW’s fastest-growing education events for hairstylists and salon owners, bringing national educators and local talent together in Spokane. Her career spans leadership roles in hospitality and client relations, giving her a unique, data driven perspective on entrepreneurship. Passionate about mentorship and women's economic empowerment, Danielle is dedicated to helping creatives build profitable, fulfilling careers while strengthening the local business community the proudly calls home.